Cracks In A ‘Terror Module’: Red Fort Blast Accused Muzammil & Umar Caught In Internal Clash | Exclusive

Dr Umar Nabi (L) and Dr Muzammil Ganaie (R) are the two key figures in the “white collar terror module” allegedly responsible for the Delhi Red Fort blast. (Image: ANI)

There was a significant internal power struggle between Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Umar Nabi – the two key figures in the “white collar terror module” allegedly responsible for the Delhi Red Fort blast, sources told News18.

According to the sources, this split between Dr Muzammil and Dr Umar highlights a deep division within a radical operation. Though they both operated inside the same institution – Al Falah University in Faridabad – the two struggled when it came to their differences, showing that their “mission” did not have a unified command, they said.

The sources said the discord between Muzammil and Umar were visible even on the university campus, which manifested in a faculty dispute.

They said a key friction point was control of the operation; while Muzammil used to supervise logistics and movement, Umar wanted control over all of it. This disagreement boiled over into an argument over multiple identical drum barrels being moved via the EcoSport, they added.

Beyond logistics, the sources said, the rift involved independent planning and trust issues. Umar was planning independently and Muzammil had partial knowledge of that, they said. The friction intensified when Umar got upset as he came to know that his September plan was leaked by Muzammil, they added.

DR UMAR SOUGHT PRIMARY AUTHORITY: SOURCES

They said Umar sought primary authority and possessed defining personality traits and extreme ideological leanings. He has been described as outspoken, obnoxious, and abrasive, even in the habit of threatening colleagues, especially mocking Indian Muslims, they added.

Professionally, he was noted as intelligent and up-to-date with medical developments, handling out-patient duties and teaching at the college, the sources said. Ideologically, he demonstrated rigidity and an extremist view of local Muslims, they said.

He was socially rigid and wanted to stay around men, while avoiding teaching female students alone, they said. He would often ridicule Indian Muslims and accused them of hypocrisy for supporting India and the government, they added.

The sources further said Umar repeated such comments on August 15 after a function. Investigators believe this ideological drive stemmed from his desire to be the primary ideological face of any planned activity, they said.

They also said investigators have interpreted these clashes not merely as personal antagonism but as a potentially significant phase in the module’s activity. They typically appear when a covert operation reaches its last stage, they said. The struggle for authority and ideological dominance between Muzammil and Umar might signal the increasing volatility or culmination of their planned operations, they added.

Dr Umar Nabi is accused of being the bomber in the massive blast that rocked Delhi on the evening of November 10 when a Hyundai i20 car exploded at 6.52 pm near the Red Fort, killing 13 people and injuring several others. The impact of the explosion was such that several vehicles were damaged, and visuals from the site showed mangled bodies and scattered debris.

Dr Muzammil Ganaie was arrested the same day in the morning in connection with running an alleged terror module in Faridabad. He was a physician at the Al-Falah University.