Delhi HC blast: Now, NIA suspects 16-yr-old

Two days after arresting a 23-year-old Kashmiri preparing for his MBBS in Dhaka for allegedly being involved in the Delhi high court blast, the NIA now suspects his 16-year-old brother to be involved as well. That would make him possibly the youngest suspect in a major terror attack in the country. Rajesh Ahuja reports.

Two days after arresting a 23-year-old Kashmiri preparing for his MBBS in Dhaka for allegedly being involved in the Delhi high court blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) now suspects his 16-year-old brother to be involved as well. That would make him possibly the youngest suspect in a major terror attack in the country.

The bomb he is suspected to have planted in Delhi HC killed 15 and left over 70 injured.

Junaid Akram Ali is missing as of now. His brother, medical student Wasim Akram Ali, is already in NIA custody. Their family says that the brothers have got caught in an elaborate frame up.

The father, Riaz-ul-Hasan Malik, told Hindustan Times that Junaid, the younger brother, was in fact kidnapped from Jammu last November and has not yet been traced.
Riaz claims that Junaid was kidnapped by a jehadi sympathiser Azhar Ali, who was at one point Riaz’s tenant in Kishtwar.

Riaz says after Junaid went missing, he checked his son’s mobile and found that he had spoken Ali for half an hour on the day he was kidnapped. His complaint to the police resulted in Ali landing up in Jammu’s Kot Bhalwal jail, where he is presently lodged.

“I suspect that Azhar Ali has taken my elder son Wasim’s name to take revenge for his imprisonment. I spoke to Junaid almost five months ago. He told me to tell the police to release Azhar Ali. After that there were no calls,” said Riaz who comes from politically well-connected family. His brother Ghulam Haider Malik was deputy speaker of Jammu and Kashmir assembly during 1996-2002.

Ali was questioned by NIA officers in the Jammu jail a few weeks ago. So far, there is no official word from the NIA what exactly prompted them to arrest Wasim Akram Malik.

According to Riaz, Wasim had come back from Dhaka on August 27. Wasim has already booked a return ticket for September 9. Wasim had stayed in Kishtwar between Septmeber 1 and 5.

On the day of blast in Delhi, he was in Jammu which can be easily confirmed. “Wasim had gone to shopping mall in Jammu. He had withdrawn money from ATM. Both places are covered by CCTV that can be easily checked. He was booked by traffic police for riding bike with helmet,” said Riaz.