Srinagar: A row has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after a man, whose two sons have been detained in connection with the Faridabad white collar terror module, attempted self-immolation in the Kulgam district of the state.
Former chief minister and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, known for falsely accusing Indian security forces of excesses in the valley, jumped into the fray on Sunday, cautioning authorities against ‘high-handedness’.
“Bilal Wani an anguished father from Wanpora Qazigund has set himself on fire after his son Jasir Bilal & brother Naveel Wani were detained by the police a few days ago. Petrified about their safety he pleaded with the authorities to just see them which was denied. He has been referred to SMHS Srinagar & is in critical condition. This level of high handedness only deepens wounds and breeds despair. When young men are picked up randomly we risk driving an entire generation into fear, frustration & ultimately towards darker paths,” Mufti posted on X.
“Request @JmuKmrPolice to at least allow him to meet the detained members,” she added, posting a photograph of a person with burn marks being treated at a hospital.
Several people have been arrested or detained in the state after the car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10. Till now, 13 people have died in the attack.
The blast has been linked to the Faridabad terror module. Umar Nabi, a doctor from Jammu and Kashmir, was apparently driving the white Hyundai i20 that blew up at a red signal near a Red Fort metro station gate.
This took place after the arrests of doctors Adil Rather and Muzammil Ganai. Rather was the first one to be apprehended on charges of putting up Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) posters in Srinagar. A search of his locker at the government hospital in Anantnag where he had worked in the past led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle.
Father’s interrogation led the Jammu and Kashmir Police to Faridabad in Haryana, where nearly 3,000 kg of explosives, detonators, an AK series rifle, a pistol and other incriminating material were seized.
Nabi was linked with both Rather and Ganai through the Al Falah University in Faridabad, where they worked.
Father’s brother, Muzaffar Ali Rather, also a doctor, is also believed to be part of the Faridabad terror module. He escaped to Dubai in August 2025. The J&K Police have approached the Interpol for a red corner notice against him.
Shaheen Shahid, a female doctor based in Lucknow and working at Al-Falah University, was also arrested in this case. It was from her car that the second assault rifle was recovered.
Rather belongs to the Qazigund area of Kulgam where Bilal Wani tried to immolate himself after his two sons were picked up by the police.