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This special report uncovers a nationwide ‘terror doctor’ module at the centre of a sprawling multi-state probe linking several medical professionals—many tied to Al-Falah University—to a car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort and the seizure of nearly 2,900 kg of explosives.
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00:00Good evening, a senior surgeon at a very prestigious hospital near the Maamoon
00:18cantonment in Pathankot has been taken into custody for his alleged links with the Delhi
00:23bombers. There are a series of raids and searches that are on even as we speak. So the information
00:29that we have right now is a doctor called Rais Aymar working as a senior surgeon at a prestigious
00:38hospital is currently under investigation. The police are probing some of his alleged
00:46conversations and links with Dr. Muzambil and Dr. Mohamed Omar at the Alfala Hospital. That's
00:56the information that's coming in. Incidentally, there are some other doctors with links to
01:00the Alfala University in Faridabad who have either switched off their mobile phones or are
01:07no longer at their homes or offices. Police believe they've gone missing, they're untraceable,
01:16their mobiles are switched off, they're not at home, they're not at work. Now are these
01:20either sleeper cells or part of a module who've gone underground moment these raids and searches
01:28started? The police have reached out to them. In fact, through friends and family, they're being
01:33asked to join investigations. Searches and raids are being carried out across multiple cities and
01:38this clearly is a race against time. Late last night, there was a massive explosion at the Naugam police
01:46station in Kashmir, killing nine officials and injuring over 27. The Naugam police station,
01:53incidentally, was the first to unmask the white collar terror module of doctors. It was excellent
02:00investigations by the Naugam police. Were they targeted or was it a case of an accidental explosion,
02:07as Nalant Prabhat, the Director General of Jammu Kashmir police insisted earlier today?
02:14Prime Office Sai, according to the Jammu and Kashmir police, it appears to be a case of an accidental
02:18explosion. Forensic teams were examining samples of explosives confiscated at the behest of Dr.
02:25Muzammil Ganai in Faridabad. However, a front of a radical Islamist terrorist organization,
02:33a Pakistan-based terrorist group, Jaisa Mohamad, a front for it, has claimed responsibility for this
02:41blast at the Naugam police station. Now, the blast was huge. It could be seen over several kilometers
02:50away and sadly, nine people have lost their lives. 27 are injured and some, including police personnel,
02:56are critical. An investigation has been ordered. But are there other terror modules that are still out
03:03there? We'll talk about that in greater detail. We'll get to the latest in investigations. I'm
03:07Gaurav Savant. Let's begin with this ground report on the current investigations and the fast-paced
03:13investigations that are being carried out in this race against time.
03:21Five days after the blast that shook the capital, the probe has only intensified.
03:27CCTV footage spotting Red Fort bomber Dr. Umar Navi has been exclusively accessed by India today.
03:35The footage shows Dr. Umar Navi sitting at a mobile shop in Faridabad after he escaped from the
03:40Alphala University. He was scanning two cell phones and a black bag at the mobile shop.
03:46Meanwhile, a spree of arrests have revealed how deep the network of white-collar terror module is in the
03:52nation. A 45-year-old surgeon was arrested from Pathan court. Dr. Reis Ahmed Bhatt was allegedly in
03:59touch with Delhi bomber Dr. Umar Navi. Dr. Reis worked at Faridabad's Alphala University from 2020 to
04:052021. Dr. Mushtaqim, who also graduated from the Alphala University, was detained from Noor. Another MBBS
04:13student who was also detained from Haryana's dhauch.
04:30After this, the Delhi police raided Alphala University headquarters located in the
04:40Okhla area of the national capital. The NIA team thoroughly scanned all CCTVs in the Vazirpur area
04:45of Delhi and questioned a tea stall owner where the bomber had visited.
04:49Meanwhile, another layer is emerged in the Faridabad Jaish module.
05:12Accused Dr. Shaheen, who was arrested on the 11th of November, was using a SIM card registered on a
05:18fake address. The blast near the Red Fort came on a day. A huge cache of arms and ammunition,
05:24including 2,900 kilograms of IED-making material, were recovered from the rented premises of Dr.
05:30Muzamil Shaqeel, who worked at the Alphala University. With several of Alphala doctors being arrested
05:36and the staff questioned in recent days, the enforcement directorate has started a probe into
05:41the university's funding as well. With Himanshu Mishra and Arvind Hoja, Bureau Report, India Today.
05:48I quickly want to bring in India Today's Shreya Chatterjee for the latest in investigations. Shreya,
05:55give us details of this Dr. Rais Ahmed Bhatt, a senior surgeon at a very prestigious medical college.
06:02Mamoon Contourment, you know, Pathankot is India's largest military base, the Mamoon Contourment,
06:09if doctors in and around this area are also under the scanner. So one, who is Dr. Bhatt? What is his alleged link?
06:16How is he linked to Dr. Umar Mohamed? How is he linked to Dr. Muzamil? What more do we know?
