Sinister plot straight from Mohanlal movie? Terror module planned serial bomb blasts using 32 cars, says report

The perpetrators of the Delhi Red Fort car blast had a more sinister plan in mind as they wanted to execute serial bomb blasts using as many as 32 vehicles, a report claimed. 

Quoting intelligence sources, an Amar Ujala report said that the Hyundai i20 that caused the blast near Red Fort Metro Station and another Ford EcoSport that was later found, were part of the arsenal that was being built for the serial blasts. Both the vehicles were modified for the explosives to be fitted in.

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They wanted to target multiple locations and were in the process of acquiring more vehicles for the blasts, Amar Ujala quoted a source as saying. As many as eight terrorists were entrusted with finding and equipping the vehicles so that a coordinated attack could take place across cities in the country, the report added. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were to be used for these simultaneous attacks.

Interestingly, the shocking plot has an eerie similarity to the 2006 Malayalam action drama 'Baba Kalyani' in which the protagonist, portrayed by Mohanlal, foils a terrorist plot to target the temple town of Pazhani. They plan to bring in multiple IED-laden old cars to the vicinity of the temple in large container trucks to execute serial blasts.

Fertilisers bought to make explosives

The probe team had learnt that the suspects had bought 20 quintals of NPK fertilisers worth Rs 3 lakh from Gurugram and Nuh, the Amar Ujala report said. NPK fertilisers are three-component fertilisers with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content, which can reportedly be used to extract explosive materials. According to investigating agencies, Dr Muzammil Shakeel became inclined towards Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an offshoot of ISIS, after maintaining contact with associates of slain terrorists between 2021 and 2022. 

ALSO READ | Delhi Red Fort Metro blast: Police track down Ford EcoSport of suspect Dr Umar Un Nabi in Faridabad

Authorities believe that these chemicals may have been transported to Dr Muzammil's rented rooms in Dhauj and Fatehpur Taga, from where around 3,000 kg of explosives were recovered.

Some weapons and explosives were also recovered from Dr Shaheen's Swift Dzire, which was in the possession of Dr Muzammil.

Investigators believe that the car explosion in Delhi was triggered in panic and desperation as police continued raids and nabbed suspects who were part of the module.

ALSO READ | Faridabad terror module was in touch with Jaish, blast suspect Dr Umar un Nabi, imam met handlers in Turkey

A DNA test has confirmed that the man behind the wheel was Dr Umar un Nabi, a senior doctor at Al Falah University and a suspect in the Faridabad terror module, who managed to evade arrest during the police raids.

India