New Delhi (Rajeev Sharma): The National Investigation Agency has made another significant arrest in its investigation into the November 10 explosion near Red Fort, detaining a Pulwama resident believed to have played a key logistical role in the attack that killed 13 people.
Officials confirmed that Amir Rashid Ali, originally picked up for questioning shortly after the bombing, has now been formally arrested. Investigators say Ali helped arrange the vehicle that ultimately turned into a moving explosive device. The Hyundai i20, which blew up just outside the historic monument, was reportedly purchased using documents linked to him.
The NIA assumed control of the case on November 11 and has since widened its search across multiple states. Hours after the blast, police in Jammu & Kashmir traced the car’s registration trail back to Pulwama and brought in several locals for questioning, including Ali, Umer Rashid Mir, and Tariq Malik of Samboora village.
Forensic teams later identified Umer as the man behind the wheel at the time of the explosion, prompting investigators to re-examine the roles of those connected to him. Officials allege that Ali had travelled to Delhi to help facilitate the car’s purchase shortly before it was turned into an IED-laden vehicle.
The widening inquiry has also led the agency to seize another vehicle registered to Nabi, an assistant professor at Al Falah University. That vehicle is undergoing forensic testing as part of efforts to determine whether it played any supporting role in the operation.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the NIA has now questioned more than 70 witnesses, piecing together travel records, phone data and financial footprints in an effort to reconstruct the planning stage of the attack. A key focus is a suspected “white-collar” group believed to have assisted the attackers from behind the scenes.
While some intelligence inputs suggest the involvement of Jaish-e-Mohammad operatives, officials say the agency has not yet established any direct electronic trail that conclusively connects the accused with overseas handlers. However, questioning of the arrested trio — Muzammil Ganai, Shaheen Shahid, and Adeel Rather — continues, with investigators probing potential links to individuals abroad, including alleged contacts in Turkiye.
The NIA is working alongside police forces in Delhi, J&K, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, sharing leads and coordinating searches as it attempts to identify every component of what officials believe was a carefully coordinated plot.
As the investigation enters its next phase, sources say the agency is focusing on mapping the broader network, including financiers, planners, and anyone who may have provided logistical or material support to the attackers.