06:22Well, they are all being suspected, Gaurav, as a part of the same module. They were part of this entire
06:28terror operation on the kind of things that they were arranging, be it the explosives, be it
06:35arranging for the cars and then planting into the IEDs, because the plants that are coming in are
06:40extremely scary right now. And what we do understand that there are more doctors, Gaurav, because we've been
06:46talking from day one, that there's a notebook that these investigators have also got from that room
06:53number 13 and room number 20 of the Alpalla University. From those rooms, these names of the
07:02doctors have surfaced one by one. And when we talk about these doctors, they are right now being detained
07:09subsequently on the basis of the proof that they're getting on the dump data of the mobile phones that
07:16Umar was using, because now the cell and the NIA, they have the number that Umar was using for
07:22calling, because we have the CCTV that shows that he has two phones. Now, based on that, our agencies are
07:29actually zooming in on those individuals he was in touch with. Based on that, Gaurav, we are seeing these
07:35fresh detentions and arrests being made. Stay with me for a moment, because this is very alarming. There are
07:42doctors who are missing. Where are these missing doctors? Are they all linked to Alphala University?
07:48How many from Jammu and Kashmir? Apparently, there are doctors who've been taken into custody from
07:53from Uttar Pradesh. There are doctors who've been taken into custody from Hyderabad and Gujarat.
07:58And I'm told now, Shreya, there is a link, there is a direct link between doctors who are making these
08:05toxins that Dr. Mayuddin is also linked to the Alphala University module. How are both the doctors
08:11or both the modules linked? Is there more clarity on that? Well, the reason that, Gaurav, we are
08:17understanding these arrests are being made are totally on technical data. It's about how and when
08:22these people were contacted, what were the kind of communication that was established with
08:26Muzammil and Dr. Umarun Nabi. Muzammil is already in the custody. He's been questioned for more than
08:32a week right now. And NIA has also taken his custody. So, based on that, these doctors are
08:37being arrested. We are being told that the NIA team also visited the state of West Bengal. There were
08:42some doctors linked that also surfaced from the state of West Bengal. And there also questioning is
08:48under which way. What we do know that this doctor module is not just limited to the Delhi NCR region or
08:55Kashmir. There are doctors who have been past graduates of Alphala University. Their names
09:01are now surfacing as being the part of the terror module. How and when they helped, those are the
09:07pieces that the investigators are right now zooming in on. And as we talk, Gaurav, more trouble is
09:13mounting on the Alphala University, which is also becoming the point of the entire investigation so
09:19far as this terror blast is concerned. Stay with me, Shreya. I'll come back to you with the latest
09:23investigation. I'm told there are two doctors who have also been detained from Mewat region, from
09:28Nu. There's a fertilizer shop or a fertilizer go-down owner who's also been held for questioning
09:36because why was a very large quantity of ammonium nitrate provided to these doctors without a license?
09:43They are not permitted to acquire this and yet they did. Was this on the basis of some personal
09:50contact, money, religion, any other thing that united this group? That's a big question. Before I
09:57bring in our guests on this broadcast, I want to take you through this entire list of doctors who've
10:02been taken into custody. Some of these, of course, we know right now have been arrested. Some have been
10:08called in for questioning. Dr. Rais Ahmed Bhatt, for example, he was in touch with a Red Fort bomber.
10:14He's been taken into custody. Let me tell you a little more about these medics of mayhem. From
10:19Pathankot in Punjab, Dr. Rais Ahmed Bhatt was taken into custody. Let me now take you to Nu in Haryana.
10:26Dr. Mustaqeem. Dr. Mustaqeem has been detained, apparently very closely linked with Dr. Umar Nabi.
10:37Multiple phone calls, lots of WhatsApp exchanges, some details that had been deleted, apparently,
10:43on the phone calls, on the handsets of some of these doctors. From Dhawj in Haryana, Dr.
