Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 21: In a disturbing revelation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered evidence suggesting that terrorists posing as medical professionals in India may have been storing arms and explosives inside hospital staff lockers, similar to tactics used by Hamas in Gaza.
The findings emerged during the probe into the deadly car bomb blast outside Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10, which killed 15 people. The NIA has identified a 10-member module – dubbed the ‘terror doctor’ module – with alleged links to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Among those under the scanner are Mohammed Shakeel, Adil Ahmad Rather, and Shaheen Saeed, as well as the suicide bomber who drove and detonated the ammonium nitrate fuel oil-laden Hyundai i20, Umar Mohammad. All four had “cover jobs” as doctors.
Shakeel and Umar worked at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad, while Rather was employed at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Anantnag, Jammu & Kashmir.
During a raid at GMC Anantnag, police recovered an assault rifle and ammunition from a staff locker allotted to Rather. A second rifle and additional ammo were seized from a vehicle belonging to Saeed. These discoveries, along with inputs from interrogations, alerted investigators to a dangerous plan to use hospitals in Anantnag, Baramulla, and Budgam as covert weapons storage centres.
Sources said the strategy appeared to mirror Hamas operations in Gaza, where weapons were reportedly stored in and beneath major hospitals. Israeli forces earlier claimed that the Al-Shifa Hospital had hidden tunnels used as command centres and armouries.
If confirmed, the revelation could indicate an operational link between Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hamas, broadening the scope of the Red Fort blast investigation.
Sources said crucial intelligence came from the interrogation of Adil Rather, the first suspect arrested after he was identified as the man behind pro-Jaish posters in J&K’s Nowgam. His arrest from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, led investigators to the Al-Falah network.
The Al-Falah Hospital has now become the epicentre of the probe. Over 200 staff members are being questioned for possible involvement in the Red Fort bombing or other terror plots. Officials also revealed that at least 10 suspects have gone missing, with their phones switched off, prompting a widespread search.
The investigation is ongoing, with officials calling the revelations “deeply alarming” for national security agencies.