NEW DELHI (AP) – In a tragic incident linked to the ongoing investigations into a deadly blast in New Delhi, Bilal Ahmed Wani, a 55-year-old shopkeeper from Kashmir, committed self-immolation shortly after his release from police custody. His son, Jasir Bilal Wani, had been detained by police amid the blast investigation. Family members, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, reported that the stress and humiliation from the detention significantly contributed to Wani's act of despair.
The incident unfolded in the aftermath of a November 10 explosion near New Delhi’s historic Red Fort, which resulted in the death of at least 10 individuals and injuries to 32 others. Following the blast, Indian authorities intensified their focus on Kashmir, conducting extensive raids and detaining numerous individuals believed to be linked to the investigation. Hundreds of suspects remain in custody as police labeled the incident a "heinous terror attack".
On the day after the blast, law enforcement in Kashmir stated that they had disrupted a suspected militant cell believed to be linked to the tragedy. Initial arrests included at least seven people, among them two doctors from Kashmir, and a cache of bomb-making materials was confiscated in nearby Faridabad. Shortly after these events, a police station in Srinagar was rocked by an explosion from explosives brought from Faridabad, which claimed at least nine more lives. Authorities ruled out sabotage, attributing the incident to possible negligence in handling explosives.
Wani's family claimed that he and his sons were innocent and that the authorities used them as scapegoats. Following his release, Wani returned home visibly distraught and the morning after, he set himself ablaze. He was initially treated at a local hospital before being transferred to a larger facility in Srinagar, where he ultimately succumbed to severe burn injuries.
The board of police actions in Kashmir has historically precipitated civil unrest, but the intensity of the current crackdown appears particularly severe, comparable only to restrictions imposed after India's revocation of Kashmir's special status in 2019. The government has faced increasing scrutiny for its operations, especially due to rising security measures which led to mass questioning and arrests that many residents view as oppressive.
Authorities asserted that the vehicle involved in the New Delhi explosion was registered to a Kashmiri man, later identifying the suspected bomber, Umar Un Nabi, as a medical doctor. Following the blast, security forces demolished the residences of families associated with suspects, a tactic previously utilized against those accused of aiding insurgency efforts in Kashmir.
Notably, the Indian National Investigation Agency alleged that Jasir Bilal Wani collaborated closely with the suspected suicide bomber, further illuminating the intersection of educated professionals within the criminal framework in Kashmir. As a result, law enforcement has ramped up scrutiny of doctors in the region amidst claims of a so-called "white-collar terror ecosystem." In response, members of the medical community have expressed growing fear and anxiety regarding unprecedented and invasive investigations into their personal and professional lives.
Former intelligence officer Avinash Mohananey remarked that the current climate is reflective of the long-standing discontent felt among Kashmiris, exacerbated by unmet political aspirations, feelings of disempowerment, and humiliation by the Indian state. The resurgence of militancy, according to analysts, is being fueled by the culmination of years of political disenfranchisement, particularly following policies enacted in 2019. Critics argue that the heightened police crackdowns are unlikely to resolve existing grievances and may instead escalate tensions.
In light of these developments, experts stress that a more moderate approach from New Delhi could be instrumental in addressing the roots of unrest in Kashmir, urging a reconsideration of strategies that have led to cycles of violence and alienation among the region’s populace.