10:53Muhammad has also been detained. Now, Dr. Muhammad is a young MBBS student or graduate, we are told,
11:02at the Al-Fala University. Now, let's move from Haryana to Haapur in Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Farooq has also
11:13been called in for questioning. Dr. Farooq is allegedly linked to Dr. Shaheen Shahid. Dr. Shaheen Shahid,
11:21remember, is one of the MBBS toppers, also done her master's degree in medicine, has a house in
11:29Lucknow. Her own brother is also Dr. Ansari, is also Dr. Parvez Ansari, is under the scanner,
11:37taken into custody earlier. Her vehicle was used for this blast, for transporting of, for the explosives,
11:45and an assault rifle was recovered from a vehicle registered in her name. Then from Kanpur in
11:51Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Arif was taken into custody, detained for his links with Dr. Shaheen Shahid. Now,
11:58let me take you to Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar. Dr. Tajammul Malik was called in for questioning in
12:08connection with alleged links with Dr. Umar Mohamad. Let me now bring you to Faridabad. Dr. Shaheen Shahid,
12:16she was taken into custody. Apparently, the women's wing of this radical Islamist organization,
12:24Jaish-e-Mohamad, she was to head the women's wing in India. Dr. Parvez Ansari was detained. He's Dr. Shaheen
12:33Shahid's brother. Then, naturally, the one man who escaped was Dr. Mohamad Umar. The moment he realized
12:42that some of his close confidants had been taken into custody, he fled the hospital, sadly, with an
12:48explosive-laden vehicle and carried out that terror attack in very close to the red phone. Now, let me
12:56take you to the other aspect which is under investigation, the link. Some of these doctors,
13:01incidentally, had studied in China. That's the information that's coming in, including, um, a
13:07certain Dr. Syed, Dr. Mohenuddin Ahmed Syed, arrested for his links, trying, exploring ways to weaponize
13:17Ryzen. He studied at, uh, China. So did Dr. Mohamad from Nu, who's been taken into custody. And there are
13:26some exchanges that the police are currently investigating. Dr. Adil Ahmed Rathar was amongst
13:33the first to be taken into custody for his links, not just with the Jaish-e-Mohamad, but also with
13:39Ansar Ghazwatul Hind. And, of course, Dr. Muzammil Shaqeel, arrested. And at his behest,
13:46close to 2,900 kilograms of explosives were recovered. This just is, ladies and gentlemen,
13:53sadly, the tip of the iceberg. This is not the entire module. There were 25 names on that list
14:01that, uh, was recovered from room number 13 of the Alfala University and some papers that were
14:07recovered from that rented accommodation. The question we're asking on the special broadcast is,
14:11how widespread are the tentacles of this terror doctor modules? How widespread are these tentacles
14:16spread? Is India sitting on a ticking time bomb? Police are saying that some doctors have
14:22apparently either switched off their mobile phones or their mobile phones are not reachable
14:26and these doctors are untraced. Now, should these doctors come forward and join investigations
14:32because of their alleged links with Dr. Muzammil, with Dr. Adil, with Dr. Umar Muhammad, uh, Dr. Umar.
14:42We are still waiting for more clarity. And the bigger questions, how does one de-radicalize highly educated
14:50medical professionals or engineers or others who masquerade, you know, who are amongst us morning,
14:58noon and night, but maybe moonlighting as terrorists? In Kashmir, there was this concept of hybrid
15:05terrorists. But are these those hybrid terrorists or they have now switched, gone across, uh, to being
15:11full-time terrorists only masquerading as doctors? These are some of the questions we're seeking
15:16answers to. Joining me on this India First special broadcast, our left-in channel Sayyad Atta Hasnain,
15:21former Kashmir Corps commander. He's worked, uh, very extensively on bringing youth back into the
15:27mainstream. Also with me is Yashav Ardhan Azad, former special director of India's intelligence bureau.
15:32Uh, Zeenat Shaukat Ali is the founder director general of the World Institute of Islamic Studies
15:38for Peace and Dialogue. Dr. Tara Kartha is former director of India's National Security Council secretariat.
15:45Anjel Hasnain, Maamoon cantonment, sir, in Pathankot is one of the biggest military bases in the country.
15:54An Alfala hospital-linked doctor working as a senior surgeon in Pathankot, taken into custody,
16:02was at Alfala hospital, is considered to be close to this network of doctors.
16:07What would you deduct from some of these arrests and detentions in searches and raids that are going
16:15on nationwide at this point of time?
16:17Dr. Tara, thank you. Uh, firstly, let me start by saying I completely concur with you what you're
16:26looking at is just the tip of the iceberg. As we go along, there's going to be much more which will
16:33get revealed. I mean, I say this from the angle that at the moment you're looking at Northern India and
16:38in Northern India, primarily Delhi, the Mewat area, you're looking at Pathankot and Jamun Kashmir.
16:46I would say this issue will probably go deep south. You must remember that in 2019, you had
16:52terror blasts which took place in Sri Lanka on the Easter, the Easter Day bombings, which were all linked
16:58to a huge module somewhere, somewhere in Southern India. We have not forgotten the various, the history
17:05of bombings which have taken place in Maharashtra, in central India. So this is a nationwide thing.
17:12Now, at the moment, it is centered because of what's happened in Delhi and because of the revelation
17:18starting from the posters of the Jama Masjid. Obviously, this whole thing is focused on JNK and Delhi.
17:23As to your question on Maamun, that's an important, well, at the moment, I may not be able to confirm
17:30what exactly that would mean. But Maamun is a very important place. You see, Maamun is close to Katwa
17:37also. Just remember. And this is the general area in which a lot of infiltration has been going on for
17:44the better part of the last one, two years. All the infiltration routes in North in Kashmir have been
17:50broadly under control. This is the area where closer to Punjab, where more and more
17:55infiltration routes have opened up. So if there are modules in which people are actually under control
18:01by going across and coming back, this is the place possibly where the focus needs to be. But as we go
18:08along, I'm sure much more is going to be revealed.
