Irfan Ahmad Wagay The Man Behind the Faridabad Terror Module (Source: @AvinashKS14)
A maulvi named Irfan Ahmad Wagay and his wife Wagah were arrested from Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir, for their suspected role in the Red Fort car blast and the massive explosives recovered in Faridabad. The couple was detained during a joint operation by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) and Srinagar Police. Officials believe the husband-wife duo played a key role in recruiting Kashmiri youth and medical students into a wider terror network. Their arrest is expected to have prevented several similar attacks.
Maulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay who was arrested on October 19 from Nowgam in Jammu and Kashmir. Reportedly he was was in direct touch through the Threema app with Jaish-e-Mohammed handlers based in Pakistan under direct supervision of UN-designated wanted terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar. The electronic devices seized from his residence that showed that he used three separate encrypted apps to maintain direct contact with JeM handlers and the 22 members of the module. The names of all the 22 were extracted from the three apps.
Irfan Ahmad Wagay belongs to Shopian, Jammu & Kashmir. Irfan Ahmad Wagay is a 31-year-old cleric from Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir. Irfan previously worked as a paramedical staffer at Government Medical College, Srinagar, and later served as an imam at a Nowgam mosque. He has become a central suspect in the interstate and international terror network uncovered in Faridabad. This module is believed to be connected with two major terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH).
Investigators revealed that Irfan was in direct contact with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) handlers in Pakistan through encrypted apps like Threema and Telegram. He operated under the supervision of UN-designated terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar. Devices seized from his home showed he used three encrypted platforms to coordinate with JeM operatives and 22 members of the terror module.
Irfan previously worked as a paramedical staffer at Government Medical College, Srinagar, and later served as an imam at a Nowgam mosque. Investigators say he used his position to influence medical students and young men, exposing them to extremist ideologies and gradually radicalising them. His wife was also involved and reportedly played a key role in influencing young recruits.
The investigation began on October 19, when JeM posters threatening security forces appeared on walls in Bunpora, Nowgam. Three overground workers were detained, and their interrogation led authorities to Irfan and then to the Faridabad terror module.
After Irfan’s arrest, all members of the module went silent stopping phone and internet communication. Investigators discovered that several members were educated professionals, including doctors and medical students allegedly radicalised by Irfan and his wife.
Officials believe Irfan’s wife helped radicalise Dr Shaheen Saeed, a medical professional accused of founding the women's wing of JeM, called Jamaat-ul-Mominaat. Shaheen reportedly handled finances and helped facilitate the Delhi blast plot. Messages recovered from the couple’s devices contained instructions such as “pursue extremist goals” and “expand the network.”
Authorities say the Red Fort car blast was only the beginning. According to intelligence, the group planned multi-state coordinated attacks as retaliation for the killing of family members of JeM chief Masood Azhar in Pakistan. Investigators described the car explosion as a “desperate attempt” using an improvised vehicle-borne IED.
During the raids, officials recovered:
350 kg of ammonium nitrate
Bomb-making materials
An AK-47 rifle
Over 2,500 kg of suspected explosives from a house in Fatehpur Taga village
The trail eventually led to Dr Muzammil, who allegedly operated from rooms owned by Irfan in Faridabad. He worked at Al Falah University, near the site where large quantities of explosives were discovered.
Investigators traced the blast to the network led by Irfan after interrogating three stone-pelting suspects detained on October 19. Their statements exposed Irfan’s role and the involvement of his associates Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, Zameer Ahangar, and Dr Muzammil. The group reportedly used encrypted apps to coordinate and executed the Delhi blast as their network started collapsing.
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