Inside the Red Fort Blast Conspiracy: How Ideological Rifts, Cross-Border Handlers, and DIY Bomb Networks Built a Terror Plot Across India

Indian investigators are slowly unravelling the deep and complex threads behind the Red Fort car blast of November 10, exposing a network that spans Kashmir, Haryana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and even Turkey.

What initially appeared to be an isolated attack has now emerged as part of a vast, digitally-connected terror ecosystem driven by rival ideologies, encrypted instructions, and remote handlers who specialise in DIY bomb-making.

A Module Divided From Within

According to investigators, internal conflict almost tore the group apart weeks before the blast.

Umar Nabi, the man who drove the explosive-laden i20 car, skipped the October wedding of co-conspirator Adeel Ahmed Rather due to disagreements.

The core rift was ideological:

Umar idolised ISIS/Daesh, which focuses on creating a caliphate and attacking “near enemies”.

Rather, Muzammil Ganai and others leaned towards Al-Qaeda, which prioritises striking the West and distant targets.

A senior official explained: They tried and failed to reach Afghanistan. When that failed, they chose a target at home.”

Umar also saw himself as a successor to Burhan Wani and Zakir Musa, and had been researching IEDs since 2023.

The Qazigund Meeting That Set the Plot Back on Track

After cleric Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay was detained in Kashmir, Umar rushed to Qazigund on October 18 to “repair relations” and ensure the group stayed committed to the attack.
Just three weeks later, the blast took place.

The group called itself the “Interim Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH)”, loosely aligned with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). Rather was even designated their “Ameer” or leader.

Funding Fights and Rising Suspicion

Another major cause of friction was money.

Umar controlled the funds but did not disclose how he spent them.

Much of the financing allegedly came from Shaheen Shahid Ansari, a colleague of Ganai at Al-Falah University.

This mistrust pushed the module to near collapse—before Umar convinced them to move forward.

The Arrest That Unlocked the Entire Network

The breakthrough came when Mufti Irfan Wagay was arrested.

Police recovered a staggering 2,900 kg of IED-making material from locations linked to the group:

• Explosives
• Chemical reagents
• Batteries
• Circuits
• Timers
• Metal sheets
• Remote controls
• 350 kg of ammonium nitrate

Umar and Ganai both held keys to the Faridabad flat where the chemicals were stored. Investigators believe Umar experimented heavily with chemical combinations.

However, during the sampling of these explosives at Nowgam Police Station, a tragic accidental blast killed nine officials and injured 27. A high-level inquiry is underway.

The Three Foreign Handlers Behind the Delhi Module

Investigators found that the module was not acting alone.
Three foreign handlers guided them remotely through encrypted platforms:

• “Hanzullah”
• “Nisar”
• “Ukasa”

These are believed to be pseudonyms.

40+ Bomb-Making Videos Sent Through Encrypted Platforms

“Hanzullah” alone sent 42 DIY bomb-making videos to Dr Muzammil Ganai, who helped store explosives.

Turkey-Based Handler “Ukasa”

One handler, “Ukasa,” is suspected to be operating from Turkey—a location increasingly used by radical groups for digital safehouses.

Is There a Bigger Link? Investigators See Parallels Across India

The Delhi module bears strong similarities to terror cases in:

• Coimbatore (2022 car suicide blast)
• Mangaluru (2022 accidental blast)
• Bengaluru Rameshwaram Café blast (2024)
• Shivamogga ISIS module (2022–2023)

All involved:

• Radicalisation via encrypted social media
• DIY explosives built using household materials
• Remote handlers orchestrating attacks

The Mysterious “Colonel / Laptop Bhai / Zakir Ustad”

Another notorious foreign handler, Mohammed Shahid Faisal, is now a major suspect.

He:

• Is an engineering graduate from Bengaluru
• Went missing in 2012
• Fled to Pakistan
• Later moved to the Syria–Turkey border
• Has been linked to multiple blasts across South India
• Uses aliases like “Colonel,” “Laptop Bhai,” and “Bhai”

The NIA has identified him as the common handler for modules in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, sending:

Dozens of bomb-making videos

Funds via cryptocurrency

Instructions for suicide attacks (“Istishhad”)

A Pattern Emerges: Digitally Controlled Modules Across India

Security agencies now suspect that:

• Modules in Delhi, Padgha, Pune, TN, Karnataka
• All followed the same style of radicalisation, bomb-building, and targeting
• Many operated independently but under common, anonymous foreign handlers

This digital “hub and spoke” model allowed handlers across Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Turkey to remotely:

• Train
• Fund
• Coordinate
• Instruct
  local youth without ever meeting them.

Investigators are now interrogating imprisoned ISIS-linked suspects in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to identify overlaps.

What began as an attack near the Red Fort has uncovered a pan-India web of digitally radicalised terror cells, drawing from shared online tutorials, encrypted handlers, and a dangerous mix of personal ambition, ideological rivalry, and cross-border orchestration.

Indian agencies now believe the Delhi blast may be the missing link connecting several attacks and modules across India—an ominous sign of how terror networks have evolved in the digital age.

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