18:11Okay. Dr. Tara Kartha, your take on these arrests and the police, and this is of course at the level
18:20of sources right now, saying some doctors have switched off their mobile phones or, you know,
18:26their mobile phones are not reachable. They're neither at home nor at their workplaces. They're still
18:32trying to reach out to these doctors. Does that immediately raise the red flag? Because
18:38if doctors have been in touch with these elements, would they join investigation? Should they join
18:43investigation? Or you find nothing suspicious in this? See, if they had nothing to hide,
18:50they would not be switching off their mobiles and hiding. I mean, sort of moving out. They would come
18:54out and say, yeah, we know this guy. He did this X, Y, Z. I mean, it's not that the whole entire
18:59Alphala University is under suspicion. They could have come forward. If they put it off,
19:03obviously there is a link. I mean, this is, I mean, though I, I entirely agree as usual with
19:09General Hassanen, but this is a far larger module than I have come across before. I have, I mean,
19:16this is a very unusual one with, like we said, with doctors and the, the sheer geographical,
19:23you know, with, we are going from Nu, by the way, Nu, I've always said there are, I said this last,
19:28I think on your show, there are areas which are no-go areas for police. There are concentrated
19:33criminal activity. You always see, not always, most of the time, you see a criminal and terrorist
19:39activity going together. So I think going forward, we need to look at these areas which have been
19:45prone. You remember 23, what happened in Nu, where they attacked for them. It's a, it's a terrible
19:51place. It's got all sorts of characters in it. So there's no wonder that they're able to get
19:56fertiliser also from that area, which is otherwise, like you said, is difficult to get hold of.
20:01The, you know, this is, this is an area where cattle smuggling is rampant. It's, it's the
20:07headquarters virtually of illegal cattle smuggling. It's the headquarters. Now we're told of various
20:13criminal gangs that operate in Haryana and in Rajasthan. They carry out a crime and then come back
20:18into the protective, in the protection of Nu. Mr. Yashavardhan Azad, this would be very alarming
20:23because for the security forces, for the police and not just the state police, now the national
20:28investigation agency, others, they should just crack down on these elements because the distinction
20:33or the difference that, that swing from illegal cattle smuggling to crimes, to terror, it's just a very
20:40gradual process. It's almost 50 shades of crime and terror, sir. Well, it's true. Nu has come in the
20:47limelight for a number of reasons. In fact, the cyber crimes of Jamthada, the famous Jamthada had
20:54actually shifted to Nu later and there was a great recovery and seizure done by the local police.
21:00However, you know, the, the, the target here is the Alfala. And, you know, remember,
21:05Gaurav, you were discussing this issue the other day, that why are the others just kept quiet?
21:12Because this module was developing for two years. These two rooms were the centers of activity and
21:17besides there was frantic activity, as you're saying, because the doctors are going, changing cars,
21:23bringing in ammonium nitrate. It's not possible that nobody, you know, saw it. Nobody saw it at the
21:28gate. Nobody saw it anywhere. So obviously they were not speaking. Now, if they were not speaking,
21:34either it is because of fear or because of complicity or because of silent kind of,
21:39you know, commission that, yes, we know about it, but we sort of want to remember that the radicalized,
21:45educated lot thinks that it is more evolved. It is a more evolved Islamic kind of, you know,
21:52value led life they are living. So I think there is a lot to be found in it. And I'm glad that the,
21:59that the security forces of the government is looking into that particular university.
22:03Now, the other very, very dangerous link, which you have, you have pointed out, and I hope,
22:09I just hope they are not linked together, is the ricin plot and this one, because the ricin had some
22:16even more dangerous, you know, plans. And the plans were to mix, you know, this ricin with,
22:23with the Mandir Prashad. And you can imagine what result it would have been because ricin does not
22:28have an antidote. It just kills you. And something of this kind was used in London, I think, 2011,
22:35or something like that. Now, but the problem is that in this particular case, the way because of
22:42the technical investigation has revealed so many links, that this is, you know, horrifying. I think
22:49this is one of the most frightful modules that one has come across. And as you said, the important
22:56point is, is the race against time means that those people who have been named in a notebook,
23:02unless they are sort of, you know, caught early and interrogated to find out what exactly
23:08they were, they were performing as a part of the action plan, which was given by the
23:15uh, uh, turkia, turkia. Should, should, should their names be put out in public domain? Um,
23:21as of now, uh, you know, we know some names, but we are not putting them out because the police are
23:25not putting them out. Um, you know, uh, Zeenat Shokatali, should these names be put out in public
23:30domain for them to come forward, join investigations, um, or the police are trying to reach out to them.
23:36They may be untraced for now. Their phones may be unreachable for now. Um, their parents,
23:40their relatives, their kin, their friends should reach out to them and tell them to join investigations
23:45because I would find this very alarming. I'm sure so would you, that by day they're treating people
23:52and by night they're plotting to kill them. I think you're quite right. It's, it's, it's a horrifying
24:00and absolutely deplorable acts that are taking place. And yes, they should, they should volunteer.
