New Delhi: Investigations into the Red Fort car blast that claimed 13 lives have uncovered a larger terror plot involving multiple vehicles and coordinated attacks, officials said on Thursday.
According to intelligence sources, the accused were allegedly preparing up to 32 vehicles with explosives for potential simultaneous strikes across several locations. Preliminary findings indicate that an i20 and a Ford EcoSport had already been modified for use in the attacks, and authorities are examining whether other vehicles were being prepared as part of a broader conspiracy.
“Evidence suggests that after the i20 and EcoSport, plans were underway to equip up to 32 additional vehicles with explosives for coordinated attacks,” an intelligence officer told ANI.
The probe has also revealed that the suspects had pooled over Rs 26 lakh to procure materials for bomb-making. The funds were reportedly collected in cash by four key members of the so-called “white-collar terror module” – Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, Dr Shaheen Sayeed, and Dr Umar Nabi – and were entrusted to Dr Umar for operational use.
Authorities said the money was used to purchase approximately 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser, valued at around Rs 3 lakh, from suppliers in Gurugram, Nuh, and surrounding towns. The fertiliser is believed to have been intended for manufacturing improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Investigators also noted that the module had divided responsibilities, with eight suspects allegedly targeting four cities, each team tasked with executing blasts at designated locations. Early reports suggest that multiple IEDs were to be deployed at each site, reflecting a carefully coordinated plan.
The discovery of pooled funds and the preparation of additional vehicles has raised alarm over the scale of the plot, prompting agencies to intensify efforts to track potential accomplices and dismantle any remaining operational networks.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other intelligence units continue to probe the matter, tracing the sources of the materials and the financial networks behind the terror module.
