NIA Takes over Investigation into the Delhi Blast Case, “All Culprits will Face Full Wrath of the Agencies:” Shah
Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 11: The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has taken over the investigation into the Delhi blast suspected to be a terror attack case after the government handed over the case to the anti-terror agency.
“”The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued orders for handing over investigation of car blast case to NIA. NIA, which was associated with the local police since yesterday, has started the process of formally taking over the case,” an NIA spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the conspirators of the Delhi blast would not be spared as the probe agencies would get to the bottom of the case, The Union Home Minister Amit Shah who chaired two review meetings with top officials during the day, said those behind the Delhi blast incident would face “the full wrath of the agencies.” Shah made the remark shortly after chairing a second crucial security meeting earlier in the day.
“Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with the senior officials. Instructed them to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies,” Shah said in a post on X.
The government sources said the occupant of the car in involved in the explosion near the iconic Red Fort on Monday evening, was likely to be Dr Umar, a resident of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, Delhi Police registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act in connection with the blast.
The explosion, believed to have taken place in a i20 car on Monday evening which killed 13 people and left over two dozen people injured. While the cause of the explosion so far remained unknown, the probe being handed over to the anti-terror agency indicate that the government suspected to be a terror attack.
Hours after the car blast near Red Fort, J&K Police carried out overnight raids and picked up six more people, including three family members of the Pulwama-based doctor, Umar Un Nabi, who was in contact with the two other doctors from Kashmir arrested after the Faridabad terror module was busted and 2,900kg of explosives were recovered last week.
Police said Dr Umar was a vital link to the blast at Red Fort as the Hyundai i20 car was bought by him. While Dr Umar Un Nabi has been missing since investigation into the Faridabad terror module began, three of his relatives were picked up for questioning from Koil village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir.
The police also launched an extensive combing and search operation in parts of Faridabad on Tuesday, a day after 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable material were recovered from two rented rooms of a Kashmiri doctor in Faridabad. Preliminary probe into the blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening has suggested links to the alleged terror module uncovered in Faridabad.
Police said a team was camping at the Al Falah University, where the Kashmiri doctor lived for the past three-and-a-half years, and was questioning staff and doctors there. The Al Falah University at Dhauj in Haryana’s Faridabad district, around 45 km from Delhi, is a private institute recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Several police personnel are conducting a search in the Dhauj police station area. Haryana police chief O.P. Singh, in a post on X on today, said, “The situation in the state is peaceful. Police and other agencies are on high alert.” In another post, he nixed reports about fresh recovery of explosives in Faridabad, saying, “Diwali crackers have been seized in Faridabad. This is not the recovery of explosives.” “The situation in Haryana is completely peaceful. The agencies are on high alert. Do not spread rumours, nor believe in them,” he added.
The investigators took into custody three more doctors from Al-Falah University into custody. The university has made headlines after three doctors linked to it came under the spotlight for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities including the Delhi blast. Officers from the Delhi Police Crime Branch reached the university on Monday, scanned CCTV footage of the campus, and also spoke to people there to gather more information about three doctors whose names have come up during their investigation into the massive explosives haul from Faridabad and the deadly blast that followed.
Among the three doctors arrested Muzammil Shakeel and Umar Mohammed are from Jammu and Kashmir, Shaheen Shahid is from Lucknow, and all three had been working at the Al-Fatah hospital. A source said all three were working as senior doctors at the university-cum-hospital.
Muzammil’s name came up during the investigation into a massive recovery of explosives in Faridabad. About 2,900 kg of material used in bomb-making and other suspicious items were recovered from two rooms Muzammil had rented in Faridabad. In fact, he had rented these rooms even though he stayed on the university campus.
Besides the ammunitions seized from these rooms, assault rifles and ammunition were recovered from a car belonging to Shaheen Shahid. Shahid, the investigation found, was tasked with setting up the India branch of the Jaish-e-Mohammed women’s wing, Jamaat ul-Mominaat. This newly launched arm of the terror organisation is headed by Jaish founder Masood Azhar’s sister, Sadia Azhar.
Shortly after the recovery from Faridabad and talk of a foiled terror plot, the deadly blast near the Red Fort took place. As security agencies started joining the dots, the name Umar Mohammed emerged. Umar, it is learnt, was also working at Al-Falah and was a close associate of Muzammil. Investigators suspect that he was driving the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near a traffic signal. It is also being investigated if Umar decided to launch a suicide attack after security agencies cracked down on Muzammil and made the massive recovery.
Syed Ahmed Ansari, father of the accused Dr Shaheen Shahid and her brother Parvez Saeed Ansari in Faridabad seizure case, on Tuesday spoke about the Faridabad terror module. “I have three children, Shaheen is my second, and my third is Parvez Saeed Ansari. Shaheen completed her MBBS and MD from Allahabad Medical College. Both degrees are from recognised medical institutions,” Ansari said.
