In a breakthrough in the Red Fort car bomb blast case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Kashmiri resident who allegedly conspired with the suicide bomber behind the deadly attack that claimed 10 lives and injured around 32 others. The arrested accused, Amir Rashid Ali, was held in Delhi after a massive multi-state search operation.
Suicide bomber identified as assistant professor
NIA investigations revealed that Amir, a resident of Samboora, Pampore in Jammu & Kashmir, had coordinated with the suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi, in executing the vehicle-borne IED attack. Nabi, an Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, was forensically confirmed as the deceased driver of the explosive-laden car.
NIA has seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi, which is currently being examined for additional evidence. So far, investigators have examined 73 witnesses, including several injured victims.
'White-collar' terror module exposed in J-K
In a parallel counter-terror operation, Jammu & Kashmir Police uncovered a sophisticated "white-collar" terror module allegedly spearheaded by highly qualified individuals, including doctors. Officials say the module had been searching for a suicide bomber since last year, with Dr. Umar Nabi at the centre of the conspiracy.
Described as "deeply radicalised," Dr. Umar had been aggressively pushing for a high-casualty attack. Police suspect he was the mastermind behind both the planned December 6 attack and the November 10 Red Fort bombing.
Arrests lead to wider network exposure
Interrogation of co-accused Dr. Adil Rather and Dr. Muzaffar Ganaie led police to Qazigund, where they detained Jaseer alias Danish, a political science graduate. His arrest helped uncover the wider Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM)-linked network.
Danish revealed that he met the "doctor module" at a Kulgam mosque in October last year and was later taken to a rented room at Al-Falah University, where he was allegedly groomed to become a suicide bomber. The plan fell apart in April after he backed out due to financial and religious concerns.
Turkey visit triggered radicalisation
Evidence suggests that Dr. Umar and co-accused Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Gani were radicalised during a 2021 trip to Turkey, where they allegedly met JeM operatives. After returning, they stockpiled nearly 360 kg of explosives, much of it hidden near the university campus.
The planned December 6 attack was foiled when Dr. Gani was arrested and the explosives seized.
Interstate probe continues
The terror network first came to light in October after JeM posters appeared in Banpora, Naugam. CCTV footage led to multiple arrests, including former paramedic and imam Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, accused of radicalising the doctors.
NIA and J&K Police continue to pursue leads across several states to dismantle the entire conspiracy behind case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI.
