New Delhi/Srinagar,November 23,2025 : A startling twist has emerged in the ongoing probe into the ‘white-collar’ terror module linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, as a Haryana-based preacher, Maulvi Ishtiyaq, stunned investigators by pleading with them to recover six months of unpaid rent from two arrested doctors—right in the middle of his interrogation in Srinagar.
Ishtiyaq, a preacher from Mewat, was detained after a staggering 2,500 kg of explosive chemicals—including ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur—were recovered from his rented residence near Al Falah University, Faridabad, the hub of this terror network.
His name surfaced during the questioning of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, one of the key accused, who revealed that he and Dr Umar-un-Nabi had asked Ishtiyaq earlier this year to store what they misleadingly described as “fertilisers” in exchange for a monthly fee of ₹2,500.
Despite the horrifying scale of the materials found—enough to cause a massive explosion—the preacher’s primary concern was not the criminal gravity of the situation, but recovering his overdue rent, which he said he desperately needed to support his family living below the poverty line. Officials said this unexpected plea briefly broke the tension in an otherwise grim interrogation room.
The preacher’s account was affirmed by Ganaie, leading to Ishtiyaq being handed over to the State Investigation Agency (SIA) for further action.
A Timeline of the Bust
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Oct 18–19: JeM posters surface outside Srinagar, warning of attacks.
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Three men arrested after CCTV footage catches them pasting posters.
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They name Maulvi Irfan, who supplied the posters—he too is arrested.
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Investigations lead police to Faridabad, where Dr Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Saeed are arrested.
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2,900 kg of explosives recovered from Al Falah University-linked premises.
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Adeel Rather arrested from Saharanpur, UP.
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Nov 10: A breakthrough bust leads to eight arrests, mostly highly educated individuals including doctors.
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The same day, Dr Umar-un-Nabi—a key suspect—drives an explosive-laden car that detonates outside Red Fort, killing 15 people.
The contrast between the sinister scale of the plot and the preacher’s almost comically mundane concern paints a bizarre picture from the fringes of major terror networks, officials said.
