Four Kashmiri Doctors Detained in Connection with Delhi Blast
In a significant development in Monday's explosion investigation in New Delhi, authorities have detained four doctors from Kashmir, sending shockwaves through their families and communities. The investigation has centered around medical professionals from Pulwama and Kulgam districts, with police conducting extensive searches and DNA sampling of family members.
Family Trauma in Pulwama Village
The quiet village of Koil in south Kashmir's Pulwama district became the focus of intense police activity this week. 29-year-old doctor Umar Un Nabi, whose family resides in a two-storey home at the end of a lane with open shops, is believed to have been inside the vehicle linked to Monday's explosion in the national capital.
Police arrived at Umar's home and took his mother for DNA sampling to match remains recovered from the blast site. According to family members, the ordeal began on Monday evening when police first appeared, seized phones, and took away two relatives.
"They then took my brother-in-law Zahoor Illahi. After a few hours, they came back and took away my husband Ashiq Hussain Bhat," said Umar's sister-in-law Muzamila Akhtar, describing the family's distress.
Akhtar revealed she last spoke to Umar on Friday. "He told me he will be coming home after three days and we were all happy," she recalled. The family described Umar as their "only hope" - a top student at Government Medical College in Srinagar who later worked at GMC Anantnag before moving to Faridabad's Al-Falah University.
"His father was a teacher who later lost his senses and is unable to do any work. I can't believe Umar could be involved in such a thing," Akhtar added, expressing the family's disbelief.
Expanding Investigation Across Medical Community
Just one kilometer from Umar's home, another Koil family faced similar trauma. 32-year-old Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie was arrested in Faridabad, where he had been working at Al-Falah University for two years while pursuing DNB training.
His father Shakeel Ahmad expressed shock upon learning about his son's detention. "They told us he had been brought from Faridabad for investigation. We were shocked," he said. The family emphasized Ganaie's academic achievements: studying at a local school, clearing NEET, completing MBBS at Jammu's Batra Medical College, and earning his MD at SKIMS.
"He came home in July when I underwent kidney surgery. I have worked very hard on them," Shakeel said, describing his son's regular communication with the family.
Police searched the Ganaie family home on Monday evening and took his elder brother Mohammad Abbas into custody. His sister Asmat, who completed MBBS in Bangladesh, stated: "We are shattered. I can't believe my brother could be involved in such things. The case should be properly investigated."
The investigation expanded to include 30-year-old Dr Adeel Majeed Rather from Qazigund in Kulgam, who had been working as a senior resident at Anantnag Medical College until mid-2024 before recently moving to Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, where he was arrested on November 6.
Security Protocols and Community Impact
Despite the dramatic developments dominating television news and social media, daily life in Koil continued with shops remaining open and traffic moving normally. However, increased security presence was evident with police checkpoints dotting roads, including the strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway.
The security protocol, which requires civilian vehicles to halt for passing security convoys, has been in place since the devastating 2019 Pulwama attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
On Tuesday, the investigation widened further as police took another Pulwama doctor, Sajad Malik, into custody for questioning. It remains unclear whether Malik's detention aimed to gather information about his friend Umar or if he was also being held as a suspect in the broader terrorism conspiracy.
The case has brought the total number of Kashmir-born doctors linked to the investigation to four, raising serious concerns within the medical community and prompting calls for thorough investigation from affected families.
