350 kg Explosives, Rifle Found Near Delhi, 2 J&K Doctors Arrested In 15 Days

In an alarming explosives recovery from near the national capital, a team of Jammu and Kashmir police has found 350 kg of explosives, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, and an assault rifle from Faridabad in Haryana. The massive recovery was made days after police arrested a Kashmiri doctor from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur for allegedly putting up posters supporting terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.

According to sources, the Faridabad recovery followed revelations made by Dr Adil Ahmad Rather during questioning. According to sources, the explosives and arms were stored with another doctor identified as Mujammil Shakeel. Shakil, also arrested, is from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir and works at Al-Falah hospital in Faridabad. 

Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta said 20 timers were also found with the 350 kg of explosives. He said a pistol, three magazines, and a walkie-talkie set have been recovered too. 

According to sources, this goes back to October 27, when posters supporting terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed appeared in Srinagar. The local police probed the matter, and CCTV footage showed Rather putting up the posters. He was tracked down to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh and arrested last week. Police found that Rather was working at the Government Medical College, Anantnag, till October last year. When police searched his locker at Anantnag, an assault rifle was found. Based on information he shared during questioning, cops seized the explosives in Faridabad.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir police seized an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from Rather's locker at the Government Medical College in Anantnag. Officials have said the explosives and arms were recovered in a coordinated operation by Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana police.

Rather was earlier charged under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. According to sources, the doctor's alleged involvement suggests that terror networks are now recruiting highly educated professionals.

Police sources said they do not yet know what the plan was behind amassing explosives so close to the national capital, and a thorough investigation is underway to find out more. It is also being probed how such a huge amount of explosives was moved without detection so close to the capital. 

According to reports, Srinagar police registered a case after posters promoting Jaish-e-Mohammed were found in several parts of the city. During the investigation, CCTV footage showed a man putting up the posters. He was identified as Rather. The Jammu and Kashmir police tracked down the doctor to Saharanpur and arrested him last week.