Questions, doubts grow as leaders demand accountability over Nowgam blast

Srinagar: The devastating Friday night blast inside Nowgam Police Station — which killed nine people and injured nearly 30 — has triggered a wave of political unease in Kashmir, with leaders openly questioning how such a massive quantity of explosives was allowed inside a police facility and why basic safety protocols appear to have been ignored.

As the probe into the so-called “white-collar terror module” widens, several political leaders say the circumstances surrounding the explosion have raised more questions than answers.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the government “owes citizens clear answers,” hinting at possible procedural lapses behind the tragedy. “So many people have lost their precious lives… How did this happen? Why did this happen? People deserve answers,” he said, stressing that the presence of civilians and untrained staff in the blast zone points to “serious gaps that cannot be brushed aside.”

The Chief Minister urged authorities to explain how a large quantity of explosive material “entered, stayed, and was handled” inside the premises.

The blast occurred while a joint police-forensic team was examining material brought from Faridabad, Haryana — part of the 2,900-kg chemical cache recovered from an arrested doctor in the case. The seizure had exposed what investigators described as a “white-collar terror module” operating across Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

What has deepened public suspicion is the fact that such sensitive material was dealt with inside a regular police station rather than a secure facility equipped for unstable chemicals. Many are now questioning whether the explosion was a result of mismanagement, negligence, or something more.

Opposition People’s Democratic Party President Mehbooba Mufti said the incident “should never have happened” and implied that the team handling the material lacked necessary expertise.

She asked pointedly: “Such a huge quantity of explosives was brought here. In what conditions was it brought? In what conditions was it kept? In what conditions was it being dealt with?”

Her comments have amplified existing doubts about why specialised explosive-handling units were not called in, despite the high-risk nature of the cache.

National Conference MP Aga Ruhullah also struck a note of suspicion, insisting that an in-depth investigation must identify “the lapses” that led to the blast. “A proper investigation should be carried out… Those responsible must be made accountable,” he said after meeting the injured.

With political leaders raising pointed questions and public distrust growing, the government faces rising pressure to explain not just what exploded, but what went wrong — and whether the deadly blast was the result of oversight, mishandling, or systemic failure within the ongoing terror investigation.