9 killed as explosives seized in terror module case 'accidentally' explode at JK police station

Srinagar/New Delhi, Nov 15 (PTI) An "accidental" explosion ripped through the Nowgam police station in Srinagar, killing nine people and injuring 32 others, senior officials said while underlining that it was not a terror attack.

Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat and MHA Joint Secretary (Kashmir) Prashant Lokhande said the incident occurred while officials were handling samples of the large cache of explosives seized in connection with the Jaish-e-Mohammed 'white-collar' terror module case in Haryana's Faridabad.

Prabhat and Lokhande read out almost identical statements before the media in Srinagar and New Delhi, respectively, dismissing speculation of a terror attack and stressing that it was an unfortunate accident. Neither officers took any questions from reporters.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives and has ordered a probe to ascertain the exact cause of the blast.

The explosion occurred around 11:20 pm on Friday when a specialised team was extracting samples from a large and "unstable" cache of explosives confiscated in connection with an ongoing 'white-collar' terror module investigation.

A bulk of the explosives was stored securely in an open area at the Nowgam police station.

The nine who died include Naib Tehsildar Muzaffar Ahmed Khan and Suhail Ahmad Rather (Revenue Department), Inspector Israr Ahmad Shah of State Investigation Agency, selection grade constable Aijaz Afzal Mir, constable Mohammad Amin Mir and constable Showkat Ahmad Bhat from Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), selection grade constable Javaid Mansoor Rather and constable Arshid Ahmad Shah from (crime branch photographers).

Mohammad Shafi Parray, a tailor by profession and attached to the sampling team, also died in the blast.

Thirty-two people, including 27 police personnel, two revenue officials, and three civilians from the nearby area, were injured, and all of them were immediately taken to hospitals.

The massive explosion severely damaged the police station building, and small successive explosions initially hampered rescue operations.

Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir condoled the deaths, with L-G Sinha paying floral tributes to the deceased at the Police Control Room, alongside officials that included Corps Commander Lt Gen Prashant Srivastava, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and DGP Prabhat.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, former CM Mehbooba Mufti, People's Conference president Sajad Lone, and Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad also extended their sympathies to the bereaved families.

Omar Abdullah, in a post on the official X handle of the chief minister, expressed deep sorrow and grief over the tragic accidental explosion at Nowgam police station.

He said that his government will compensate for the damage caused to nearby structures by the accidental blast at Nowgam police station and stressed the government stands firmly with the victims' families and will provide every possible support to them.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, however, said the Srinagar blast is a wake-up call for the Central government to strengthen intelligence and anti-terror mechanisms, and it cannot run from accountability.

He demanded an urgent all-party meeting to discuss the "growing threat" of terrorism that continues to receive support from external forces.

Rahul Gandhi also expressed concern and paid tributes to the deceased, while hoping for the early recovery of the injured.

However, both the Jammu and Kashmir police chief and Lokhande made it clear that the blast occurred while FSL teams were carrying out the prescribed procedure of taking samples from the seized explosives for forensic and chemical examination.

"Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process, the handling was being done with utmost caution," DGP Prabhat said. "However, unfortunately, during this course, last night around 11.20 pm, an accidental explosion took place." The sampling process, necessary due to the "voluminous" nature of the recovery, had been ongoing for two days, he added. The materials being sampled were approximately 360 kg of explosive substances, chemicals, and reagents, including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur.

A top official said the huge cache of explosives was brought from Haryana's Faridabad in small bags on a pickup truck.

About the reason behind transporting the explosives to Kashmir, the official said the original case was registered at the Nowgam police station, and the explosives were the case property of that police station.

Hence, there was a need to transport the explosives, the official added.

This cache was recovered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police from the rented residence of the arrested accused Dr Muzzamil Ganaie in Faridabad on November 9 and 10.

Asked about the possible targets of the 'white-collar' terror module which hoarded the explosives, the official said the investigators were still grappling for clues. "All the information about the possible targets was... purely speculative." Investigations had begun after posters threatening police and security forces appeared on walls in Bunpora in Nowgam, in mid-October.

CCTV footage analysis led to the arrest of the first three suspects -- Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid. Their interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam, who allegedly supplied the posters and radicalised the doctors.

The trail led the investigators to Al Falah University in Faridabad, where Dr Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed were arrested, and the huge cache of chemicals was seized.

Investigators believe that a core trio of doctors -- Dr Ganaie, Umar Nabi (the driver of an explosives-laden car that exploded near the Red Fort on November 10, killing 13 people), and Muzzaffar Rather (absconding) -- were running the module.

The role of the eighth arrested person, Dr Adeel Rather, the brother of Muzzaffar, is still under investigation.

Among those killed in the "accidental" blast at the Nowgam police station was 47-year-old Mohammad Shafi Parray, a local tailor and the only breadwinner for his family, which comprised his wife and three children.

Regarded as a "man of character" and an active community volunteer, Parray was summoned by police to assist in packing and sampling the highly volatile explosives. He shuttled between the police station and his home throughout the day before returning for the last time on Friday evening.

As relatives and neighbours, who helped retrieve body parts from the blast site, mourned his death, they collectively appealed to the government to provide financial assistance and a job for his son to help the bereaved family survive.

State Investigation Agency Inspector Israr Ahmad Shah, who was among the nine people killed, joined the police force in 2011. He is survived by a wife, two young children, and elderly parents.

Hailing from the Drugmulla area of Kupwara district, Shah was known as a soft-spoken person who focused mainly on his work and had a reputation for being helpful. PTI MIJ SSB TAS ACB SKC SKL