Red Fort blast update: A preacher from Mewat in Haryana has been detained by Jammu and Kashmir Police for his alleged connection to a “white-collar” terror network operating from a university in Faridabad. The man identified as Maulvi Ishtiyaq was taken into custody on Wednesday and brought to Srinagar for questioning.
According to police officials, Ishtiyaq had been living in a rented house inside the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad. During earlier searches at his residence, the police made a shocking discovery. Over 2,500 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur were recovered. These chemicals are commonly used in the making of explosives.
Officials said that he is likely to be formally arrested soon making him the ninth person detained in the ongoing investigation.
In a major security operation, police teams in South Kashmir’s Shopian district carried out extensive searches at several places on Wednesday focusing on the homes of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activists.https://t.co/J5wnZRVUW0
— The Statesman (@TheStatesmanLtd) November 12, 2025
This arrest is part of a wider crackdown on a terror module that investigators describe as a “white-collar” network of the banned outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH). The term “white-collar” is being used because several of those arrested so far are educated professionals including doctors and university staff who allegedly used their academic positions as a cover for extremist activities.
Police said that the explosive material found at Ishtiyaq’s home had been stored there by Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, also known as Musaib, and Dr. Umar Nabi, the man believed to have driven the explosives-laden car that detonated outside Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening killing 12 people and injuring several others.
Also Read: Massive crackdown in South Kashmir: Police launch fresh raids on Jamaat-e-Islami network
The Jammu and Kashmir Police working with their counterparts in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh carried out a series of interstate raids on November 10. These coordinated operations aimed at uncovering the network responsible for financing and transporting explosive materials across multiple states.
Investigators now believe that the network was functioning under for months quietly planning attacks while maintaining respectable public profiles.
Officials revealed that the module was highly organised, with members using coded language, encrypted messages, and fake educational credentials to move undetected.
Meanwhile, the national capital remains on high alert following Monday’s Red Fort explosion. Security checks have been intensified across Delhi with police and paramilitary forces deployed in large numbers at all major entry and exit points especially at the Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri, and Badarpur borders.
Sniffer dogs, bomb disposal squads, and metal detectors have been stationed at crowded markets, railway stations and government buildings.
The Delhi Police have urged citizens to stay alert and immediately go report any suspicious activity or unattended items to the nearest police station or through emergency helplines.