The NIA has arrested the ninth accused, Yasir Ahmad Dar, in the Delhi car blast case. A resident of J&K, he was nabbed in Delhi for his active role in the conspiracy and for taking an oath to carry out 'self-sacrificial operations'.
Key Conspirator Yasir Ahmad Dar Arrested
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested the ninth accused in the deadly Delhi car blast case, who played an active role in the conspiracy and had taken an oath for carrying out "self-sacrificial operations". Yasir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Shopian in Jammu and Kashmir's Srinagar, was nabbed from the national capital, the NIA said on Thursday.
Yasir was nabbed by the NIA in New Delhi and placed under arrest under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI.
"Investigations have revealed Yasir's active role in the conspiracy behind the car bomb blast that rocked the national capital on 10th November. An active participant in the conspiracy, he had sworn allegiance and taken an oath to carry out self-sacrificial operations," the NIA said in a statement. Investigations by the anti-terror agency have further shown that "Yasir was in close contact with the other accused persons in the case, including Umar Un Nabi (the deceased perpetrator of the bombing) as well as Mufti Irfan."
Yasir is among the key conspirators behind the terrorist attack that killed 15 people and injured several others in the terror attack that took place in a moving car on November 10 near the Red Fort area. Yasir was later produced before a special court on Thursday. The court remanded him to NIA custody till December 26. Principal District and Session judge (Special NIA Judge) Anju Bajaj Chandana remanded Yasir in NIA custody after hearing submissions of counsel for the agency. The court held the hearing in a closed room.
Timeline of Previous Arrests
In the case, the NIA has so far arrested nine accused who facilitated the suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi, who blown himself in the moving Hyundai i20 car he was driving around 7 pm on November 10.
Earlier this month, the NIA arrested 8th accused, identified as Dr Bilal Naseer Malla, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla, who harboured the deceased bomber by providing him logistical support. He was also nabbed by an NIA team from Delhi.
The NIA arrested the seventh accused, Soyab of Dhauj, Faridabad (Haryana), in connection with the case on November 25 on charges of allegedly sheltering Umar Un Nabi shortly before the terror act. Soyab told the NIA during his interrogation that he "not only harboured Umar but also extended logistical support to facilitate the terrorist's movements ahead of the attack."
On November 20, the agency arrested Shaheen Saeed along with Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganai of Pulwama (Jammu and Kashmir), Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather of Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir), and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay of Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir). They were taken into custody by the NIA in Srinagar on production orders from the district sessions judge in Patiala House court.
Earlier, the NIA arrested two other accused-- Amir Rashid Ali, in whose name the car used in the blast was registered, and Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, who had provided technical aid to the terrorist involved in the deadly attack.
Investigation Widens, Key Evidence Unearthed
Last month, Shaheen was taken to Faridabad to recreate the plot of the terror plan as a massive cache of explosives, nearly 2,900 kg was seized in Faridabad shortly before the blast, and the car used in the explosion was traced to a local dealer in the same area.
During the course of investigation in the case with the arrested accused so far, the NIA said the inputs yet received has strengthened the agency's understanding of the operational network behind the bombing.
The NIA said it is continuing to track multiple leads and conduct searches across different states in collaboration with local police forces to identify additional suspects connected to the conspiracy.
Officials said efforts remain underway to fully expose and dismantle the network involved in planning and executing the deadly attack. The agency has so far confronted all seven arrested accused. The anti-terror agency, which was handed over the investigation by the Union Home Ministry soon after the attack, is working closely with various state police forces to track and arrest every member of the terrorist module involved in the carnage.
Extensive Searches and Seizures
The NIA conducted a search operation on December 1 at eight locations in Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Uttar Pradesh and claimed to have recovered various digital devices and other incriminating materials during the searches conducted at the premises of several accused and suspects in the two states.
The NIA had earlier, on November 26 and 27, conducted extensive searches at the premises of the prime accused, Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganie and Dr Shaheen Saeed, in the Al Falah University complex and other places in Faridabad (Haryana). A huge quantity of cash, foreign currency, gold and other incriminating materials were seized during those searches, and the same are being minutely examined to unravel the conspiracy that culminated in the bombing.
Case Developments and Forensic Evidence
So far, the NIA got to know that one of the accused Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to trigger the blast.
NIA has forensically established the identity of the deceased driver of the vehicle-borne IED as Umar, a resident of Pulwama district and Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department at Al Falah University at Faridabad.
Besides, the anti-terror agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi. The vehicle is being examined for evidence in the case, in which NIA has so far examined 73 witnesses, including those injured in the blast that rocked the national capital. Working in close coordination with Delhi Police, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Haryana Police, Uttar Pradesh Police and various sister agencies, the NIA is continuing its investigation across states. (ANI)
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