Early Times: Leading Newspaper Jammu Kashmir, Latest News about Jammu & Kashmir

NEW DETAILS

Red Fort blast: NIA chargesheet names Dr Umer as mastermind

Atul Sharma
Early Times Report

Jammu, Sept 9: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has named Umer Nabi as the alleged mastermind and operational head of the terror conspiracy behind the November 2025 car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, according to its chargesheet.
Nabi, who was killed in the blast, was allegedly involved in reviving a dormant module of Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGUH), radicalising individuals, arranging funds and weapons, and preparing for the attack, the NIA has claimed.
The November 10, 2025 explosion near the Red Fort claimed 11 lives and left 29 people injured.
Several vehicles and nearby property were also damaged in the blast.
According to the chargesheet, Nabi alias Pinda had allegedly been working since early 2022 to reactivate the dormant AGUH module. The agency has described Nabi as the alleged interim operational chief of the module, which it linked to what it described as an Al-Qaeda-associated network in the Indian subcontinent.
The NIA has further alleged that Nabi played a key role in radicalising people and spreading an ideology that glorified martyrdom and violence. He allegedly organised secret meetings and facilitated training and the procurement of material required for terrorist activities.
The chargesheet also refers to an alleged plan by Nabi to travel to Afghanistan in the name of hijrah after becoming radicalised.
The agency said members associated with the alleged module possessed and circulated radical literature. During the investigation, documents dealing with jihad, including its objectives, methods of participation and means of support, were examined by the agency.
The NIA has alleged that the literature attempted to justify violence and armed conflict and contained references to maintaining secrecy, concealing identities and carrying out attacks.
According to the chargesheet, members of the alleged terror module communicated through encrypte

“Dr Umer played a key role in radicalising people and spreading an ideology that glorified martyrdom and violence. He allegedly organised secret meetings and facilitated training and the procurement of material required for terrorist activities.”

messaging applications, including Signal.
The agency has alleged that Nabi played an important role in arranging funds, procuring illegal weapons and providing locations for members and material linked to the conspiracy.
Investigators also found evidence of alleged meetings and training sessions in Jammu and Kashmir and the Delhi-NCR region. The NIA has claimed that chemicals and laboratory equipment were recovered during the investigation.
Forensic examination of material recovered after the blast allegedly detected traces of TATP and ammonium nitrate.
The NIA has alleged that the car that exploded near the Red Fort at around 6:50 pm on November 10, 2025 had been converted into a vehicle-borne explosive device.
According to the agency, Nabi and a co-accused had purchased a second-hand car as part of the alleged conspiracy. Nabi was inside the vehicle when the explosion occurred.
The agency said DNA analysis of biological samples recovered from the blast site confirmed Nabi’s identity.
The forensic examination, according to the chargesheet, also detected traces of TATP and ammonium nitrate. Investigators have alleged that the explosive device installed inside the vehicle was activated through an internal command mechanism.
The NIA has alleged that the Red Fort explosion was not an isolated or spontaneous act but the culmination of a wider conspiracy involving the revival of an old terror module, radicalisation, training, procurement of funds and weapons, and preparation of explosives.
Since Nabi died in the explosion, legal proceedings against him have effectively come to an end. However, the NIA has detailed his alleged role in the chargesheet as part of its account of the wider conspiracy.
The allegations contained in the chargesheet represent the NIA’s case and will be subject to judicial scrutiny. The final determination of guilt or otherwise will be made through the judicial process.