24:08The name should be put up and people also should be given to understand that, you know,
24:14we appreciate their coming forward, you know, and we appreciate that they come forward and they
24:19give us and lead us to the truth. Because you see what happened because of a small minuscule amount,
24:26a handful of bad doctors or bad, you know, people who are in education gives the entire,
24:32you know, it's a, it comes like a blanket. It should not come as a blanket for the whole community.
24:37You see, this is another fear that, uh, that exists and people are afraid to some extent,
24:43and they could be complicit as it has been pointed out, uh, you know, or they could be,
24:48you know, conniving. But the point is this, that, uh, the point is that those people who can help
24:55and who, whose names are implicated should be contacted, should be put up and they should come
25:02forward, you know, and give all information because innocent people are being killed. And this,
25:09it is also very unfortunate if you give me a minute to say that, you know, this is, uh, yesterday we were
25:15discussing this, uh, two days ago, that in the name of religion, you see, when, when we're talking
25:20about these Muslim names, we're talking about a deemed university, uh, you know, whose coordination
25:27fund movements, uh, you know, who's progressive, uh, and guides in cases and indoctrination of such
25:35people is, uh, uh, is an extremely dangerous, uh, and, uh, very un-Islamic. Please let me tell you,
25:43it is extremely un-Islamic simply because I'm quoting to you now what the prophet Muhammad,
25:49may please be upon him, has said that he who knowingly lends support to tyranny is outside the
25:56pale of Islam. This is Tabarani. And the worst form of tyranny is to support one's community in
26:04tyranny. You see, so you cannot support just because somebody from your community is doing
26:08something wrong, yet you support it. This is by Haki. And the other one that I'm going to quote
26:14is from also from by Haki, which says that he who accompanies a wicked man in order to help him
26:22in his wicked ways and designs, knowing of his designs, ceases to be a believer. So you see,
26:29and yet this is happening. So, you know, it's, it's just that what you tell us is very different
26:34from perhaps what that Malvi Irfan, uh, told these doctors and somehow, uh, General Hasnain,
26:40that Malvi Irfan seems to have persuaded a large number or at least a number of these doctors, uh,
26:47who've now been taken into custody or some may be at large. Sir, you've served in the Kashmir Valley.
26:53We've seen waves of violence and peace and then violence and peace and terror and peace in the
26:59Kashmir Valley. Who knows that better than you? But under the radar, is that radicalization and
27:06indoctrination constantly happening? And is India, the entire country, uh, and the community itself not
27:13doing enough to de-radicalize these elements? See, Gaurav, it is an obvious thing that your adversaries
27:20will always work on in different domains. One may be the use of terror, terror modules,
27:28and one may be in the cyber domain, in the technical domain, and one is going to be always
27:34working on the ideological domain. Right from the seventies, this has been the Zia Doctrine work on
27:40the ideological part, make sure that cultivate enough people, cultivate networks. The term network is only
27:48emerging on our channels today. Everyone was only talking about terrorism so far. Now at last,
27:54people are talking about networks and realizing that it is networks which support terrorism. And
27:59radicalism is something which is ongoing at all times. The way you can overcome it is your narrative
28:07of counter-radicalism has to be stronger than that of radicalism.
28:11What I find in your own Kashmir... Sir, are we too weak? Are we too weak? Too politically correct?
28:16I want to understand from you, why is it either it's not happening or it's not effective? Uh,
28:21you know, why would a Dr. Muzammil or a Dr. Adil or a Dr. Muhammad Umar, uh, or Dr. Shaheen,
28:28she's from Uttar Pradesh or, uh, Dr. Ansari, they have the best of this country. They're getting the best.
28:34They're doctors. They're doing so well. They're MBBS doctors. Why are they getting radicalized in
28:39your appreciation, sir? Uh, Gaurav, this is oversimplification of the problem. As I told you,
28:44the adversary is focused. The adversary is strong. It's been doing it for far long. We are entering
28:51into this aspect of counter-radicalization right at the early stages now. The realization is coming.
