Delhi Red Fort blast: NIA searches 8 locations, including houses of Amir Rashid, Muzammil in Kashmir

NEW DELHI — In a significant development related to the Delhi Red Fort blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at eight locations in Jammu and Kashmir. 

The search operation is underway at Pulwama, Shopian, and several other locations.

Early morning searches were conducted at the residences of Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay in Shopian, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, and Amir Rashid in Pulwama. The operation aims to collect evidence and trace individuals linked to the blast.

A Delhi court on Saturday extended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of four accused in the Delhi blast case for another 10 days after it sought more time for investigation.

The four accused are Dr Muzammil Shakeel, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, and Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather.

Following the court order, the accused were taken from Patiala House Court to the NIA headquarters for further interrogation.

On November 10, a car explosion near Delhi's Red Fort killed 13 people and injured a dozen others, triggering a high-level investigation that revealed the existence of a sophisticated 'white-collar' terror network with ties to Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Even before the blast, several arrests had been made across multiple states, and investigators had begun to piece together evidence of an interstate terror module.

Following the explosion, the NIA found that the incident was connected to earlier arrests, leading to a series of new revelations as the probe deepened.

The NIA has so far arrested seven individuals in connection with the blast involving a Hyundai i20 driven by Dr Umar Muhammad, which exploded near the Lal Qila Metro station.

The blast took place in a Hyundai i20 car at 6.52 p.m. near the metro station, leaving mangled bodies and damaged cars scattered in the busy area.

While Dr Shakeel is from Pulwama, Dr Rather of Anantnag, Wagay of Shopian (all Jammu and Kashmir), Dr Shaheen Saeed belongs to Lucknow.

Investigators said these individuals played significant roles in orchestrating the attack that claimed multiple lives and left several others injured.

Earlier arrests included Amir Rashid Ali, the registered owner of the car used in the blast, Jasir Bilal Wani, who provided technical assistance to the terrorist, and Soyab, who allegedly sheltered Umar and offered logistical support shortly before the explosion.