NIA arrests key associate of suicide bomber, says car used in blast was his
New Delhi: The investigation into the deadly November 10 car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort, which killed 13 people, advanced on Sunday after the National Investigation Agency arrested an alleged accomplice of the man now identified as the suicide bomber. The agency detained Amir Rashid Ali, a resident of Samboora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pampore, marking the first significant breakthrough since the blast that police and officials have described as part of a sophisticated white-collar terror module.
According to the NIA, Amir had conspired with Dr Umar Un Nabi, the driver who died in the explosion, to carry out the attack. This is the first time the NIA has publicly described Umar as a suicide bomber. The agency said, “Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device to trigger the blast.” Investigators confirmed that the white i20 used in the attack was registered in Amir’s name.
The arrest came six days after the explosion tore through the busy Red Fort area. The Delhi Police had earlier reached a conclusive identification of the deceased driver through forensic DNA testing, matching the samples with those of Umar’s mother. A senior police officer said Umar’s leg was found trapped between the steering wheel and the accelerator, indicating he was behind the wheel at the moment of detonation.
Umar, originally from Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir, was working as an assistant professor in the general medicine department at Al Falah University in Faridabad. The agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to him and has begun examining it for additional evidence.
The NIA took over the case from Delhi Police and launched an extensive multi state operation. So far, it has examined 73 witnesses, including several injured survivors. Officials said the investigation is underway in coordination with Delhi Police, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and multiple central agencies. The focus remains on identifying the wider network and tracing the origins of the conspiracy.
In its official statement, the agency said it is pursuing multiple leads to uncover others who may have been involved in the bombing. The investigators have linked the case to a recently dismantled group of doctors in Jammu and Kashmir, which authorities believe was running an organised white collar terror setup.
Earlier, the Union Cabinet condemned the blast, describing it as a “heinous terror incident”. The government called the attack “a dastardly and cowardly act perpetrated by anti national forces” and reaffirmed India’s commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all forms and manifestations.
