New Delhi/Srinagar: A Haryana preacher detained in the ‘white-collar’ terror module case remained preoccupied with unpaid rent from two arrested doctors even as Srinagar Police interrogated him in a tense investigation room. Maulvi Ishtiyaq, from Mewat, was arrested after 2,500 kg of explosive material — including ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur — was recovered from his rented house near Faridabad’s Al Falah University, now identified as the hub of the module.
His name emerged during the questioning of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, a key accused, whose disclosure led police to the preacher’s residence where the explosives were seized. The module was busted on November 10 following a Srinagar Police probe that netted eight suspects, including three doctors, though one — Dr Umar-un-Nabi — escaped and later drove the explosives-laden car that exploded near the Red Fort on November 10, killing 15 people.
Officials said Ishtiyaq claimed Ganaie and Umar had convinced him earlier this year to store “fertilisers” at his home for a monthly fee of ₹2,500. His primary concern during interrogation, they added, was the six months of unpaid rent owed by the two doctors.
Living below the poverty line and supporting four children, Ishtiyaq pleaded with NIA, Srinagar Police and central agencies to recover the outstanding amount so he could send money home. Officials said the contrast between the scale of the terror plot and the detainee’s desperate focus on rent momentarily eased the tension in the room. Ganaie corroborated the preacher’s version.
Ishtiyaq, detained on November 12 after raids by J&K and Haryana Police, has been handed to the State Investigation Agency.
The wider probe began after CCTV footage helped arrest three men who pasted Jaish-e-Mohammed posters outside Srinagar on the night of October 18–19. Their interrogation led to the arrest of former paramedic-turned-preacher Maulvi Irfan, then to Ganaie, Dr Shaheen Saeed in Faridabad, and later Adeel Rather in Saharanpur. Subsequent searches at Al Falah University yielded 2,900 kg of explosives. (Agencies)
