“We Know Nothing”: Pulwama Families Defend Sons as Delhi Car Blast Terror Web Expands

Pulwama, Nov 2025 : The family of Umar Rashid from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district — taken into custody in connection with the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station — has claimed complete ignorance about his alleged involvement. The family says Umar had spoken to them just days before the blast, sounding “normal,” and insisted they had no idea about any terror links.

Umar Rashid (30) and his brother Aamir were arrested for allegedly helping Dr Mohd Umar, the suspected suicide bomber who died when the explosive-laden i20 car detonated near the Red Fort on Monday. Another accused, Tariq Malik (44), has also been detained. While Aamir worked in the Power Development Department, Umar was employed as a plumber.

A family member of Umar Rashid said, “I told him to come home, but he said he had exams and needed to study. He told us he would be at the library and didn’t want to be disturbed. When he called again on Friday, he asked about our mother and promised he would return home in two or three days. He sounded completely normal. We don’t know anything about this case, and he never seemed like someone who would be involved in such things.”

Shock and disbelief among families

Families of all the Kashmiri men linked to the blast plot — including the three doctors allegedly involved — have expressed shock, calling them “white-collar terrorists” whose involvement has stunned local communities.

Dr Mohd Umar, believed to have carried out the suicide attack, hailed from Koil village in Pulwama. He came from a poor family, and his father — mentally challenged — had earlier lost his government teaching job due to declining mental health. Police have detained his mother, Shamima, and two brothers, Zahoor and Ashiq, for questioning and DNA verification.

Villagers described Mohd Umar as a hardworking, academically gifted boy who secured his MBBS seat at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar purely on merit. They said he was deeply religious from a young age but never displayed extremist leanings. “His family often said their hard days were over once Umar completed his MBBS and got a job,” a neighbour said.

According to intelligence agencies, Dr Umar may have executed the blast in panic after learning that his close associates — Dr Muzamil and Dr Adil — had been arrested.

Two more doctors under the scanner

Another accused, Dr Muzamil, also belongs to Koil village. His family is financially well-off, with his father owning orchards. Muzamil’s sister, Asmat, has completed her MBBS, while his brother, Azad, is preparing for medical entrance exams.

His siblings said they were shocked by the allegations. “He was a huge supporter of the Indian cricket team even during India–Pakistan matches. He had no reason to walk this path. He had a bright future in medicine,” they said.

Though many neighbours recalled his strong religious inclination as a teenager, they said they never expected any extremist involvement. Muzamil had completed his MBBS from Batra Medical College in Jammu.

The third doctor arrested earlier in this terror-busting operation, Dr Adil Ahmad Rather, had been detained in October for allegedly putting up Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) posters in Srinagar. An AK-47 assault rifle was recovered from his locker at Government Medical College, Anantnag, where he worked until October 2024.

According to highly placed sources, it was Dr Adil’s sustained interrogation that eventually helped investigators uncover the full terror module. His disclosures led a joint J&K and Haryana Police team to recover 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate, timer devices, rifles, and ammunition from a rented accommodation in Faridabad linked to Dr Muzamil.

Further investigations based on Adil’s revelation also resulted in the arrest of another doctor, Dr Shaheen Shahid, from Lucknow, with an assault rifle found in her vehicle.

A sophisticated white-collar terror module

Authorities now believe the Delhi blast was part of a larger terror conspiracy involving highly educated individuals who used their professional backgrounds and mobility to evade suspicion.

It has been confirmed that Dr Mohd Umar was the lone occupant of the car when it exploded near the Red Fort. His decision to execute the blast prematurely is suspected to have been driven by fear of being arrested after his associates were taken into custody.

Security agencies say the module had been planning a major terror strike, with early indications suggesting it was intended to avenge the deaths of family members of JeM founder Masood Azhar during Operation Sindoor. The recovery of large quantities of explosives and weapons suggests the possibility of multiple planned blasts.

Raids and investigations continue

Massive search operations are underway across the Kashmir Valley and in Faridabad to track other members of the sophisticated terror network. Intelligence agencies are probing whether additional sleeper cells were activated and whether more attacks were planned.

Investigators say the involvement of medical professionals — individuals usually perceived as apolitical and dedicated to public welfare — has unsettled both security agencies and local residents.

As the investigation deepens, many questions remain:

• How many others were part of this white-collar terror network?
• Were more explosive-laden vehicles being prepared?
• Are additional operatives still at large?

Security officials expect answers to emerge in the coming days as interrogation of the arrested individuals continues and the probe expands nationwide.

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)