The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has described the Red Fort blast as a suicide bombing, alleging that Umar Un Nabi detonated an improvised explosive device inside the car he was driving. The November 10 explosion killed 15 people.
According to the agency’s chargesheet, DNA analysis of biological material recovered from the site established that Nabi was inside the vehicle when the blast occurred. The NIA has identified him as the alleged mastermind of a revived Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind module linked to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent.
The investigation indicates that the attack was planned over an extended period. Investigators traced reconnaissance of the Red Fort to December 2023 and alleged that the historic monument was selected because it was viewed as a symbol of the Indian state.
The NIA said the conspiracy accelerated after several arrests in Srinagar, prompting Nabi to allegedly bring forward the attack.
Investigators also recovered chemicals, laboratory equipment and extremist literature, which they said pointed to preparations for making explosives and conducting terrorist activities.
The agency has alleged that Nabi recruited and radicalised individuals, arranged meetings and funds, and helped procure weapons. Communication among members was reportedly carried out through encrypted platforms, with meetings held in Jammu and Kashmir and the Delhi-NCR region.