Three days before the i20 car exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort area, Dr. Umar Nabi Bhat, the prime suspect, had called his sister-in-law in Pulwama, assuring her he’d be back home in three days, reported The Indian Express. But on Monday night, as his family waited for his return in their Koil village home, police arrived instead. They took away his brothers, Zahoor Illahi and later Ashiq Hussain, without explaining why. Soon after, officers also picked up Umar’s father for questioning, while his mother was taken for DNA testing, leaving the family shaken and searching for answers.
The fact that he told his family that he would be returning in three days gives an impression that the blast could have been planned and not be accidental.
Police suspects Umar was the leader of a ‘white-collar group’, Family unaware
Police believe Dr. Umar Nabi Bhat led a ‘white-collar group’ of doctors involved in a terror network that was busted just a few days before the Red Fort blast. One of the officers said that they think he guided and encouraged others in the group.
According to police sources, Umar went missing soon after another doctor, Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, was arrested in Faridabad. His family in Pulwama said they had no idea about his alleged links and only learned of the case when the media reached their home.
Umar’s sister-in-law, Muzamila Akhtar, said police arrived at their house on Monday night, asking for Umar’s brothers, Zahoor and Ashiq. Despite her request to bring Zahoor to the station the next morning, officers took him away immediately. They returned shortly after and took Ashiq too, seizing the family’s phones before leaving.
Akhtar said Umar had called last Friday, mentioning he was busy with exams and would return home in three days. When the family tried to reach him later, his phone was switched off. “They took our phones. When they didn’t return, I called the DSP. He asked me not to worry and go to sleep. I understood,” she said.
Umar was reportedly engaged to a doctor in Srinagar
Umar’s sister-in-law added that he had called last Friday. He didn’t call often, she recalled, but that day they had a brief and pleasant chat. She asked him to come home, but he told her he was busy with his exams and spending most of his time in the library. He assured her that he would return in three days. When the family later tried to reach him again, his phone was switched off.
Umar completed his schooling in their village before pursuing an MBBS degree from Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar. A bright student, he was among the state’s top performers in the NEET-PG exam and went on to do his MD at the same college. After finishing his MD, he worked at GMC Anantnag for some time. Around a year and a half ago, he moved to Faridabad, where he joined Al Falah University’s School of Medical Sciences and Research as an Assistant Professor. According to sources, Umar was engaged to a doctor based in Srinagar.
Who is Muzammil Ganai? A doctor suspected to be part of Jaish terror module
Just a kilometre away from Umar Bhat’s house, the family of Dr. Muzammil Ganai is struggling to believe the police claim that he was part of a Jaish terror module. His sister, Dr. Asmat Shakeel, who recently completed her MBBS in Bangladesh, was set to get married on November 10, but the family postponed the wedding after his arrest.
According to the IE report, Muzammil, who had last visited home in June, stayed in touch through regular calls. On October 30, police informed the family that he had been arrested. The news came as a shock to his father, Shakeel Ahmad, a farmer, and to his brothers. Muzammil had earned his MBBS degree from ASCOMS Medical College in Jammu in 2017 and worked at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar before joining Al Falah University in Faridabad. His younger brother, Azad Shakeel, said Muzammil was working there while also pursuing his DNB qualification.
On Monday, police detained Muzammil’s elder brother, Abbas Shakeel, for questioning. According to investigators, it was Muzammil’s statements that led police to a large cache of explosives and ammunition in Faridabad. He also directed them to another doctor, Dr. Adeel Majeed Rather, from Qazigund in Kulgam.
Dr. Adeel completed his MBBS from Government Medical College Srinagar in 2019 and his MD in General Medicine from the same institute in 2022, the report said. He had been serving as a senior resident at GMC Anantnag until October 2024, after which he joined a private hospital in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh.