Srinagar- In a major breakthrough in the deadly blast case near Delhi’s Red Fort, the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday arrested another key accused for allegedly providing logistical support to the suicide bomber.
The NIA said Dr Bilal Naseer Malla of Baramulla was arrested in Delhi. “He had sheltered the suicide bomber Dr Umar Nabi and provided logistical support including accommodation and mobility. He was also involved in destroying evidence linked to the blast,” the agency said.
This marks the eighth arrest in the case that killed 11 people and injured several others on November 10 this year.The investigation suggests that Dr Bilal was part of the larger conspiracy behind the high-intensity explosion, which triggered a nationwide security alert.Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday intensified its probe into the November 10 blast near the Red Fort in Delhi by bringing key accused to Jammu and Kashmir and conducting coordinated searches at several locations in south Kashmir, officials said.
The accused, including Dr Adeel Rather and Jasir Bilal Wani, were moved to Kashmir under tight security as part of efforts to retrace the chain of events and examine alleged support networks linked to the case. Sources said the searches were carried out on the basis of disclosures made during interrogation.
NIA teams, assisted by police and CRPF, searched locations in the Mattan forest area of Anantnag and Wanpora in the Qazigund area of Kulgam. Electronic devices and other materials were seized, although the agency has not yet disclosed details of the recoveries.
The arrests are linked to a white collar terror module busted by Jammu and Kashmir Police in coordination with police forces in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana in early November. Eight people, including three doctors, were arrested and about 2,900 kg of explosives were seized. The module is suspected to have links with Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Investigators said the explosive material comprised ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur, including 360 kg of inflammable substances recovered from a rented accommodation in Faridabad, along with arms and ammunition.
Shortly after the module was uncovered, an explosives-laden i20 car detonated near the Red Fort on November 10, killing 15 people and injuring several others. The blast probe has since expanded to multiple states.The NIA has said the investigation is ongoing.
Custody Of Accused Extended
A Delhi court on Tuesday extended by seven days the National Investigation Agency custody of Amir Rashid Ali, an accused in the Red Fort blast case.
Amir, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir who was arrested on November 16, was earlier remanded to a seven-day NIA custody on December 2. He was produced before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna for further remand on Tuesday.
The NIA has so far arrested seven people in connection with the case, which is linked to a white collar terror module unearthed by Jammu and Kashmir Police last month.
On November 10, an explosion near the Red Fort killed 15 people and injured more than two dozen others. The IED blast took place inside a Hyundai i20 car driven by Umar Un Nabi, an assistant professor from Pulwama, who died at the spot. The car was registered in the name of Amir Rashid Ali.
According to the NIA, Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the vehicle that was later used as a vehicle-borne IED in the attack. The agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Umar, which is currently being examined for evidence.
Officials said that 73 witnesses, including injured victims, have been examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
