Two of the key blast accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel (Left) and Dr Shaheen Saeed (Right)
LUCKNOW: A major terror conspiracy targeting key government buildings and crowded public areas in Lucknow has been uncovered during the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) probe into the 2025 Red Fort car blast case. According to official sources, suspects linked to the blast had allegedly conducted detailed reconnaissance of sensitive locations in the Uttar Pradesh capital and were planning a possible vehicle-borne terror attack using highly explosive chemical agents.
Investigators revealed that one of the prime accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, actively searched online for chemical shops in Lucknow that could supply ingredients required to manufacture Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), a powerful and highly unstable explosive commonly referred to as the “Mother of Satan.” The same explosive substance was allegedly used in the deadly November 10, 2025, explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort.
The NIA probe further found that co-accused Dr Shaheen Saeed maintained a handwritten list of targeted chemical suppliers on the instructions of Muzammil. Officials said the document was later recovered from a mobile phone seized during the investigation, strengthening evidence of preparations for a large-scale terror operation.
According to investigators, these preparations were carried out alongside an extensive reconnaissance mission in Lucknow between August 25 and 30, 2025. During this period, Muzammil and Shaheen reportedly travelled from Faridabad to Lucknow to survey several high-profile locations and assess their vulnerability to an attack.
Official sources said the accused visited multiple sensitive government and historical sites, including the Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Bapu Bhawan, Aminabad, Lal Bagh, and the historic Bara Imambara complex. These areas were allegedly identified due to their heavy footfall and strategic significance.
“They were contemplating a plan to explode a car laden with explosives near these building complexes,” an official source said, adding that crowded areas and administrative hubs were viewed as ideal targets for a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
The findings form part of a massive 7,500-page chargesheet filed by the NIA on May 14 in connection with the Red Fort car blast investigation. The chargesheet reportedly links the Lucknow reconnaissance to a wider terror conspiracy involving an alleged multi-city module inspired by an Al-Qaeda offshoot.
The Red Fort car blast on November 10, 2025, had sent shockwaves across the country after a vehicle-borne IED exploded in slow-moving traffic near the historic monument in New Delhi. The explosion killed 15 people and left more than 20 injured. Investigators believe the attack was executed by a group of radicalised professionals, including doctors and highly educated individuals allegedly associated with extremist networks.
The NIA has stated that the investigation remains ongoing and further arrests or revelations cannot be ruled out. Security agencies are also examining financial transactions, communication records, digital evidence, and interstate links connected to the accused to determine the full extent of the alleged terror network.
The revelations have raised fresh concerns over attempts by terror modules to target crowded urban centres and strategic government establishments using sophisticated explosive techniques and local logistical support.
