New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday intensified its probe into an alleged “white-collar” terror network by raiding multiple sites across South Kashmir, officials said. The coordinated operation spanned Pulwama, Shopian, and Kulgam, targeting individuals believed to have played roles in the radicalisation and recruitment chain connected to the deadly car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort earlier this year.
According to officials, one of the primary locations searched was the Shopian residence of Moulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay, who investigators say played a key part in shaping the covert module. Wagay, arrested initially in October, was later handed over to the NIA after the agency formally took charge of the case last month. He is suspected of steering indoctrination efforts and mobilising recruits for the network that authorities believe orchestrated the attack, which killed 15 people and left several others injured.
Search teams also fanned out across Koil, Chandgam, Malangpora, and Samboora in Pulwama district. These areas are said to be linked to individuals under scrutiny for potential logistical or operational involvement in the blast inquiry.
In a related development, the NIA searched the home of Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, whose arrest in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in early November was seen as a major breakthrough in the case. Rather is alleged to have been part of the extended support system aiding the accused network.
Officials noted that the raids were part of an ongoing effort to trace the wider ecosystem behind the so-called “white-collar” module — a term investigators use to describe individuals with professional or non-militant profiles who covertly facilitate extremist operations.
Further updates from the agency are expected as the investigation progresses.
