Delhi Red Fort Blast: Court Sends 4 Accused to 10-Day Judicial Custody

The four accused: Muzammil Ganaie, Adeel Rather, Shaheena Saeed and Maulvi Irfan Ahmed Wagay; were produced before Principal and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of Patiala House Court who ordered their judicial custody.

With their arrest, the total number of persons apprehended in the case so far has risen to seven.

According to the NIA, the ongoing investigation is unearthing a deeply embedded terror network driven by highly educated operatives. The agency stated that it is pursuing multiple leads tied to the suicide explosion outside the Red Fort, and that searches continue across several states in coordination with local police to identify and apprehend additional suspects linked to the attack.

Investigators allege that Umar-un-Nabi, who drove the explosives-laden i20 car that detonated near the historic monument, had purchased the vehicle under an associate’s name. Officials further claim that Umar attempted to indoctrinate another accused, Wani, into becoming a suicide bomber. Although Wani declined to take on that role, he allegedly agreed to operate as an overground worker for the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Earlier reports indicated that the terror module, led primarily by doctors, had been searching for a suicide bomber for nearly a year. Umar has been identified as the alleged chief architect of the conspiracy, with interrogations suggesting he was a “hardcore radical” who believed a suicide attacker was essential to their plans.

Adeel’s questioning reportedly led Srinagar police to Qazigund, where Wani was detained. During interrogation, Wani is said to have admitted meeting members of the “doctor module” at a Kulgam mosque in October last year.

Notably, on November 26, the Court had extended by ten days the National Investigation Agency’s custody of Amir Rashid Ali in connection with the Red Fort blast case. Ali was produced before the Court on expiry of his 10 day NIA custody. The Court had also remanded another accused, Soyab, to ten days of NIA custody in the same case. He is accused of providing logistical support to the terrorist Umar before the November 10 car bombing that killed several persons and injured many others outside the Red Fort in the national capital.

On November 16, the Delhi Court had remanded Amir Rashid Ali, arrested in connection with the deadly Red Fort blast, to 10 days’ custody of the NIA. Ali, who hails from Samboora in Pampore, was apprehended in Delhi on Sunday, i.e. November 16, for his alleged role in facilitating the vehicle used as the car-borne improvised explosive device.