Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached Srinagar on Monday morning to further investigate the Red Fort car bomb attack case, a day after the premier anti-terror agency arrested a Kashmiri resident in connection with the incident.
Highly placed sources said NIA officers, along with the Jammu and Kashmir Police, will begin questioning individuals associated with Amir Rashid Rather, who was arrested on Sunday.
"During initial questioning, Rather disclosed the names of several Kashmir-based individuals who were aware of the entire terror module involving doctors," sources said, adding that an NIA team will also visit Pampore, the native town of Amir Rashid Rather.
Conspirator of Delhi blast arrested on Sunday
The NIA arrested Amir Rashid Rather on Sunday for allegedly conspiring with the "suicide bomber" Dr. Umar Un Nabi to carry out the terror attack near Red Fort that claimed 13 lives.
Rather, in whose name the car used in the blast was registered, was arrested in Delhi. Investigations revealed that the accused, a resident of Samboora in Pampore, had played a key role in planning the attack.
According to officials, Amir had travelled to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car that was later converted into a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and detonated near the historic monument.
An NIA spokesperson described Sunday's arrest as a major breakthrough in the Red Fort car bomb case, stating that Amir had actively conspired with suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi.
Identity of the suicide bomber established
The NIA has forensically confirmed the identity of the deceased bomber as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district and an Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department at Al-Falah University, Faridabad.
The agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi, which is currently being examined for evidence. So far, the NIA has recorded statements of 73 witnesses, including victims injured in the 10 November blast that shook the national capital.
Multi-agency probe across states
Working in close coordination with Delhi Police, Jammu & Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, Uttar Pradesh Police, and other central agencies, the NIA is pursuing multiple leads to uncover the broader conspiracy behind the bombing and identify all individuals linked to case RC 21/2025/NIA/DLI.
The investigation is ongoing and expected to widen as teams examine additional suspects and digital evidence.
As reported earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over the investigation into the Red Fort car blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a day after the explosion.
The NIA has formally taken over the case from the Delhi Police and examined all aspects of the incident, including the materials used in the blast and possible external connections.
Earlier, teams from the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) had collected samples and other evidence from the site.
