J&K DGP Regrets Nowgam Police Station Accidental Blast; Dismisses Terror Link Speculations

Srinagar — Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat on Saturday expressed regret over the accidental explosion at the Nowgam police station and firmly dismissed any speculation of a terror-related link.

Addressing a press conference at the Police Control Room (PCR), the DGP said, “A large quantity of explosive material recovered from Faridabad was brought to the Nowgam Police Station and kept securely in an open area. Because of the volume of the material, sampling had been underway for the past two days to send it for forensic and chemical examination. Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the explosives, the team was handling them with extreme caution.”

He added, “Unfortunately, around 11.20 p.m. on Friday, the seized material accidentally exploded. Any further theories about the cause are unnecessary speculation.”

The tragedy claimed nine lives, including one Special Investigation Agency personnel, two revenue officers, three members of the FSL team, two Crime Branch photographers, and a tailor. The police station building suffered extensive damage, and nearby structures were also affected.

“The cause of this unfortunate incident is still unclear. Police stand firmly with the families of the deceased,” the DGP said. No questions were taken after the briefing.

The injured were shifted to the Army’s base hospital in Badami Bagh and to SKIMS Soura.

Earlier in the morning, DGP Prabhat and senior officials visited the Nowgam Police Station for an on-ground assessment. The blast was so powerful that it shattered window panes in surrounding buildings, and the sound was heard up to 5–10 km away. Several vehicles inside the premises caught fire, and fire tenders were deployed to control the blaze. Ambulances were rushed in to evacuate the injured.

The explosives involved were part of a major seizure by J&K Police: 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate recovered in Faridabad during the busting of a white-collar terror module with support from Haryana Police. Earlier, 360 kg of the same material had been recovered from Dr. Muzammil Ganaie.

While Dr. Adil Rather and Dr. Ganaie were arrested, their associate Dr. Umar Nabi fled and later died in a car explosion near the Red Fort, which also killed and injured several civilians. A Lucknow-based doctor, Shaheen Shahid, was also arrested after an assault rifle was found in her vehicle. The case cracked open after the arrest of two Jaish-e-Mohammad OGWs.

The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a JeM offshoot, claimed responsibility for the Nowgam blast, but the DGP categorically rejected this claim.

With inputs from IANS