New Delhi: When Jaish-e-Mohammed posters appeared overnight across the Nowgam–Bunpora stretch of Srinagar on October 19, most people dismissed them as relics from the valley’s turbulent past. But for Srinagar SSP Dr GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, the posters were neither casual nor symbolic. They were deliberate and dangerous.
A trained medical doctor who chose policing over a clinical career, Chakravarthy had long been known for his analytical eye. And this time, something about the posters felt 'too organised to be random. Instead of treating them as routine provocation, he chose to escalate the matter.
A hunch becomes the first breakthrough
He directed a case to be registered under the UAPA, Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act at Nowgam Police Station. CCTV examinations followed immediately. The footage showed three individuals moving with precision, not the signature of impulsive vandals.
They were detained, questioned and within hours, one name surfaced, Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a cleric from Shopian who had been leading prayers in Nowgam since 2020.
One lead opens three others
Acting swiftly, teams searched Ahmad’s residence in Shopian and another location linked to him in Nowgam. What initially looked like a localised propaganda attempt soon began to reveal deeper, disturbing layers. His digital traces pointing to a cluster of individuals maintaining discreet contact with handlers across the border. Rather than the typical field operatives, the names that surfaced were working professionals, people with academic or medical affiliations who had no overt record of extremism.
This anomaly pushed the police to dig deeper. Surveillance teams noticed an unusual pattern, the suspects moved frequently between Jammu & Kashmir and Delhi–NCR, rented accommodation under clean identities and maintained low-visibility lifestyles. Nothing about them fits the traditional profile and that’s precisely what raised the red flag.
Connections began emerging in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, signalling that this was not a neighbourhood provocation, but part of a structured network.
The trail leads to Faridabad and a doctor in disguise
Following the leads, a coordinated inter-state operation was launched. In Faridabad, police took custody of Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, a Pulwama-born medical professional working at a private medical college. He was allegedly helping sustain a white-collar module linked to JeM, a network that relied on educated individuals, benign occupations, and routine mobility to evade suspicion.
Alongside him, three local residents from Nowgam were also apprehended for different levels of involvement. This approach uncovered more individuals and led to the seizure of critical materials, including IED-making components, communication devices and logistical inputs.
BI Bureau
