The National Investigation Agency has uncovered details of an alleged terror conspiracy linked to the Red Fort car blast, revealing that the accused had allegedly planned a series of large-scale bomb attacks in Lucknow targeting government buildings and crowded public areas using vehicle-borne explosives.
According to official sources, two key accused in the case, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Saeed, travelled from Faridabad to Lucknow between August 25 and August 30, 2025, as part of what investigators described as a carefully planned reconnaissance mission connected to the larger terror plot.
During the visit, Muzammil allegedly carried out hostile reconnaissance of several prominent locations in Lucknow that investigators said were chosen because of their political importance and heavy public presence.
According to sources, the targets allegedly included the Vidhan Sabha, Bapu Bhawan, as well as crowded public areas such as Imambara, Lal Bagh, and Aminabad.
Investigators believe the accused considered these places suitable targets for planned car bomb attacks intended to cause mass casualties and significant damage.
Sources stated that the accused were allegedly exploring the possibility of detonating explosive-laden vehicles near government complexes and high-footfall public zones.
The NIA investigation further revealed that Muzammil allegedly searched online for chemical suppliers in Lucknow capable of providing precursor chemicals required for manufacturing Triacetone Triperoxide, commonly known internationally as the “Mother of Satan” because of its highly volatile nature.
Officials said the same explosive material was allegedly used in the Delhi Red Fort car blast that took place on November 10 last year.
According to investigators, Shaheen allegedly copied the names of chemical shops identified by Muzammil in her own handwriting. The list was later recovered by NIA officials from her mobile phone during the investigation.
Sources said the duo stayed at the residence of one of Shaheen’s relatives during their stay in Lucknow. Officials also noted that her ancestral home is located in the Khandari Bazar area of Lal Bagh, where her father reportedly lives separately.
Investigators further alleged that Muzammil enlisted the help of a local resident familiar with Lucknow to physically visit chemical shops and enquire about the availability of large quantities of the required chemicals.
According to officials, this step was taken to avoid suspicion because the accused feared that outsiders making such enquiries could attract attention.
The NIA probe also found that the accused were allegedly searching for a remote and secluded location in Lucknow where they could secretly manufacture explosives, like the clandestine operations allegedly conducted earlier at a rented house in Khori Jamalpur in Faridabad.
Officials said the anti-terror agency reconstructed the sequence of events through technical analysis, financial tracking, digital evidence, witness testimonies, and forensic examination.
The findings form part of a massive 7,500-page chargesheet filed by the NIA on May 14 in connection with the high-intensity vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED) blast near Delhi’s Red Fort.
According to the chargesheet, the accused were allegedly part of an interim terror module associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, which investigators say is linked to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent.
Officials alleged that the module intended to establish a covert operational base in Lucknow to carry out multiple bomb attacks using similar explosive techniques.
The module has also reportedly been referred to by investigators as a “doctor” or “white-collar” terror module because several accused were allegedly medical professionals who had become radicalised.
According to the NIA, detailed scientific and forensic investigations exposed what it described as a wider jihadi conspiracy inspired by AQIS and AGuH ideology aimed at carrying out large-scale terror attacks in India.
Investigators said the alleged conspiracy was ultimately foiled after the module was busted before any further planned attacks could be executed.
