In a major development that has thrown up a Mumbai link to the 10/11 Fort blast, the Mumbai Police have detained three suspects from the country’s commercial Capital and sent them to Delhi-based investigators for further questioning.
In a development that came after the recovery of crucial evidence in the form of encrypted conversations and the movement of weapons, the police detained three persons from different locations in a secret operation carried out by a special team of the Mumbai Police.
Sources said that the three detained persons - all from well-to-do families - were in touch with the main accused in the November 10, 2025, Red Fort blast, through social media and other digital platforms.
The detained suspects were allegedly in touch with the main accused through a specific mobile application. The investigators — who have strong reasons to believe this app may have been used to either coordinate or exchange sensitive information -- are carrying out further investigations in various parts of Maharashtra. The investigators suspect that three detained persons had links with a terror module linked to Dr Umar Muhammad, the driver of the i20 car that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10, 2025, in which 15 persons were killed and a dozen others injured.
The investigations have revealed that Umar created an encrypted Signal group nearly three months ago, using a name marked with special characters to avoid surveillance. Subsequently, he reportedly added Muzammil, Adil Rather, Muzaffar Rather and Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Waghe to this group, which functioned as the primary hub for internal coordination.
A major breakthrough came in the Delhi Fort blasts after the investigators seized an assault rifle and a pistol from the car of Dr Shaheen Shahid. Investigators believe Umar had procured these weapons and handed them to Irfan sometime in 2024.
The investigations have revealed that Shaheen had previously seen the same weapons during a visit to Irfan’s room along with Muzammil, and is alleged to have contributed the largest share of funds used to sustain the module’s operations. The evidence that surfaced during the investigations revealed that a lot of planning had gone into the blasts and that there was a “clear hierarchy and division of roles.” Financial support for the blasts came from three doctors, with Dr Muzammil playing a central role. Irfan is believed to have brought in two arrested recruits, Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil and Yasir ul Ashraf.
The investigators have also documented several instances of weapon movement. In October 2023, Adil and Umar visited Irfan at a Kashmir Mosque, carrying a rifle hidden in a bag, and later left after cleaning its barrel. A month later, Adil again arrived at Irfan’s residence with a rifle. Muzammil and Shaheen also reached the location that same day. The weapon was reportedly kept with Irfan, and Adil returned the next morning to collect it.
The accused were allegedly coordinating their operations through encrypted platforms, involving systematic fundraising, targeted recruitment and careful handling of weapons.
The accused are linked to the Faridabad terror module, which was exposed on November 9 after police seized 2,900 kg of explosives and ammunition from rented rooms linked to Muzammil, a doctor associated with the Al Falah University.
It may be recalled that a powerful explosion ripped through a slow-moving Hyundai i20 car on the evening of November 10 near Lal Quila Metro Station, killing 15 persons and injuring several others. The blast also engulfed multiple nearby vehicles, causing widespread damage.