Nowgam Police Station Blast: ‘Sheer Negligence’—Experts Reveal Crucial New Insights

The discussion opened with the scale of destruction—an entire police building flattened and surrounding structures damaged. The Nowgam police station had originally initiated the investigation after suspicious Jaish-linked posters surfaced in the area, eventually leading to the arrest of several doctors from Al-Falah University, including Dr. Umar, accused of driving the explosive-laden Red Fort vehicle.

Col. Kullar explained that ammonium nitrate is not an explosive by itself and requires fuel plus an initiator to detonate. He strongly criticised the handling of the material, calling the incident a clear case of “carelessness and negligence.” He pointed out that SOPs demand explosive materials be stored in open, isolated zones—not crowded police stations.

L.N. Rao added that the seized explosives did not need to be transported to Srinagar at all, as the legal case was rooted in Faridabad. “This should never have been stored inside a police station,” he said, stressing that NSG or bomb squads should have neutralised the material onsite.

In closing, Zaffar Iqbal noted that while the Jammu & Kashmir Police did exemplary work in busting the terror module, this fatal lapse highlights urgent gaps in SOPs, training, and supervisory oversight—gaps that must be fixed to prevent such tragedies.