- Investigation links Delhi car bomb blast suspects to a Dubai-based individual
- Arrested accused Dr Adil Ahmed Rather's brother Muzzafar visited Pakistan, then Dubai
- Investigators believe Muzzafar went to Dubai to arrange terror funding
The investigation into the Delhi car bomb blast that killed 13 people has found a link with suspects living in Dubai, sources have said. This comes after allegations surfaced that some of the suspects lived in Turkey and Pakistan.
The latest trail emerged after investigators questioned one of the accused, Dr Adil Ahmed Rather, after they arrested him for putting up posters supporting the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Srinagar.
Dr Rather is a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur. During questioning, he told investigators that his brother, Muzzafar Rather, went to Pakistan before reaching Dubai two months ago.
This new information has shifted the focus of the investigation to the terror accused's brother living in Dubai. Muzzafar Rather is suspected to have direct links with JeM, sources said.
Investigators believe the Dubai visit was likely to arrange funds for terror activities, sources said. They are trying to find out who all Muzzafar Rather met in Pakistan before he flew to Dubai.
Dr Adil Ahmed, whose arrest on November 6 from UP led to the unravelling of the complex terror plot, also faces hard questions on whether he had any links with suspects in Turkey. He worked as a senior resident doctor at the Government Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.
Investigators found a wide network of doctors and clerics working for terror groups.
While investigation into the alleged Dubai link will go on, an important piece of fact that has been confirmed - Dr Umar Mohammad drove the i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort in Delhi on Monday.
Dr Mohammad worked as a senior doctor at Al-Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad. His DNA samples matched 100 per cent with the DNA of his mother and brother. The DNA was matched with Umar's bones, teeth, and pieces of clothing that were found in the i20 following the blast.
The blast came hours after the police recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from two residential buildings in Faridabad.
Dr Muzammil Shakeel - who emerged as a key link in the "white-collar" terrorist ecosystem that stretched from Jammu and Kashmir to other parts of India - is among three doctors who are in custody.
Investigators believe the Faridabad bust prevented a larger catastrophe, possibly a synchronised series of explosions in cities like Delhi. The entire operation showed how early intelligence and inter-state coordination can stop terrorists.
The terror module involving doctors allegedly linked to JeM had planned blasts at six locations in the National Capital Region on December 6. The date is significant: this was the day when the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished in 1992. The suspected terrorists arrested in connection with the blast have said the date was chosen because they wanted to "avenge the Babri Masjid demolition".