28:58I would ask by any fellow panelists, how many people do you know from different communities
29:03who are at all involved with or are aware of various tenets of Islam? Hardly anyone at all,
29:10right? So if what happens is that when you speak to people, you don't even understand them. You
29:16don't recognize them and they continue to function in the manner, in this manner,
29:21cultivated from all kinds of ideological propaganda, which keeps coming from abroad. My strongest
29:27recommendation is you have to find a moderate clergy and there are lots and lots of them in
29:33India who have to come forward and they are the ones who have to preach the better aspects of
29:39Islam to all these people. The problem is that the negative aspects of Islam are actually
29:45proliferating in this environment and that is what is adding to the problem. Dr. Azad, is that also,
29:52uh, Mr. Yashavardhan Azad, is that also your appreciation that, uh, you know, everyone's being so politically
29:58correct. You brush it under the carpet. Yes, there's a problem. Let's just deal with the armed terrorist
30:02once he's arrested, either after the, uh, you know, uh, terrorist activity has happened or just before
30:08it is to happen. And then nobody touches that Madarsa where it's happened because, oh my God,
30:13people will feel bad. Nobody touches that Malvi. Oh my God, he will feel bad. Is it time to go after
30:19these elements at these places and then deal with it at multiple levels? And are we, are we doing it or
30:26we are not doing it? Well, you know, that is a problem which is partial. Uh, if you see radicalization
30:33all over the world is, is happening. And, uh, if you see that couple, which was there in the USA in the
30:39San Bernardino attack, 2015, uh, they were very well cultural, socially, you know, and the FBI was shocked
30:47that how could people of this caliber, uh, be radicalized. This has happened in other parts.
30:539-11 had the top most software engineers, pilots, et cetera. In France, you have people being de, uh,
30:59radicalized. In India, I feel one is of course, the sources of, of indoctrination, wherever the,
31:06the radicalization elements are there, as you rightly said, Malvis, et cetera. I agree with General
31:11Hasnain when you must use the moderate clergy for it, but you know, radicalization cannot,
31:16de-radicalization cannot be left only to the police or the intelligence agencies.
31:20I'll give you a very simple example. Our chief ministers, they must now engage with the educated
31:27middle class. They should engage with the educated youth and not only do everything for the voters.
31:34The very important part of this element is that no one would, should feel aloof that he's not a part
31:41of the state. I mean, that is where the de-radicalization begins. And that is why when
31:46you strengthen the democracy, when you strengthen the voices of the people, it is a very, very
31:52advantageous in the interest of the nation. But these elements anyway have the best of our society.
31:57You know, I can, I, I fail to understand why would those who are at the center, I mean, doctors,
32:02Dr. Tara Kartha are second only to God in our country. Nobody looks at their religion. They
32:07just look at them as healers. But, you know, these healers are actually merchant. If there is evidence
32:14against all of them, then they're truly merchants of death masquerading as healers. You know,
32:19when, why should they feel aloof? They have no reason to feel aloof unless they are being misled. And,
32:25you know, my only appreciation is that these elements must be dealt with as, with the strongest
32:31possible, you know, action against them as per law, so that one, it serves as a deterrent. And two,
32:37the Molwis who are indoctrinating them should perhaps be dealt with even more harshly, Dr. Tara Kartha,
32:43or that enabling environment.
32:46I 100% agree with you. This, the strongest, I mean, what the Home Minister has said, I absolutely
32:53bad. You need to give the strongest possible punishment to these people. I just want to make
32:57one small differentiation from what I was told. The Molwis was used by Muslim to get the radicalization
33:05ring going. So, he was a sort of a counter in this whole game. That is one. Number two is, I will agree
33:11with you that there is a responsibility among religious leaders to sort of talk to people and tell them what
33:21this, I mean, the religion is all about. It's after all, it's a very, very fine religion in its own
33:27standing. I mean, why can't that, I mean, there are different variations, right? If I want to show
33:32something, I want to preach something as being terrible, which you also see in, well, in a lot
33:37of other, you've got Christian fundamentalism, you've got Hindu fundamentalism at various points.
33:42It's how you present it. And number three, your point about education. I want to say this very
33:48clearly. It is the educated who are most prone to radicalization. And there's a long history.
33:54There's a long, the number two of Al-Qaeda was a medical doctor. Osama bin Laden himself was an
34:02engineer by profession. And somewhere down the line, you know, Zeenat Shaukat Ali, is it the failure of the
34:10community or the country to isolate these elements, to call out these elements, to take stern action
34:17against these elements? Because clearly, they cannot be cocooned. They cannot be treated with
34:22kid gloves. The more you do that, the more you'll encourage such elements.
34:28I agree with you. I agree with you. I couldn't agree with you more. You know, as a person who
34:34teaches this subject and who's supposed to be a professor of Islamic studies, I am quite shocked that
34:42we should have these kinds of people who teach this reverse kind of understanding.
34:47And, you know, what I was telling you at our last show was that, you know, when they, you see,
34:52there are certain traditions, like a prayer session. So when the imams are delivering that session on a
34:58Friday, that lecture should be written out, scanned, looked into, and then delivered. You see, so that
35:06every element of that speaks of the Islamic values of peace, of bridge building, of non-violence,
35:13of understanding. I've got a whole book on this, which has now been translated in English,
35:17which is called Winning the Peace Equest. It has been translated by the NCPO and in Delhi,
35:23in Urdu, for the simple reason that there are ulama who have written on non-violence.
