Red Fort blast was suicide bombing, Umar activated IED inside car: NIA chargesheet

According to the chargesheet filed by the NIA, the Red Fort blast was a suicide bombing carried out by Umar Un Nabi, who allegedly detonated an IED inside his i20 car, killing 15 people. The chargesheet states that the Red Fort was chosen as a target because it was seen as a "symbol of the Indian state".The NIA chargesheet said that Nabi had been working since early 2022 to revive the dormant Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind module and build a network of radicalised individuals capable of carrying out terrorist activities. (Photo: PTI)The Red Fort blast was a suicide bombing, with accused Umar Un Nabi detonating the improvised explosive device (IED) from inside the i20 he was driving, killing 15 people on November 10, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in its chargesheet.Nabi, a doctor by profession and an assistant professor at Al Falah University in Faridabad, was inside the car when the explosion occurred and the agency said the IED was activated by him through a command mechanism. DNA analysis of biological material recovered from the blast site confirmed that Nabi was inside the vehicle at the time of the blast.The 7.500-page chargesheet revealed that the blast was the culmination of a nearly two-year conspiracy led by Nabi, whom the agency has identified as the alleged mastermind and “operational in-charge” of the revived Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) module, a designated offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).The investigation suggests that the attack was not a spur-of-the-moment operation. The chargesheet traces reconnaissance of the Red Fort to December 2023, with Nabi and other accused visiting the site repeatedly. Investigators have alleged that the Red Fort was selected as a target because it was viewed as a “symbol of the Indian state”.The agency has further alleged that Nabi had been working since early 2022 to revive the dormant AGuH module and build a network of radicalised individuals capable of carrying out terrorist activities. The chargesheet also indicates that the blast was not carried out on a pre-decided date. According to the NIA, Nabi rushed to execute the attack after a series of arrests in Srinagar, fearing that the conspiracy was closing in on him.The chargesheet mentions that the vehicle used in the attack had been converted into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED). The probe also uncovered chemicals and laboratory equipment that, according to the agency, pointed to preparations for manufacturing and storing explosives.Forensic examination of material recovered from the blast site detected traces of TATP and ammonium nitrate. The NIA has said the evidence indicated that the device was initiated from inside the vehicle through a command mechanism.The chargesheet also sheds light on the ideological materials followed by members of the module. At the centre of the investigation is Lone Mujahid Pocket Book/How to Become an Assassin, which the NIA has linked to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).According to the agency, the document contained operational guidance relating to explosives, weapons, covert operations and IEDs, besides advocating lone-wolf and suicide attacks.The agency has also referred to other extremist literature recovered during the probe, including documents titled Definition of Jihad, The Requirements of Jihad, The 21 Aims and Objectives of Jihad, 39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad and 44 Ways to Support Jihad.According to the chargesheet, the material sought to legitimise armed violence, rejected existing political systems and promoted the idea of jihad as a religious duty.The NIA has alleged that Nabi played a key role in radicalising recruits, organising secret meetings, facilitating terror training, arranging funds, procuring illegal weapons and securing locations for the module.The accused communicated through encrypted platforms such as Signal, while clandestine meetings were held across Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi-NCR.- EndsPublished By: Shipra ParasharPublished On: Sep 9, 2026 17:56 IST