Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Dec 09: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Tuesday the arrest of another principal accused in connection with last month’s deadly vehicle-borne blast near the Red Fort, further unraveling a sophisticated “white-collar” terror module.
The arrested individual has been identified as Dr. Bilal Naseer Malla of Baramulla. He is the eighth person apprehended in the case, registered as RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI. A specialized NIA team took Dr. Malla into custody from Delhi.
In an official statement, the agency stated that investigations have established Dr. Malla’s involvement in the conspiracy behind the November 10 terrorist attack, which killed 11 people and injured dozens. The NIA alleges he knowingly harbored the deceased prime accused, Dr. Umar Un Nabi, by providing logistical support. He is also charged with destroying evidence related to the attack.
Earlier on Tuesday, NIA teams, assisted by Jammu & Kashmir Police and CRPF personnel, conducted detailed searches in the Mattan forest area of Anantnag district. The operation was based on intelligence that Dr. Umar Un Nabi, the alleged suicide bomber, had conducted a trial explosion there while preparing for the Delhi attack.
Accompanied by two other accused—Dr. Adeel Rather and Jasir Bilal Wani—investigators pinpointed locations used for the alleged explosives testing. Sources confirmed to Kashmir Convener the recovery of material consistent with a blast experiment, including a damaged gas cylinder.
Official sources stated that the forest trial confirms the attack was not an improvised, last-minute act but the result of meticulous planning and field testing. “The test in J&K indicates the attack was not entirely improvised in Delhi but was preceded by field trials and laboratory work elsewhere,” they noted.
Forensic analysis has confirmed that Dr. Umar Un Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama, was behind the wheel of the explosive-laden white Hyundai i20 that detonated on November 10. Investigators have classified the blast as a “vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED)” attack.
Network, Logistics, and Funding Traced
The wider probe has uncovered a network allegedly involving professionals,including multiple doctors, logistic operatives, and financiers. One suspect, Amir Rashid Ali of Pampore, was earlier arrested for facilitating the purchase of the i20 and providing logistical support.
Investigators found that explosives, precursor chemicals, and bomb-making materials were systematically procured, with safe houses arranged across several states. A critical breakthrough was the seizure of over 2,900 kg of explosives from a warehouse in Faridabad—a discovery that allegedly triggered panic within the module and accelerated their plans.
Evidence indicates the conspiracy was months in preparation.The accused allegedly spent weeks acquiring chemicals, materials, and funds through operatives within and outside Jammu & Kashmir. Forensic analysis of the blast debris confirmed the use of high-grade explosives, accounting for the attack’s severe impact.
The NIA has seized multiple vehicles, examined a trove of documents and digital messages, and begun reconstructing the entire supply chain. To date, 73 witnesses, including survivors, have been questioned. Searches are ongoing across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and other locations.
“The discovery that the accused conducted a live explosive experiment adds a chilling dimension to the case. This was a carefully planned, pre-tested operation, underlining the network’s sophistication,” a senior security official stated.
The NIA confirmed the investigation remains active, with further arrests and disclosures anticipated as forensic and digital evidence—including call logs, travel history, and financial trails—are analyzed to fully unravel the conspiracy.
Pertinently, a Delhi court on Monday extended by four days the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of three doctors and a preacher arrested in connection with the November 10 Red Fort blast case.
The accused—Dr. Muzammil Ganai, Dr. Adeel Rather, Dr. Shaheena Saeed, and Maulvi Irfan Ahmed Wagay—were produced before the court after their initial 10-day remand expired.
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