Mumbai, Dec 25: Mumbai, along with several districts in Maharashtra and adjoining states, has been placed on high alert following significant developments in the investigation into the November 10 Delhi Red Fort blast, which is being probed as part of a Pakistan-backed terror conspiracy linked to the banned outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).
During the probe, investigating agencies identified two Maharashtra-based links connected to the Delhi blast — one based in Mumbai and the other in Solapur district, Maharashtra. According to security agencies, both links are associated with romance-based entrapment, or ‘honey-trap’, tactics allegedly employed by operatives of the Delhi terror module. Sources said the suspected terrorist attempted to use the two women to establish influence and operational contact through prolonged social media interactions. Investigators found that both women had remained in regular digital contact with the suspect over an extended period.
One of the suspects is a Solapur-based married Muslim woman in her early 40s, running a network marketing business, who was recently questioned by a team from India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing). According to officials, she disclosed that her first contact with Zameer Ahmad Ahangar (29) occurred in early 2025 via social media. According to sources, Ahangar initially projected himself as a professional entrepreneur from Wakoora in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. He was later arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in connection with a terror module that was subsequently linked to the November 10 Red Fort blast.
In her statement, the woman told investigators that as part of her marketing work, she regularly posted business-related content on social media along with her contact number. Ahangar approached her after coming across these posts and initially engaged her in discussions related to marketing strategies and business expansion. She said Ahangar showed sustained interest in her posts, praising marketing campaigns, commenting on strategies, and presenting himself as professional and helpful. Over time, however, the tone of his messages began to change, with personal compliments, subtle flattery and hints of romantic interest creeping into the conversations. She claimed to have largely ignored these messages, responding politely only when necessary, while sensing a gradual but growing undertone of manipulation.
Investigators, however, saw a familiar pattern, as this mirrored the ‘honey-trap’ techniques documented in several past cases where terror operatives sought to influence or recruit unsuspecting civilians. In those cases, agents used social media connections — sometimes romantic, sometimes professional — to extract information, gain trust or establish operational links without immediate detection.
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Another woman, this time in Mumbai, reported similar interactions. The Mumbai-based woman, a married Hindu in her mid-30s running an online beauty products business, was questioned by the Mumbai Crime Branch along with other senior officials of the sister agencies. Like the Solapur woman, she had posted beauty product and brand details on social media along with her contact number and came into contact with Ahangar in mid-July. Initially, she engaged with him under the guise of professional curiosity, as he claimed to run a similar business in Kashmir and subtly complimented her work. Over time, his messages began to blend professional interest with personal overtures, including subtle flirtations, late-night texts and hints of a deeper connection. Though cautious, she responded just enough to avoid suspicion.
Officials confirmed that both women avoided further engagement after sensing the suspect’s persistent manipulation, but their interactions provided investigative leads relevant to the ongoing probe. Security agencies observed that the language and nature of these interactions indicated operational communication within the extremist network.
Security agencies further found that Ahangar’s social media and digital network spans multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, following a consistent pattern of engagement.
In October 2025, security forces detected radical posters bearing the insignia and extremist messaging of the banned terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the Bunpora Nowgam area of Srinagar.This triggered a formal probe by the J&K Police in coordination with the State Investigation Agency (SIA). During the investigation, Ahangar was identified as an overground worker (OGW) for JeM who allegedly played a role in facilitating propaganda activities in the Valley ahead of the Red Fort terror operation.
Officials described Ahangar’s profile and past activities as a consistent, high-risk terror-linked pattern, classifying him among operatives considered high-risk enablers rather than lone sympathisers.
Sources said that during questioning, Ahangar disclosed critical information about operatives linked to a Faridabad-based terror module operating under the cover of institutions such as Al-Falah Medical College, which later emerged as a key operational node in the Delhi Red Fort blast investigation.
During the probe, Ahangar identified Dr Adil Ahmad Daar, who coordinated logistics and recruitment for the module and maintained links with Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, Dr Shaheen, and Dr Umar, all later arrested by the NIA.
Following Ahangar’s disclosures, J&K security forces as launched operation the terror network behind the Delhi Blast, targeting the weapons supply chain and investigating links to suicide bombing.During the operation, authorities recovered an AK-56 rifle and other weapons from Anantnag Medical College, where Adil Daar had reportedly hidden them.
Officials said Ahangar operated under instructions from Daar, particularly in relation to JeM propaganda activities in Srinagar prior to the Delhi blast.
Agency sources identified Ahangar as playing a pivotal role in recruiting, training, and indoctrinating new recruits through social media. Investigators said he was part of an encrypted communication network, active on multiple Telegram groups, maintaining contact with module members and foreign handlers. During questioning, Ahangar admitted to handling money drops, coordinating weapons consignments, and facilitating logistics in coordination with other accused, including Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, who is currently in NIA custody.
According to senior officials familiar with the probe, Ahangar’s role is currently under investigation by the NIA, but he has not been formally arrested by the NIA at this stage due to procedural and evidentiary considerations. Officials said that while Ahangar was earlier arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police in a separate terror-module case, the material linking him to the Delhi Red Fort blast conspiracy is still being corroborated and subjected to legal scrutiny.
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