Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 16: In a significant breakthrough in the Red Fort blast case that claimed 13 lives, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested an accomplice of the alleged suicide bomber, Dr Umar Un Nabi. The accused has been identified as Amir Rashid Ali, a resident of Samboora in Jammu & Kashmir's Pampore.

This marks the first time the NIA has officially termed Dr Umar Un Nabi—who was behind the wheel when the car exploded near Red Fort on November 10—as a “suicide bomber”.

According to investigators, Amir had “conspired with the alleged suicide bomber to unleash the terror attack”. The agency revealed that Amir travelled to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the white i20 car, which was later converted into a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Sources confirmed that the car used in the deadly explosion was registered in Amir’s name.

In a statement, the NIA said it is working in close coordination with Delhi Police, Jammu & Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and various central agencies, as the investigation expands across states. Multiple leads are being pursued to uncover the wider terror network and identify more individuals involved in the conspiracy.

The Delhi Police, on Thursday, confirmed the identity of the deceased bomber as Dr Umar Un Nabi, a doctor at Al Falah Medical College in Faridabad, after forensic DNA samples matched with his mother. A senior officer stated that Umar’s leg was found trapped between the steering wheel and the accelerator, confirming that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the blast.

The NIA has also seized another vehicle belonging to Umar, which is currently being examined for forensic evidence. So far, 73 witnesses, including several injured in the blast, have been questioned in connection with the case.

Investigators have described the Delhi blast as a “sophisticated white-collar terror module”, allegedly masterminded by a group of radicalised doctors recently busted by Jammu & Kashmir Police.

The Union Cabinet earlier condemned the attack in strong terms, calling it a “heinous terror incident” and a “dastardly and cowardly act” by anti-national forces. The government reaffirmed the nation’s unwavering stance of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.