Srinagar / New Delhi, November 13: In a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the Red Fort blast, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a key associate of the suspected mastermind, Dr Shaheen. The accused, identified as Dr Mohammad Arif, was apprehended during a coordinated operation in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur
According to initial reports, Dr Arif, , is believed to be a close aide of Dr Shaheen — the alleged handler of the Faridabad terror module linked to the Delhi blast. Investigators suspect that Arif played an important role in providing logistical and financial support to the network, which is believed to have orchestrated the explosion that killed 13 people and injured several others near the Red Fort earlier this week.
Sources in the investigation team revealed that the arrest was the result of a sustained surveillance operation involving multiple security agencies. The ATS had been monitoring communication links and movement patterns between Delhi, Faridabad, and the Kashmir Valley. Arif’s arrest, officials said, could help unravel the deeper network of operatives working with Dr Shaheen, who remains a prime suspect in the case.
Preliminary questioning has reportedly indicated that Arif had been in touch with members of the module days before the explosion. His activities in Srinagar and subsequent travel to Uttar Pradesh are now being scrutinized to trace possible routes used for coordination and transport of explosives.
Investigators are also probing whether Arif facilitated reconnaissance visits around key Delhi landmarks ahead of the attack or helped shelter suspects after the blast. The arrest adds another dimension to what officials describe as an “expanding terror network” that stretches across multiple states.
The ATS is expected to produce Dr Arif before a local court for remand and further interrogation. Security agencies continue extensive searches in Delhi-NCR and Jammu and Kashmir as the probe into the Red Fort blast deepens.
