The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested another “active co-conspirator”, Jasir Bilal Wani, in the November 10 Red Fort blast case, further tightening its probe into what officials describe as a highly organised “white-collar” terror module operating across several states. A day later, the Patiala House Court remanded Wani to 10 days’ custody of the NIA.
The arrested man, 20-year-old Jasir Bilal Wani, also known as Danish, hails from Qazigund in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, as HT reported earlier. The NIA said he had provided “critical technical support” to the group, which included “modifying drones” and “attempting to fabricate rockets”
However, investigators found that Wani had been radicalised by Umar un-Nabi, who later drove the explosive-laden Hyundai that detonated near the Red Fort, killing 13 people and injuring more than 20.
Wani backed out of suicide attack plans: NIA
According to the probe agency, Nabi had “brainwashed” Wani into preparing to become a suicide bomber, and the two had been working on plans for suicide attacks across India for more than a year. Officials added that Wani ultimately backed out, citing his family’s financial condition and the fact that “suicide is forbidden in their religion”.
“Preliminary findings suggest Wani was an active co-conspirator and worked closely with the suicide bomber, Umar un-Nabi, who drove the explosive-laden vehicle that blew up near the Red Fort,” said an NIA official, asking not to be named.
Meetings, hideouts and encrypted coordination
Delhi Police officials assisting the NIA said Wani had met several key members of the group at a mosque in Kulgam before travelling to a rented accommodation near Al-Falah University in Faridabad.
Investigators believe this location was used to prepare parts of the IED and other weapons. His technical abilities, they said, “were leveraged to enhance the module’s strike capability”.
NIA officials said the module operated through encrypted channels, coordinated roles and a steady flow of weapons across Delhi, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.
“The group communicated primarily through a Signal messaging channel created by Umar nearly three months ago, using a name written in special characters to evade detection… At least four members — Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie, Adeel Ahmad Rather, Muzaffar Rather (Adeel’s brother) and Molvi Irfan — were part of this encrypted hub, believed to be the module’s central coordination platform,” said an official.
‘White-collar’ network crackdown
This marks NIA’s second arrest in the case in as many days. Wani, a Bachelor of Science student at Degree College Lawdora, had initially been detained by the Jammu & Kashmir Police before being handed over to the NIA. Officials said he lived next to Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, a doctor arrested earlier for his alleged involvement in the same terror module.
In a tragic turn of events, Wani’s father, Bilal Ahmad, attempted self-immolation on Sunday after failing to meet him and another detained son. He succumbed to his injuries later in the day. Wani had been detained on Friday along with his uncle, Nazir Ahmad Wani, a physics lecturer.
On Sunday, the agency picked up Amir Rashid Ali, a plumber from Kashmir who owned the vehicle used by Nabi.
Blast trail that cracked open the case
The crackdown intensified after the November 10 blast near Lal Quila metro station killed 13 people and injured more than 20.
Investigators tracked Umar un-Nabi’s movement from Faridabad to Delhi using CCTV footage. His presence inside the vehicle at the time of the blast was later confirmed through DNA test. The sample taken from a severed leg found stuck between the steering wheel and the accelerator matched his mother’s DNA in Pulwama.
The blast came hours after J&K police in coordination with local police and IB seized nearly 3,000 kg of ammonium nitrate from Faridabad.
