Police on Monday recovered nearly 2,563 kilograms of ammonium nitrate from a house in Fatehpur Taga village in Faridabad and detained the house owner for questioning.
The discovery followed the seizure of 360 kilograms of explosives and several weapons a day earlier from a rented home in Dhauj village. That house was occupied by Dr. Muzammil Shakil, a 35-year-old physician from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, who was teaching at Al-Falah Medical College, according to officials.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Varun Dahiya said that Dr. Shakil had rented the Fatehpur Taga property from a local imam around eight months ago. “We have identified two properties rented by the accused. The ammonium nitrate was recovered from the cleric’s residence. Maulana Istaq is being questioned, but it’s too early to share additional details,” Dahiya said.
Residents of the area said police teams arrived at the mosque early Monday morning and detained Istaq. “The police have taken Imam Sahib. He has been here for 20 years,” his wife said, adding that his phone had also been confiscated.
Officers familiar with the case said the ammonium nitrate shipment had reached Dr. Shakil around 15 days before his arrest and was meant to be used for assembling improvised explosive devices as part of a larger terror plan.
Investigators are also examining the involvement of a woman doctor known to Dr. Shakil. She is currently being questioned in Jammu and Kashmir after police found an AK Krinkov rifle, three magazines, a pistol with live rounds, and two empty cartridges in a vehicle registered in her name.
Faridabad Police have declined to provide more information, saying multiple agencies are jointly handling the investigation. “Sharing details now could interfere with the ongoing probe,” one officer said.
