Security personnel conduct searches in the Hutmurah forest area as part of the ongoing investigation linked to the Delhi blast case
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested Dr Bilal Naseer Malla of Baramulla in north Kashmir, the eighth person taken into custody in the fast-expanding probe into the November 10 explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort.
According to the anti-terror probe agency, Bilal had “knowingly harboured” the suicide bomber Dr Umar un Nabi, provided him logistical support, and later helped destroy evidence linked to the attack.
Investigators say the blast, triggered near the Lal Qila Metro Station, was caused by an IED fitted inside a vehicle. Forensic teams later found components of a sophisticated triggering mechanism concealed inside footwear — a detail that has raised alarm within the security establishment because of its technical precision. DNA profiling was used to positively identify Umar un Nabi as the attacker.
As the investigation widened, the NIA uncovered an unusually diverse module involving medical professionals and youth with access to drone components and chemical supplies. Among the most prominent earlier arrests was Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, a doctor from Anantnag, alleged to be part of what investigators describe as a “white-collar logistics ring” that facilitated weapons storage and provided safe spaces for operatives.
An AK-47 assault rifle recovered from a locker linked to him and his digital footprint reportedly placed him in contact with other core conspirators shortly before the blast.
Another key link in the network is Jasir Bilal Wani, accused of providing technical support to the group. According to investigators, Wani experimented with drones, attempted to assemble crude rocket systems, and helped modify electronic components that could be repurposed for triggering devices.
He was taken by NIA teams to forested areas of Anantnag earlier in the day along with Dr Adeel to identify suspected hideouts and test sites where the module may have conducted pre-blast trials.
Multiple raids have been carried out in south Kashmir districts and in Faridabad as the agency tries to map the full operational chain — from procurement of the vehicle used in the bombing to the supply of chemicals and the construction of the triggering device.
Casualty figures reported across news agencies varied in the early aftermath of the blast, but the NIA press release on Tuesday said 11 people were killed and several injured in the attack.
With Dr Bilal’s arrest on Tuesday, the number of detained suspects in case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI has risen to eight. The agency said the investigation remains active and “more arrests cannot be ruled out” as forensic and digital evidence continues to be analysed.