Nowgam tragedy tied to forensic error
Srinagar/New Delhi: A powerful accidental explosion that tore through the Nowgam police station late Friday night, killing nine people, is now believed to have been triggered by intensified lighting used during forensic examination of seized chemicals, officials said on Sunday. Preliminary findings indicate that the excessive illumination deployed by specialists while inspecting the final batch of evidence may have produced enough heat to set off the volatile mixture.
The blast occurred at around 11:20 pm as a forensic team worked on the last boxes of explosive material transported from Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana. Authorities reiterated that the incident was not a terror attack. Separate teams from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory and the National Security Guards visited the site to gather samples and assist in the inquiry. Officials said the final set of boxes contained a liquid believed to be a combination of Acetophenone, Hydrogen Peroxide and Sulphuric Acid. To observe the substance closely, the forensic team increased the lighting intensity. Investigators now suspect the heat produced by this setup, combined with fumes from Sulphuric Acid or the inherent instability of the mixture, may have caused the detonation. Although Acetophenone is a widely used industrial chemical, it is also a key precursor for Acetone Peroxide, a highly sensitive improvised explosive.
The police leadership issued repeated clarifications to counter speculation of an attack. Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Nalin Prabhat and Joint Secretary (Kashmir) Prashant Lokhande released matching statements on Saturday, saying, “Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process, the handling was being done with extreme caution, with utmost caution by the FSL team.” They added, “However, unfortunately, during this course, last night around 11.20 pm, an accidental explosion took place.”
The forensic examination of the seized material had been underway for two days. The cache consisted of roughly 360 kg of chemicals, including Ammonium Nitrate, Potassium Nitrate and Sulphur. The Nowgam police station was designated as the processing site because it was the registration point of the case involving the recovered items. The blast severely damaged the building and also affected nearby structures.
The dead included Mohammad Shafi Parray, a 47-year-old tailor known in the locality and the only earning member of his family. Several political leaders visited his home and offered support to his relatives. Another victim, SIA Inspector Israr Ahmad Shah, had joined the police in 2011 and was regarded by colleagues as courteous and committed. He leaves behind his wife, two young children and elderly parents in Kupwara district.
The chemicals under examination were part of a case linked to a ‘white-collar’ terror module uncovered by Srinagar Police. The investigation began after posters threatening security forces appeared on walls in Bunpora, Nowgam, in mid-October. Senior Superintendent of Police (Srinagar) Dr G V Sundeep Chakravarthy personally supervised the probe, which used CCTV footage to identify and arrest three suspects: Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid.
Information obtained during interrogation led to the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam who allegedly supplied the posters and influenced the doctors involved. The trail then took investigators to Al Falah University in Faridabad, where Dr Muzzafar Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed were taken into custody and the large chemical stockpile was seized.
According to investigators, the module was operated by a core trio of doctors: Dr Ganaie, Umar Nabi, who drove an explosives-laden car that detonated near the Red Fort on November 10 killing 13 people, and Muzzaffar Rather, who remains absconding.
