Nearly a dozen people were killed and several others left injured last month as a car bomb exploded in Delhi. The National Investigation Agency has so far arrested eight people in connection with the attack — including a Kashmir resident who ‘harboured the bomber’ and ‘destroyed evidence’. Officials said key accused Dr Bilal Naseer Malla was nabbed by an NIA team in Delhi on Tuesday evening.
A spokesperson told PTI that the Baramulla resident had been arrested in the national capital. According to an official statement, the NIA found his involvement in the conspiracy behind the terrorist attack that killed 11 people and injured several others in the Red Fort area on November 10.
“As per NIA investigations, Bilal had knowingly harboured the deceased accused Umar Un Nabi by providing him logistical support. He is also accused of destruction of evidence related to the terrorist attack,” it added.
Eight people arrested
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 issued by the district sessions judge at 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.
NIA custody for Malla, Ali
The new suspect in the Delhi blast case, was remanded to 7-day NIA custody by a Special NIA court at Patiala House on Tuesday. The court also extended Amir Rashid Ali’s custody for a further seven days. He was produced before the court after seven days of NIA custody had expired. Amir Rashid was arrested on November 16.