35:30They have condemned suicide bombings. They have condemned violence. And they have quoted the
35:35verses. And when I need to request them to write this, you know, they said that,
35:40No, Saudi Arabia, where the religion originated, is de-radicalizing elements. Saudi Arabia is de-radicalizing
35:46elements. Saudi Arabia is looking at the moderate form. It's happening across the, you know,
35:52the GCC countries. It's happening in the UAE. It's happening in Saudi Arabia. But here in South Asia,
35:58they seem to be getting more radicalized now. You know, I mean, how can one be more pious than the
36:03Pope? One fails to understand. But I'll come to that aspect in just a moment, because now I want to
36:07switch focus. And General Hasne and Mr. Azad, stay with me on this, and Dr. Tara Kartha,
36:11and Zeenat Shokatali. This is that explosion that took place at the Naugam police station. This is very,
36:17very worrisome. A major explosion. There's a huge explosion at 20 minutes past 11 last night at the
36:25Naugam police station. Now, Naugam on the outskirts of Srinagar. It's the Naugam police,
36:30and there was brilliant beat police work by the Naugam police that this module was busted.
36:36You know how? Because the police personnel at this police station, they spotted some of these elements,
36:42putting Jaisa Mohamed posters. They were seen on CCTV cameras. They were identified. They were called in
36:49for questioning. They were interrogated, three of them initially. Once they were interrogated on
36:55arrest, it led to the arrest of that Malvi Irfan. Malvi Irfan was the person of the Naugam
37:01Masjid who was radicalizing these youngsters. He incidentally was also the paramedic of the
37:06government medical college in Srinagar. Once he was questioned and documents were searched,
37:12a list of doctors emerged including Dr. Muzammil, Dr. Adil, Dr. Muhammad Umar. This is where the
37:19Jammu and Kashmir police and the Haryana police started conducting a series of searches and raids
37:24and others were taken into custody. Sadly, that Dr. Muhammad Umar escaped and that blast took place.
37:29But that wider module information came in through the Naugam police. And last night,
37:34there was a massive blast at the Naugam police station. Now, Nalit Prabhat, the director general of
37:38Jammu and Kashmir police, he said it's an accidental explosion. Certain samples were being collected
37:44for forensic examination and that is where there was accidental discharge of these explosives.
37:50Unfortunately, nine people lost their lives. 27 plus are injured. We get you more in this report.
38:01Four days after Delhi's Redfoot blast,
38:03Srinagar was rocked by a powerful explosion.
38:13On the outskirts of Srinagar at the Naugam police station,
38:17a massive explosion ripped through the compound at 11.22 pm on Friday,
38:22turning a forensic operation into a devastating tragedy.
38:25The forces say that the explosives that were recovered in Faridabad, they were handed over to
38:34the Jammu and Kashmir police, some explosives also from UP. And they were brought in because the
38:38protocol says that the police station, which had the first air fire, which is investigating it,
38:43the explosives should come there. And it seems sampling and
38:48they were checking these explosives when they went off.
38:51Several people lost their lives with many more being injured, mostly police personnel and forensic
39:00experts. Among the dead, an SIA inspector, three FSL experts, two crime branch photographers,
39:08two revenue department officials and a civilian tailor who was present at the station.
39:14The Jammu Kashmir DGP and the Ministry of Home Affairs have ruled out any terror angle,
39:19calling it a tragic accidental explosion.
39:22The handling was being done with extreme caution, with utmost caution by the FSL team. However,
39:30unfortunately, during this course, last night, around 11.20 pm, an accidental explosion has taken place.
39:41The volatile material had been recovered from Faridabad linked to arrested Dr. Mozambil, part of a massive
40:05360 kg cache stored at the station as evidence.
40:13This was the impact of the blast. It was so strong that it also damaged the buildings nearby.
40:20There are houses in the vicinity of this police station, the Naugao police station,
40:24and you see how the whole area has been evacuated. People have been injured. More than 27 people are
40:31injured. And you see more buildings, impact on more buildings is visible. So the police station has been
40:41damaged, destroyed. Nine lives have been lost. More than 27 people have been injured. There are certain
40:48people who are still missing. A terror case is evidence becoming a disaster of its own. As the nation now mourns
40:56the lives lost, a wreath-laying ceremony was held in Srinagar.
41:08With Meer Fareed and Shivani Sharma in Srinagar, Bureau Report, India Today.
41:12I want to bring in India today is Meer Fareed, who joins us with the latest on this investigation. Meer, you've spoken to the DGP, you've spoken to your sources and the police.
41:28What's the handling of the explosives? And Jammu and Kashmir police has tremendous experience. What went wrong? Prima Faisai, what transpired? What transpired?
41:38We've unfortunately had nine fatalities and close to 32 injuries.
41:48Well, Gaurav, more than us, it's the Jammu and Kashmir police which would want answers to these questions because this is an explosion which is clearly unprecedented. Police, as you rightly said,
42:00has massive experience, 35 years of experience in handling such cases, explosives, IADs, etc.
42:07So what really went wrong last evening, last night that led to this massive explosion?
