New Delhi, November 17, 2025: Amir Rashid Ali, a key accused in the Red Fort area car bomb blast that claimed 13 lives, was on Monday remanded to ten days’ custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) as investigators continue to unravel the conspiracy behind the inter-state “white-collar” terror module.

Ali, a resident of Pampore in South Kashmir, appeared before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna at the Patiala House Courts complex under tight security arrangements. Access to the courtroom was restricted, and proceedings were conducted virtually ‘in-camera’ to maintain confidentiality. Sources confirmed that the court approved the NIA’s request for custodial interrogation for a period of 10 days.

A significant deployment of Delhi Police personnel and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) was visible outside the court, with officers in anti-riot gear on standby to maintain order during the proceedings.

According to officials, Ali is believed to have been the last person in contact with Dr. Umar Nabi, the suicide bomber who drove the explosive-laden vehicle that detonated outside the Red Fort on November 10. The blast killed 13 people and injured several others, marking one of the deadliest terror incidents in the national capital in recent years.

The NIA’s move to take Ali into custody follows his arrest, announced on Sunday, for allegedly conspiring with Nabi to execute the attack. Investigations indicate that the vehicle used in the blast—a car registered in Ali’s name—was procured by him specifically for facilitating the terror plot. The vehicle was subsequently converted into a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED).

Dr. Umar Nabi, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama, emerged as the most radicalized operative in a sophisticated terror network spanning Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Officials believe that he had planned a more devastating VBIED attack around the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6. However, the plan collapsed following the Srinagar police’s meticulous investigation, which led to the arrest of Dr. Muzammil Ganaie of Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad and the recovery of a large cache of explosives. The premature blast outside the Red Fort is believed to have been triggered by panic within the terror cell after the crackdown.

The complex interstate terror network came to light following a seemingly minor incident in Bunpora and Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar, where posters linked to the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) appeared on walls on October 19. This prompted Srinagar police to register a case and scrutinize CCTV footage, eventually leading to the arrest of three locals—Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid—who had prior cases of stone-pelting.

Further interrogation revealed the involvement of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam from Shopian, who allegedly supplied the JeM posters and played a role in radicalizing Dr. Nabi and other members of the network. The investigation to date has led to the arrest of eight individuals by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, highlighting the scale and reach of the terror module.

During questioning prior to his NIA custody, Ali’s role in providing logistical and operational support to the terror network—including procurement of the vehicle used in the Red Fort attack—is expected to provide crucial leads in understanding the full extent of the conspiracy. Authorities are also probing his connections with other members of the “white-collar” terror cell, as well as any links to planned attacks elsewhere.

The NIA’s ongoing investigation seeks to uncover the chain of command, supply of explosives, and the radicalization process that enabled the operatives to plan such high-impact terror strikes. By interrogating Ali and coordinating with Jammu and Kashmir Police, the agency aims to dismantle the network and prevent future attacks.

This development underscores the meticulous, multi-layered investigation undertaken by law enforcement agencies to track cross-state terror networks and secure actionable intelligence to prevent recurrence of such incidents. Ali’s custodial interrogation over the next ten days is expected to shed light on the operational intricacies of the terror plot and assist authorities in arresting other potential conspirators.

As the NIA continues its probe, the agency is also reviewing all digital and physical evidence linked to the VBIED, including the role of other suspects in procuring materials, planning the route, and coordinating with Dr. Umar Nabi. Officials have reiterated that the investigation is ongoing and more arrests are likely as new leads emerge from Ali’s custodial interrogation.

The Patiala House courts’ decision to grant ten-day custodial remand reflects the critical nature of Ali’s involvement and the urgent need for investigators to extract information related to this complex and dangerous terror network.