The NIA has arrested Amir Rashid Ali from Pampore, Jammu & Kashmir, for allegedly aiding suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi in the Red Fort car blast that claimed 13 lives.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi: The investigation into the November 10 Red Fort blast intensified on Sunday with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arresting Amir Rashid Ali, a resident of Samboora in Pampore, for allegedly helping suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi carry out the attack that left 13 dead and more than 30 injured.
Ali is accused of travelling to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the Hyundai i20 later used as the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED). The car was registered in his name. Forensic analysis has confirmed that the charred body found at the site belonged to Nabi, an Assistant Professor of General Medicine at Al Falah University in Faridabad.
Unusual Ammunition Recovered
Investigators have also recovered three 9mm bullet cartridges — two live and one empty — from close to the burnt car. A senior official said the calibre is “not legal for civilian possession” and is typically used only by select state or central forces.
Police were instructed to account for their issued ammunition, but no discrepancies were found. “The cartridges were there, but there was no weapon. We are trying to determine how these rounds reached the site,” the official said.
NIA Makes a Breakthrough in Red Fort Area Bombing Case with Arrest of Suicide Bomber’s Aide pic.twitter.com/ABt3na9tOo
— NIA India (@NIA_India) November 16, 2025
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Mapping the Bomber’s Movements
The NIA is now reconstructing Nabi’s movements from Faridabad to Nuh and then to Delhi. Agency officials are analysing mobile tower data, call records, GPS traces and footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras to identify possible handlers or accomplices.
Another vehicle belonging to Nabi has been seized for forensic analysis. Investigators have questioned 73 witnesses, including several injured survivors.
Capital on Alert; 34 Vehicles Seized
Delhi Police have stepped up security drills across central Delhi. On Saturday night, officers seized 34 unattended vehicles and issued 417 challans under the Delhi Police Act as part of a citywide anti-terror drive.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma has been conducting daily coordination meetings with market bodies, RWAs, mall managements and religious institutions. Verification drives at hotels, guest houses, cyber cafés and commercial complexes have also been intensified.
Two Detained in Lucknow; J&K LG Flags ‘White-Collar’ Terror
In Lucknow, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad detained two individuals from the Para area for questioning in connection with the blast.
In Jammu & Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha praised the police for dismantling what he described as a “white-collar terror ecosystem,” noting the arrest of several professionals allegedly linked to financing and logistics networks.
Sinha also paid tribute to victims of the accidental explosion at the Nowgam police station on Friday night, which killed nine personnel and injured 32 during the handling of explosive material seized in the Delhi blast probe. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered.
Meanwhile, MBBS student Priyanka Sharma was detained on Sunday from Government Medical College, Anantnag, in connection with the Red Fort blast case, marking yet another significant development in the widening terror probe.
According to investigation officials, Sharma had been in close contact with the two doctors earlier arrested for allegedly aiding suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi, the Al-Falah University assistant professor who drove the explosive-laden Hyundai i20 that killed 13 people on November 10. Preliminary inquiries suggest that Sharma may have helped facilitate communication channels and logistical support for the module, though agencies are still examining the extent of her involvement. Her arrest adds to what officials describe as an emerging “white-collar” network of professionals drawn into the conspiracy, a pattern that has prompted intensified scrutiny of academic and medical institutions connected to the accused.
