Mehbooba Mufti warns authorities against ‘high-handedness’ in Delhi blast probe

Former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday urged authorities to exercise restraint while probing the recently uncovered “white-collar terror module”, warning that alleged heavy-handedness on the ground was deepening public anguish.

Her appeal came after a disturbing incident in Kulgam’s Wanpora Qazigund, where a father, Bilal Wani, allegedly set himself on fire in desperation after his son Jasir Bilal and brother Naveel Wani were detained by police. In a post on X, Mufti wrote that the man — now in critical condition at Srinagar’s SMHS Hospital — had pleaded for a chance to see the detained family members but was denied.

“This level of high-handedness only deepens wounds and breeds despair,” she said, adding that indiscriminate detentions risk pushing young people “towards darker paths.” She urged J&K Police to allow Wani to meet the detainees.

Mufti also shared a photograph of the injured man undergoing treatment in hospital.

The detentions come in the aftermath of the 10 November Red Fort terror blast, in which 12 people were killed when an i20 car exploded near a traffic crossing, killing its driver, Dr Umar Nabi. Nabi had been on the run after J&K and Haryana Police arrested his alleged associate, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, in Faridabad, where investigators recovered nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate, trigger devices and other incriminating material.

The probe has widened rapidly. Police have arrested Dr Adil Rather from Qazigund after recovering an AK-47 rifle from his locker at Government Medical College, Anantnag. Dr Adil had left the college in October 2024 to join Al-Falah University in Faridabad. His brother, Dr Muzaffar Ali Rather — believed to be linked to the same module — fled to Dubai in August 2025, prompting J&K Police to seek an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him.

A female doctor, Shaheen Shahid from Lucknow and also associated with Al-Falah University, has been arrested as well. An assault rifle was recovered from her car, with police alleging her involvement in the Faridabad network.

Notably, Bilal Wani, who attempted self-immolation, hails from the same Qazigund locality as Dr Adil and Dr Muzaffar Ali — highlighting the growing churn in the region as the investigation expands.

With IANS inputs