Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 16: The anti-terror probing arm National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday affected the first arrest in connection with the Delhi blast near the iconic Red Fort on November 10 by picking up a Kashmiri resident who was allegedly a part of the conspiracy to trigger the car bomb that killed 13 persons and injured over two dozen others.
“Amir Rashid Ali, in whose name the car involved in the attack was registered, was arrested in Delhi by the NIA, which had launched a massive search operation after taking over the case from the Delhi police,” said the agency on Sunday. The NIA said its investigations revealed that the accused, a resident of Samboora in Pampore, had conspired with the alleged “suicide bomber” Umar Un Nabi to carry out the terror attack.
This was the first time the probe agency has described Umar Un Nabi, who was behind the wheel when the car exploded near the Red Fort, as a “suicide bomber.” Investigators say that the arrested person “had conspired with the alleged suicide bomber to unleash the terror attack.”
“Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car, which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to trigger the blast. The NIA has forensically established the identity of the deceased driver of the vehicle-borne IED as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district and Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department at Al Falah University at Faridabad (Haryana),” the NIA said.
“The anti-terror agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi. The vehicle is being examined for evidence in the case, in which NIA has so far examined 73 witnesses including those injured in the blast that rocked the national capital on November 10,” it said.
Working in close coordination with the police of Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, besides various other agencies, the NIA is continuing its probe across several States. “It is pursuing multiple leads to unearth the larger conspiracy behind the bombing and identify others involved in the case,” said the NIA.
The Delhi Police had earlier confirmed that the man who carried out the car blast near Red Fort was Dr Umar Un Nabi, who was working at the Al Falah Medical College in Haryana’s Faridabad, after forensic DNA testing matched his biological sample with that of his mother. A senior police officer had revealed that after the explosion, Umar’s leg was found trapped between the steering wheel and the accelerator of the car, suggesting he was behind the wheel when the blast took place.
The anti-terror agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Umar. The vehicle is being examined for evidence in the case, in which NIA has so far examined 73 witnesses, including those injured in the blast. The investigators have termed the Delhi blast a sophisticated ‘white-collar’ terror module, spearheaded by a group of doctors recently busted by Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The Delhi Police has also detained three persons, including two doctors from Haryana’s Al-Falah University, in connection with the Delhi car explosion. The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch also lodged two separate FIRs against the university under charges of cheating and forgery following alleged irregularities flagged by the University Grants Commission and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.
The fresh detentions and criminal cases come amid an escalating multi-agency probe into the blast and the activities of individuals linked to the university. A police team on Saturday had visited the Okhla office of the university to seek details of those under the scanner. The detentions were made during coordinated raids in Dhauj, Nuh, and adjoining areas of Haryana late on Friday by Delhi Police’s Special Cell and the NIA, officials said.
The two detained doctors – Mohammad and Mustakim – were allegedly known to Umar ul Nabi. Sources said they were also in touch with Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, a doctor who has been arrested in connection with the probe into an alleged “white-collar terror module.” Initial questioning revealed that one of the doctors was in Delhi on the day of the blast to appear for an interview at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
Their statements are being verified to establish the extent of their association with Ganaie and their possible role in the wider conspiracy, officials added. Another man, identified as Dinesh alias Dabbu, was detained for selling fertilizers without a licence, an official said. Investigators are trying to determine whether he sold NPK fertilizer, commonly used for making bombs, to the suspects and if his activities extended beyond the illegal trade.
It emerged during the probe that the members of the terror module pooled around ₹26 lakh to buy explosives and spent ₹3 lakh out of it to purchase NPK fertilizer. Over 35 people have been questioned in connection with the case so far, the official said.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Saturday announced the reopening of two gates of the Lal Qila metro station. While gate no. 2 and 3 will be functional, gate no. 1 will remain shut until further notice, the officials said. “The gates are now open for commuters,” the DMRC said on X. Traffic restrictions in place after the blast on Netaji Subhash Marg were lifted on Saturday afternoon. Commuters can use both carriageways now.