New Delhi: Delhi Police uncovered on Friday that the terror module behind January 25 car blast near Karol Bagh aimed at striking international coffee chain outlets like Starbucks and Costa Coffee across the capital, as part of a broader plot to maximize civilian casualties and economic disruption. The low-intensity IED explosion in a parked SUV injured three bystanders and shattered windows in a busy market, but timely intelligence averted larger attacks.
According to sources, Special Cell investigations, invoking UAPA, traced the module to three overground workers (OGWs) linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives in Kashmir. The sources said interrogations revealed reconnaissance of 15 high-footfall cafes in Connaught Place, South Extension, and Greater Kailash over two weeks, with plans for synchronized blasts using ammonium nitrate-based devices concealed in delivery bags. “They chose coffee chains for symbolic Western targets to amplify fear via social media,” said a senior officer, noting encrypted chats recovered from seized phones referencing “Starbucks jihad.”
The blast vehicle — a stolen Mahindra XUV traced to Nuh in Haryana — bore traces of RDX and ball bearings, mirroring 2025 Pathankot tactics. Two suspects, Saifullah (27) and Rizwan (24), were arrested from Shahdara; the third remains at large. Forensic teams confirmed remote detonation via a scrapped phone SIM, with digital footprints leading to LeT handler “Chota Doctor” in Muzaffarabad, sources said.
