Red Fort blast: Delhi court takes cognisance of NIA’s 7,500-page chargesheet

The Red Fort blast took place on November 10 last year, wherein a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded near the Lal Quila Metro Station

A Delhi court on Saturday took cognisance of the 7,500-page Red Fort bomb blast case chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in May and fixed the matter for scrutiny of documents for September.

The explosion took place amidst a slow-moving traffic at the junction. (HT File Photo/Sanjeev Verma)

The cognisance was taken by Special Judge Prashant Sharma of Rouse Avenue Courts. A detailed order on cognisance is yet to be passed by the judge.

The Red Fort blast took place on November 10 last year, wherein a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device exploded near the Lal Quila Metro Station, killing at least 11 persons and injuring several others.

The explosion took place amidst a slow-moving traffic at the junction, causing wide-spread damage to nearby properties and vehicles.

Investigations later found that one Umar-un-Nabi, a doctor originally from Jammu and Kashmir, was allegedly inside the explosives-laden vehicle that detonated near the Red Fort.

A day later, the NIA registered a case under section 16 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and section 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act.

Till December last year, the agency arrested nine persons for allegedly conspiring and providing technical and logistical support to Nabi to carry out the attack.

Some of the accused persons arrested in the blast case were allegedly linked to the Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where they either worked or taught.

NIA has so far filed two chargesheets before the court, which attributed the incident to a conspiracy, allegedly coined “Operation Heavenly Hind” that had purportedly been in preparation since 2022.

Last month, the NIA filed a supplementary chargesheet, naming three more persons, taking the total accused persons to 13.

The agency said that Nabi was the prime accused who masterminded the entire attack with a network of “radicalised individuals,” including doctors, facilitators and logistics provider, allegedly behind executing the terrorist blast.

The court has set the next date of hearing for September 9 when compliance under section 230 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which pertains to supply of chargesheet and other related documents to the accused, will take place.

The prosecution was represented by special public prosecutor Madhav Khurana and advocate Trisha Mittal.

The court last month allowed the NIA to dispose off the body parts of the Red Fort bomb blast deceased victims and alleged suicide bomber Nabi, with dignity and in line with their religious customs.

The court was ruling on an application moved by the federal agency, seeking to dispose off the body parts they collected from the spot of the bomb blast as part of case evidence.

The federal agency told the court that the body parts were gradually decomposing and were lying with the forensics unit.

The prosecution argued that their evidentiary value in the case had been adequately utilised through forensic analysis and hence, there was no need for further preservation.

The court order said, “The NIA should dispose off the biological body parts of the deceased and the accused with full human dignity and as per their religious belief.”