News

Red Fort blast case: NIA arrests Faridabad resident for providing shelter, logistic support to main accused

CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Soyab of Dhauj near Al Falah University in Faridabad for allegedly providing shelter and logistic support to Dr Umar-un Nabi, the main accused in the Red Forst blast case. The blast took place on November 10. He is the seventh accused arrested by the apex investigating agency in the case, as a part of a 'white-collar' terror module. Sources claimed that Soyab allegedly gave refuge to Umar shortly before the attack and helped him facilitate his movements. The agency continues to pursue various leads in connection with the suicide bombing, and has been conducting searches across States in coordination with the respective police forces in a bid to identify and track others involved in the gruesome attack, the spokesperson said in a statement. Sources claimed Soyab will be investigated with the earlier detained accused, as investigators will try to sort out the operational structure of the white-collar module that helped the bomber. Efforts to unravel the entire conspiracy behind the terror attack are underway. ED arrests Al Falah University founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui in PMLA case amid Red Fort blast probe Till now, the NIA has arrested six other alleged accused who were accomplices of Umar. They are Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganai of Pulwama, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather of Anantnag, Dr Shaheen Saeed of Lucknow and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay of Shopian, Amir Rashid Ali, in whose name the car was registered, and Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, who provided technical support to Umar. All accused are in NIA custody at present. Umar was driving a Hyundai i20 car in which the blast took place near a traffic crossing near the Red Fort, it is suspected to be an explosives-laden vehicle. Recently, NIA took the alleged accused Dr Muzzamil Shakeel Ganaie to Al Falah University for a detailed location-identification exercise as part of its ongoing terror probe. Haryana Police fast-tracks Anti-Terror Squad plan after Red Fort blast He was taken through several points inside the university, including his medical cabin and commonly visited areas, to reconstruct his movements and verify all spaces he had accessed before his arrest. After the university inspection, the NIA team took him to Sohna, where he identified two shops from where he had allegedly purchased 1,600 kg of ammonium nitrate between December 2022 and February 2023. The shopkeepers also confirmed they had already handed over documents to the police and were cooperating with the investigation. He frequently travelled across NCR in a Swift car registered in the name of Shaheen Shahid. The car is suspected to have been used to transport explosive materials. On the other hand, Faridabad Police has seized fertiliser sales records for the past three years from seven shops across Sohna, Nuh, Palwal and Faridabad to track bulk purchases. The details are being shared with the NIA.