NIA arrests four more in Red Fort car blast case; probe reveals planned Hamas-style drone attacks in Delhi
PTC Web Desk: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested four additional key suspects in the November 10 explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort, raising the total number of arrests in the case to six. The accused were produced before the Patiala House Court, where the District Sessions Judge granted 10 days of NIA custody for further interrogation.
According to officials, the newly arrested individuals have been identified as Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganai of Pulwama, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather of Anantnag, Dr Shaheen Saeed of Lucknow and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay of Shopian. NIA investigations suggest that all four played significant roles in planning and executing the terror attack, which killed several people and left many others injured.
Earlier, the agency had taken into custody two others, Amir Rashid Ali, the registered owner of the vehicle used in the blast, and Jasir Bilal Wani, alias Danish, who allegedly provided technical support to the attackers. The Union Home Ministry had transferred the case to the NIA soon after the incident, with the agency now coordinating with multiple state police units to dismantle the entire terror module involved.
In a startling revelation, the NIA probe has uncovered that the group initially intended to carry out rocket bomb and drone-driven explosive strikes in high-security areas of Delhi. Investigators said the accused were attempting to modify drones into rocket-launching platforms capable of dropping or firing explosive payloads, a tactic inspired by terror groups such as Hamas and ISIS.
The Red Fort car blast itself involved a Hyundai i20 laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which detonated on a busy road, killing 15 persons and injuring several others. Just hours before the explosion, the police had seized a large quantity of explosives from Al Falah University in Faridabad, pointing to what authorities describe as a “sophisticated and educated terror network” operating behind the scenes.
- With inputs from agencies
