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New Delhi/Srinagar: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir have dismantled a sophisticated 'white-collar' terror module led by a group of doctors, who had been actively searching for a suicide bomber since the previous year. Key figure Dr. Umar Nabi was reportedly the driving force behind this initiative, according to officials on Sunday.

Interrogations of an arrested accomplice revealed that Umar, who is believed to have died in a car explosion near the Red Fort on November 10, was a 'hardcore radical' advocating for the necessity of a suicide bomber in their operations.

In response, police in Srinagar dispatched a team to Qazigund in southern Kashmir, where they apprehended Jasir, also known as 'Danish', a political science graduate, based on information from the co-accused, including Dr. Adeel Rather and Dr. Muzzaffar Ganaie.

The Srinagar police, under the leadership of SSP Dr. G V Sundeep Chakravarthy, successfully uncovered the entire 'white-collar' terror network.

The detained individual admitted to having met members of the 'Doctor module' in October of the previous year at a mosque in Kulgam, after which he was taken to a rented place at Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.

While others in the group wanted him to serve as an over-ground worker (OGW) for the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, he was heavily influenced by Umar for several months to become a suicide bomber.

However, the plan fell apart in April when he withdrew, citing financial struggles and his belief that suicide is forbidden in Islam.

This alarming plot to recruit a suicide bomber adds a new layer to the investigation into the interstate terror network associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

As previously reported, Umar, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, emerged as a highly radicalized key operative within a network that spanned Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Officials suspect he was preparing for a significant vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack timed for the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6.

His strategy involved placing a VBIED in a crowded area, either in the national capital or at a site of religious significance, and then disappearing, according to officials piecing together the evidence.

Interrogations revealed that Umar's radicalization began following a trip to Turkey in 2021 with co-accused Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, where they allegedly encountered JeM OGWs.

Post-trip, Umar and Ganaie, who were both affiliated with Al Falah University, began amassing large quantities of chemicals from the open market, including 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulfur, much of which was stored near the university campus.

The December plot unraveled when meticulous investigations by Srinagar police led to Ganaie's arrest and the seizure of explosives, which likely caused panic for Umar, culminating in a premature explosion outside the Red Fort that resulted in 13 fatalities.

The intricate interstate terror network was brought to light following a minor yet significant incident involving JeM posters appearing in Bunpora, Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar on October 19.

Srinagar police initiated a case and reviewed CCTV footage, leading to the arrest of three locals—Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid—who had prior stone-pelting charges.

Their interrogations led to the capture of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam from Shopian, who allegedly distributed the posters and utilized his influence to radicalize the doctors.