The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Friday extended the custodial remand of two key accused in the Red Fort blast case, as investigators continue probing the wider terror conspiracy behind the attack.
Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma granted the NIA ten more days of custody for Yasir Ahmed Dar, while allowing the agency to further interrogate Dr Bilal Naseer Malla for eight days. The court agreed with the prosecution’s argument that extended custodial questioning was essential to uncover remaining links in the terror network and to verify evidence gathered so far.
According to the NIA, the car bomb blast outside the Red Fort on November 10 was carried out by Umar-un-Nabi, who was driving the explosives-laden vehicle at the time. The explosion killed 15 people and injured more than two dozen others. Umar-un-Nabi died in the blast, and forensic tests have since confirmed his identity.
Dr Malla, who was arrested in Delhi, has been described by the agency as a key conspirator. The NIA has alleged that he knowingly sheltered Umar-un-Nabi, provided logistical assistance, and played a role in destroying evidence related to the attack. Dar, arrested on December 18 as the ninth accused in the case, is a resident of Jammu and Kashmir and is alleged to have been a close associate of Umar-un-Nabi.
So far, nine individuals have been arrested in connection with the case, including medical professionals Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, and Dr Shaheen Saeed. Investigators say the involvement of multiple professionals underscores the organised and covert nature of the terror module.
In a related development, the Special NIA Court at Patiala House Courts recently extended the judicial custody of several other accused until January 8. Those remanded include Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather (Anantnag), Dr Shaheen Saeed (Lucknow), Dr Muzammil Ganaie (Pulwama), Amir Rashid Ali, Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, Soyab, and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay. They were produced before the court after their previous remand expired.
The NIA has alleged that Amir Rashid Ali helped procure the Hyundai i20 car used in the attack, which was later converted into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Another accused, Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, is said to have provided technical support, including modifying drones and attempting to develop rockets as part of the group’s preparations. Investigators claim he worked closely with Umar-un-Nabi in planning the attack.
The agency has forensically established that Umar-un-Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district and an assistant professor in the General Medicine Department at Al Falah University in Faridabad, was the driver of the IED-laden car. Officials maintain that the attack was the result of detailed planning and coordination across multiple locations.
The case was transferred to the NIA by the Union Home Ministry shortly after the blast. The agency has said it is coordinating closely with state police forces to identify, trace, and arrest all those involved in the terror conspiracy.
