The Cross-State Terror Network Unraveled
In a significant breakthrough, Jammu and Kashmir police have arrested two clerics located 800 kilometers apart as part of their investigation into a terror module now linked to the Red Fort blast. The arrests span from Kashmir's Shopian to Haryana's Faridabad, revealing an inter-state network with alleged connections to banned terrorist organizations.
The Shopian Cleric: Irfan Ahmad Wagay
In the Nadigam area of Shopian, 24-year-old cleric Irfan Ahmad Wagay, locally known as "mufti sahab," was taken from his home by police on October 18. His family expressed complete shock at his arrest, claiming they had no indication he was under police surveillance.
"I have never seen him do anything but pray," said his pregnant wife Fatima, who is expecting their second child. The couple already has a three-year-old child and were married in 2021.
Wagay's educational journey saw him leave formal schooling after third grade to pursue religious studies. His grandfather initiated him into this path, leading to enrollment at Darul Uloom Bilalia in Lal Bazar, Srinagar. He later continued his studies in Deoband during 2017-18 to train as a Mufti.
For the past seven years, Wagay had been leading prayers at a mosque in Naik Bagh, Nowgam, Srinagar. His family described his routine as consistent - he would return home to Shopian every weekend, following a predictable pattern that made his arrest particularly shocking to those who knew him.
The Faridabad Connection: Maulana Ishtiyaq
Meanwhile, in Haryana's Dhauj village, Maulana Ishtiyaq has been taken to Srinagar by J&K police for his alleged involvement in the same terror module. Investigators revealed that Ishtiyaq, who hails from Mewat, served as a cleric at a mosque inside the Al Falah campus.
The connection became clear when police discovered that Ishtiyaq had rented a room in his house at Dahar Colony, Fatehpur Taga village to Dr Muzammil Ganai, one of the key accused in the terror module. It was at this rented accommodation that police conducted raids on Sunday and Monday, recovering a massive cache of explosives.
Ishtiyaq's family situation paints a picture of modest means. His 17-year-old daughter explained that their father's salary of Rs 10,000 came from the university on the 7th of every month, supplemented by another Rs 10,000 from selling buffalo milk. The family lives in simple accommodations on the mosque campus with a courtyard, single room, and kitchen.
The Expanding Investigation
The police probe has uncovered a sophisticated network spanning multiple states. The investigation began unfolding with the arrest of Wagay and six others, including Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar - all residents of Nowgam where Wagay led prayers.
Subsequent searches conducted with Haryana Police in Faridabad and UP Police in Saharanpur led to the arrest of three doctors, while a fourth suspect - Umar Nabi, the alleged Red Fort blast suspect - managed to evade capture.
The timing of these developments is particularly significant. On October 19, multiple Jaish-e-Mohammad posters appeared at different locations in Bunpora Nowgam, Srinagar, threatening police and security forces. This occurred just one day after Wagay's arrest, suggesting possible retaliation attempts by the network.
Wagay's family maintains his innocence, noting that his phone and laptop have been taken by police and that they've been unable to locate him at various police stations in Srinagar. Similarly, at the Nowgam mosque where he worked as Imam, committee president Farooq Ahmad expressed shock, describing Wagay as regular in his routines.
The case continues to develop as investigators piece together the connections between these geographically dispersed individuals and their alleged roles in the terror module linked to both Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
