 Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 13: A Delhi court on Friday sent six accused, including Dr. Shaheen Saeed, to judicial custody till March 13 in connection with the Red Fort blast case. The order was passed by Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna.
The court also allowed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) an additional 45 days to complete its investigation. The agency had sought a 90-day extension, but the judge granted only half that period, directing investigators to wrap up the probe within the extended timeline.
Those remanded to judicial custody include Mufti Irfan Ahmed, Zaheer Bilal Wani alias Danish, Dr. Adil Ahmed, Yasir Ahmed Dar and Dr. Muzammil Shakeel. Danish had earlier been arrested by the NIA in Srinagar.
During Friday’s proceedings, one accused, Shoaib, was produced physically before the court, while the remaining accused appeared via video conferencing.
In earlier hearings, the court had granted the NIA 10 additional days to question Yasir Ahmad Dar. The custody of co-accused Dr. Bilal Naseer Malla had also been extended previously.
According to the NIA, Danish allegedly modified a drone and attempted to prepare rockets ahead of the car bomb explosion. Investigators claim he played a crucial role in the conspiracy along with Umar-ud-Nabi.
The agency further alleged that Danish, a political science graduate, was radicalised and influenced toward carrying out a suicide mission. As per the investigation, he met members of what the agency describes as a “doctor module” at a mosque in Kulgam in October 2024 and was later shifted to Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
Yasir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested in New Delhi under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The NIA has claimed that Dar played an active role in the plot and was in contact with other accused, including Umar Nabi and Mufti Irfan.
Dr. Bilal Naseer Malla, arrested earlier in the case, is accused of providing logistical support to Umar Nabi and allegedly destroying evidence.
The blast near the Red Fort on November 10, 2025, claimed 13 lives and left 32 others injured. Investigators said the vehicle used in the explosion was registered in the name of Aamir Rashid Ali.
The NIA has maintained that the investigation is ongoing and that it is examining the wider conspiracy behind the attack in coordination with multiple central and state agencies. |
