New Delhi,India – Indian police have detained multipleโข individuals for โฃquestioning in โคKashmir following a carโข explosion in โคNew Delhi on Monday that left at least one person dead. โฃThe detentions occurredโ overnight in raids across the Pulwama district of Indian-controlled Kashmir,โ police officials โคconfirmed Wednesday.
The blast is beingโ investigated for potential โขlinks โฃto โa suspected militant cell recently dismantled by authorities. Last week, policeโฃ announced the arrestโ of seven people – including two doctors – and the seizure โofโค weapons and bomb-making materials in Faridabad, a city in Haryana state near New โขDelhi.
The examination leading toโค the cell’s revelation began with a probe into anti-India posters that appeared in Srinagar, Kashmir, on October 19. The posters reportedly threatened attacks on Indian troops stationed โคin the region. CCTV footage aided in theโค initial โarrest of three โsuspects,according toโ four police officers familiar with the โcase whoโ spoke on condition of anonymity.
Over the subsequent three weeks, the investigation expanded to โinclude the โขdetention of two Kashmiri doctors working inโฃ Indian cities and two additionalโ suspects from Kashmir. โคIndian news outlets report investigators are examining whether a โฃKashmiri doctor teaching โat โคa medical college in Faridabad was driving the vehicle that exploded. Authorities have not confirmed this, โฃbut reports โฃsuggest the doctor may have intentionally detonated theโข blast to evade arrest orโ was transporting explosives that detonated accidentally.
Delhi police spokesman Sanjay Tyagi stated investigators are “probing all โคpossible angles, including aโข terror attack, an โaccidental โฃblast or anyโข kind โof failure inโ the car.”
The family of the โdoctor potentially linked to โขthe explosion reported โขlast contact on โคFriday, when he was informed โpolice were seeking โคhim. “He called us on Friday, and โคI told him to โcome home. He said he would come after three โคdays,” said Shagufta Jan, the โdoctor’s sister-in-law, from Pulwama district.
Jan confirmed thatโฃ policeโฃ questioned the doctor’s mother and two brothers Monday night.