Two clerics, 800 kilometers apart-one in Kashmir’s Shopian and the other in Haryana’s Faridabad-have been arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police in connection with an alleged terror module linked to the Red Fort blast. Authorities claim that while one cleric indoctrinated members of this module, the other rented space to a doctor who reportedly stockpiled explosives.
In Nadigam, Shopian, the family and friends of cleric Irfan Ahmad Wagay were shocked to learn he was under police scrutiny. “I have never seen him do anything but pray,” said his wife, Fatima.
Wagay, also known locally as “mufti sahab,” is one of seven men arrested as the J&K police investigate an “inter-state and transnational” module associated with banned terrorist organizations Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Fatima and Wagay’s sisters revealed that he was taken from their home on October 18 after returning from Srinagar. His older sister, Sabi Jaan, recalled his normal routine: he had tea in their courtyard and left for prayers before police arrived around 11 PM.
The 24-year-old Wagay grew up in a religious family and received his education in a formal school until the third grade. He continued his religious studies at Darul Uloom Bilalia in Lal Bazar, Srinagar. His family mentioned that he married Fatima in 2021, and together they have a three-year-old child. For the past seven years, he led prayers at a mosque in Nowgam, Srinagar. “We usually went home to Shopian on weekends,” Fatima explained.
The family is unaware of the other accused individuals. On October 19, several Jaish-e-Mohammad posters appeared in various locations in Srinagar, threatening police and security personnel. The ongoing investigation led to the arrest of Wagay and six others, including Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar, all residents of Nowgam.
Authorities have been tracing connections to Anantnag, Ganderbal, and Shopian. Searches in Faridabad, with the assistance of Haryana police, and Saharanpur, alongside UP police, led to the arrest of three doctors, while one suspect, Umar Nabi, connected to the Red Fort blast, managed to escape.
Wagay’s family insists he has never been questioned before and that their home had never been raided. Farooq Ahmad, president of the mosque committee in Nowgam, noted, “He would go home every Saturday and return Monday afternoon. This news is shocking to all of us who prayed here.”
Wagay’s family reported that police took his phone and laptop and have been unable to find him, checking various police stations in Srinagar to no avail.
In Haryana, Maulana Ishtiyaq’s family is also facing the fallout of these developments. His wife preferred not to speak, leaving their 17-year-old daughter to answer questions. Ishtiyaq has been transported to Srinagar by the J&K police as part of the terror module investigation. From Mewat, he served as a cleric in a mosque on the Al Falah campus, where several doctors linked to the alleged module also worked.
Investigators revealed that Ishtiyaq is one of five brothers, all clerics in Haryana and Rajasthan. He rented a room in his home to Dr. Muzammil Ganai, one of the primary accused in the case. Police discovered explosives during raids at this rented location.
His children mentioned that while they do not attend school, their father taught them reading and writing. Since his detention, no one from the university or extended family has reached out. The family survives on Ishtiyaq’s monthly salary of ₹10,000 from the university, which also supports the mosque. They bring in an additional ₹10,000 from buffalo milk sales.
Living simply on mosque grounds, the family has a courtyard with one room and a kitchen. “We do not take family photos,” his daughter said, noting that the only phone they had was Ishtiyaq’s, which was taken by officials. Villagers shared that the mosque primarily serves university staff and employees.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/before-and-after-red-fort-blast-the-2-clerics-arrested-800-kilometres-apart-10362069/
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Publish Date: 2025-11-13 05:00:00
