Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accused Pakistan of orchestrating the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed more than 10 people, saying the neighbouring country has resorted to terrorism after realising it cannot defeat India in a direct conflict.
He said the attackers planned to detonate explosives across India.
“I am glad that today we have a changed India. India first sensed these things and conducted operations… their intentions were to detonate bombs in every corner of India, and many cities of our country, including Mumbai, were their targets. But when our Indian agencies sensed this and directly attacked them, they demonstrated their presence by carrying out an explosion in Delhi,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
“Pakistan knows it cannot defeat India in a straightforward war, and hence the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and the recent blast in Delhi took place,” Fadnavis said at an event at the Gateway of India to mark the upcoming 17th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks, Hindustan Times reported.
Meanwhile, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) and the Special Operations Group in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday arrested a man from Srinagar in connection with what authorities describe as a “white-collar” terror module linked to the Delhi blast earlier this month.
The suspect, Tufail Ahmed, an electrician working in Pulwama, is believed to have played a role in the wider conspiracy, though his direct involvement in the explosion — which killed at least 15 people — remains unclear. The car’s driver, Dr. Umar Mohammad, died in the blast near the Red Fort Metro Station.
Investigators have widened their probe to Al-Falah University in Faridabad after several faculty members were arrested for alleged links to the suicide bombing. Police have detained nine individuals so far, including three doctors from Al-Falah Medical College. The bomber was reportedly associated with the institution.
Al-Falah University founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui has also been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a related case involving alleged terror financing. The ED acted days after Delhi Police’s Crime Branch filed two FIRs against the university for alleged cheating and forgery in accreditation documents.
The agency said evidence recovered during searches suggests the Al-Falah Group’s rapid expansion since the 1990s was not supported by legitimate financial records, and pointed to indications of a broader pattern of generating and laundering proceeds of crime.
Authorities say the investigation has uncovered a “white-collar terror module” with suspected links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind. Nearly 2,900 kg of explosive material has been seized from rented premises in Faridabad, and several individuals — including medical professionals and a local cleric — have been arrested or detained as the probe continues.
