NEW DELHI — A Special Court in Delhi on Tuesday extended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of Red Fort blast accused Amir Rashid Ali, the registered owner of the vehicle used in the attack, for an additional seven days, a lawyer said.
Ali was produced before the court for an in-camera hearing following the completion of his initial seven-day NIA custody granted on November 26. According to investigators, Ali had personally traveled to Delhi earlier to purchase the white hatchback car that was used in the November 10 explosion near the Red Fort.
The blast, which occurred at 6:52 p.m. close to the Lal Qila Metro station, killed 13 people and injured dozens more. The explosion left bodies and damaged vehicles scattered across the busy area, prompting a high-level investigation that uncovered what officials describe as a sophisticated “white-collar” terror network with links to Jaish-e-Mohammed.
On Saturday, the court also extended the NIA custody of four other accused for 10 more days. Those individuals — Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, Dr. Shaheen Saeed, Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, and Dr. Adeel Ahmed Rather — were taken to NIA headquarters for continued interrogation.
Dr. Shakeel hails from Pulwama, Dr. Rather from Anantnag, Wagay from Shopian — all in Jammu and Kashmir — while Dr. Saeed is from Lucknow. Investigators say the group played significant roles in planning and executing the deadly attack.
Authorities have arrested seven people so far in connection with the blast involving the Hyundai i20 driven by Dr. Umar Muhammad. The explosion has been tied to earlier arrests across multiple states as officials piece together evidence of an organized interstate terror module.
Earlier arrests include Ali, Jasir Bilal Wani — who allegedly provided technical support — and Soyab, who is accused of sheltering Dr. Muhammad and providing logistical assistance shortly before the attack. (Source: IANS)
