Delhi blast probe uncovers big terror plot: Maulvi radicalised Faridabad doctors, hatched 'sleeper cell' plan

The ongoing probe into the Red Fort blast in Delhi has uncovered a chilling picture of a radicalised network that allegedly planned large-scale attacks across India, investigators told CNN-News18.

Maulvi Irfan, a cleric who allegedly radicalised core members — including two lady doctors from Srinagar and Anantnag — during his hospital stint in Kashmir, is under the scanner amid the investigation.

Top sources told CNN-News18 that Irfan exposed the group to extremist ideas such as “Ghazwa-e-Hind” and spread anti-Hindu sentiments.

The indoctrinated members were then motivated to create “open sleeper cells” across India and recruit new operatives, the report.

Officials told the channel that the arrested individuals form the nucleus of a wider conspiracy. “They were clear that attacking at random would not serve their purpose. They understood that Delhi was the seat of power, and their long-term goal revolved around targeting strategic locations,” a source said.

A key focus of the investigation is a Brezza car linked to one of the doctors. The vehicle is suspected to contain explosives and remains untraced. The doctor, arrested on Tuesday, reportedly owned a second Brezza as well.

Intelligence agencies have confirmed that two accused, Adil and Muzzamil, travelled to Turkey earlier this year, where they allegedly met their handler. The handler arranged their stay, indicating a structured international network.

Digital forensic analysis has yielded over 400 encrypted chats between the two women doctors discussing funding, logistics, and safe houses. One of them received foreign remittances from Istanbul and Doha through digital wallets between 2023 and 2024.

Both women graduated from Dhaka Medical College and met Maulvi Irfan during their internship in Srinagar, a phase investigators now call the “turning point” in their radicalisation.

Sources said the network was digitally skilled, financially backed from abroad, and aimed to establish a pan-India sleeper cell structure. The Turkey and Qatar links are now under active probe.

New Delhi was rocked by a blast at the heart of the congested Red Fort area on Monday evening when a n explosion inside an i20 car killed 12 people and injured several others. The incident, suspected to be a terror attack, came hours after authorities recovered 360 kilograms of ammonium nitrate from from Faridabad, where Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both connected to Al-Falah University, were arrested.