E-Paper
Tech support, safe house: How Red Fort blast 'suicide' bomber's aides helped him
NIA found that Umar Nabi carried out the Red Fort blast with help from Amir Rashid Ali, who arranged logistics, and Jasir Wani, who gave technical assistance.
As the NIA expands its investigation into the November 10 Red Fort blast, officials have identified Dr Umar Nabi, a physician from Pulwama who was driving the explosive-laden Hyundai i20, as a “suicide bomber", assisted by two key aides.
The National Investigating Agency on Monday told a Delhi court that Amir Rashid Ali, a key accused in the Red Fort area car bomb blast case, allegedly arranged a safe house for Nabi, according to a report from news agency PTI.
Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, also a Kashmiri resident, was arrested from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir by NIA team in the valley for “providing technical support”, news agency ANI reported.
Amir Rashid Ali provided technical support
Ali, a resident of Pampore in South Kashmir, was produced before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna at the Patiala House courts complex amid heavy security.
According to the NIA’s remand paper, Ali’s custodial interrogation is necessary to uncover the full conspiracy.
The agency said Ali, the registered owner of the vehicle used in the blast, allegedly provided logistical support to Umar Nabi and arranged a safe house for him in the days leading up to the attack.
The remand note added that the blast’s precision and intensity were intended to instil fear, cause panic, and threaten the country’s sovereignty and unity.
The NIA also informed the court that Ali would be taken to Kashmir for further investigation.
The judge granted the agency 10 days of custodial interrogation.
Also Read | Hunt for two phones used by Umar ‘biggest missing piece’ in Red Fort blast probe
Who is Jasir?
In a statement, the NIA said its investigations have revealed that “Jasir had allegedly provided technical support for carrying out terror attacks by modifying drones and attempting to make rockets ahead of the deadly car bomb blast”.
As per NIA, Jasir, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, was an active co-conspirator in the Red Fort blast case and was an aide of the terrorist, Umar un Nabi.
