Central agencies probing the car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10 last year have uncovered a much larger terror plan, with sources revealing that the module had planned to strike outlets of a global coffee chain in the national capital and other major cities to maximise the political and psychological impact.
Sources told India Today TV that the accused viewed the brand as symbolising Jewish influence because it was once headed by a Jewish chief executive during its global expansion. The proposed strikes were meant to send a political message linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
The angle emerged during sustained interrogation of eight accused, including three medical professionals — Muzamil Ahmad Ganaie and Adeel Ahmed Rather from Jammu and Kashmir, and Shaheen Saeed from Uttar Pradesh. The doctors have told officials that there was sharp disagreement within the module over the choice of targets.
According to sources, several members opposed hitting civilian establishments and wanted any action restricted to security forces in Jammu and Kashmir. However, Umar-un-Nabi, identified by agencies as the car-borne attacker killed in the blast, allegedly pushed for high-visibility targets outside the Valley to amplify the impact.
Officials believe Umar-un-Nabi and his associates saw attacks on coffee chain outlets in metropolitan cities as a way to internationalise their message and draw attention to what they described as “perceived injustices” against Muslims, particularly in Gaza.
Seven days after the blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Jasir Wani, who, according to sources, was recruited for his technical expertise. Wani was allegedly tasked with modifying drones into weaponised platforms and was involved in discussions around executing Hamas-style strikes, potentially preceded by coordinated car bombings across different parts of the country.
During questioning, Wani is said to have disclosed that Umar-un-Nabi initially tried to radicalise him into becoming a suicide bomber. While Wani reportedly panicked and resisted, he later agreed to join the module in a supporting operational role.
Sources also said the accused were linked to the banned terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and were driven by propaganda narratives attempting to tie local terror actions with global conflicts. Umar-un-Nabi, officials believe, was keen to carry out a major strike around December 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition.
The car explosion near the Red Fort followed a nearly three-week investigation by Jammu and Kashmir Police into a suspected “white-collar terror module” with links to two banned outfits — Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH).
The probe began after security agencies recovered a JeM pamphlet in Srinagar on October 19, 2025, triggering heightened surveillance and intelligence gathering to trace the network behind it.
During the initial phase of the probe, J&K Police also recovered a video clip of about one minute and twenty seconds from Umar-un-Nabi’s phone. In the footage, he is allegedly seen speaking about carrying out a suicide attack.
Central agencies are now examining whether the plan to target the coffee chain moved beyond internal discussions, including whether reconnaissance was conducted or specific outlets were identified.