42:12I mean, it was unprecedented. The sound was heard across seven kilometer radius. There was a fireball in the sky. You could easily see from a distance. So this was massive.
42:22And police sources say that they're looking within. They're trying to find out what really went wrong.
42:29And they're trying to get the pieces together because the police station, half of which is absolutely smashed, it's razed.
42:37And it's razed to the ground and official teams, police investigative teams are on the location and they're trying to find answers as to what really went wrong.
42:46They'll obviously speak to the survivors as well. There are some policemen who have been injured. Their accounts will also be taken.
42:52But quite clearly, you have to also understand that these explosives came all the way from Faridabad in a pickup truck in small packages.
43:00They reached Srinagar directly. It was taken to the Naugam police station. Again, it is a police station that is right in middle of a congested locality.
43:09And it was kept out in the open. Explosives are not kept inside. This is what my sources and the police are telling me, Meir, that all these explosives were kept out in the open.
43:19Some sample was being collected. There was a tailor there who was to wrap it in that gunny sack and then seal it. And that's when the explosion took place.
43:30But what I want to understand from you is also in the investigation, the Malvi has been arrested. Some doctors have been arrested. What more can you add? Tell us about Dr. Tajamul Malik.
43:40And based on speaking to him, I'm told some others were under the scanner. Do we have more details?
43:47Well, yes, Gaurav. In fact, there are many people who have been picked up. You have to understand that this is a big investigation. There are many links, linkages that are coming up during investigation, during interrogation, questioning of these doctors.
44:05So, each day, when there is something new that is unearthed, it ensures that there are new raids, new people are under the scanner.
44:12Now, there are certain doctors, as you named one, Dr. Tajamul. And there are at least four to five more. Two have been picked up from GMC, Anant Nag, one from Kazigun, one from Shopean.
44:22And they have all been named or somehow their names have cropped up during investigation and they are being questioned. Close to two to three hundred detentions have been done by the Jamut Kashmir police.
44:32Some have been released against whom there are certain suspicions that are keeping them in police custody and for questioning.
44:39Right now, though, the attention has been diverted towards the unfortunate incident in Naugam.
44:43But as Ose say, that the focus, the center point remains this investigation.
44:47And one more important point, Gaurav, that they are now, the police is looking beyond this.
44:52They're trying to find out whether there could be more such modules.
44:55There are searches that are happening in scrap shops, in second-hand car dealers locations.
45:00They're trying to find out whether in the last sometime they have those registries.
45:04They're telling people to keep a proper CCTV camera set-up registry.
45:08So, they've learned their lessons from this particular incident and they're trying to ensure that people, this message spreads.
45:15It spreads and if at all, there are more modules through those trades...
45:17Keep writing that story, Mir. I will come back to you for more.
45:20I want to bring in General Hasnain. General Hasnain, you've commanded a corps in Kashmir.
45:25You've interacted extensively with Jammu in Kashmir. It's one of the most professional police forces.
45:30Your reading of this explosion from here, sir, accidental explosion, could it be sabotage?
45:38Could it be the enemy within?
45:41See, Gaurav, first of all, I have tremendous respect for the Jammu in Kashmir police.
45:46There's no doubt about it. A highly professional police force.
45:49I virtually act as an ambassador of that force.
45:52But having said that, the two incidents, if we take the Red Fort incident also as an accidental blast,
46:01and now the second one as an accidental blast, I mean, this becomes too much of a kind of a coincidence.
46:08Coincidence.
46:09I'm not a bomb expert. I'm not an explosive expert. But this much I know, and we all know in the armed forces,
46:16that explosive by itself is as good as talcum powder. But the moment you bring an initiator next to it,
46:26a detonator within it, that is the time when it becomes lethal. Because the detonator, it is not the fire which causes the explosion,
46:35it is the shock waves. Now, where detonators also placed alongside here, where detonators also are part of the recovery,
46:44which was not looked at, perhaps, I don't know, one cannot say this at this time, but obviously a lot of investigation
46:50and a lot of footwork will have to go into this. I can quote you one example of what happened earlier in the past of a similar nature.
46:591993, we had a similar incident in Badami Bagh, where you had a very senior army officer killed when he was inspecting ammunition,
47:11weapons and explosives which had been picked up from hideouts. And a senior officer of the rank of a Lieutenant General was killed at that time also.
47:20Yes. Yes. Right? So, remember that Jamun Kashmir is a strange place. These kinds of coincidences happen.
47:27At this moment, there is nothing to point a finger in any way that this is sabotaged and I think the DG police has made that very clear.
47:35He indeed did. And we'll be tracking that story very closely. General Hasnain for joining me here on this India First special broadcast.
47:42Many thanks. You know, because if something's happening again and again, it could be happenstance once, coincidence the second time,
47:51but it's enemy action if it continues to happen. Ian Fleming said it. It's as true of Goldfinger then as it is of India's war on radical Islamist terror today.
48:02That is all I have for you on India First this evening. Many thanks for watching.
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