Delhi blast: Bengal man arrested in narcotics case questioned

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has begun interrogating a West Bengal resident lodged in Kolkata’s Presidency Jail in connection with the Delhi car blast near Red Fort, sources said on Sunday.

Sabir Ahmed, from Bara Naldaha in Nadia’s Palashipara, is currently in jail under the Anti-Narcotics Act. According to officials, both state and central security agencies have questioned him multiple times inside the prison over suspected links to the terror network behind the November 10 explosion that killed at least 12 people and left several injured.

His brother, Faisal Ahmed, was also detained by the Special Task Force on Thursday night for questioning.

The probe has intensified after investigators found that the driver of the explosive-laden Hyundai i20, Dr Umar Mohammad, had received ₹20 lakh through illegal channels. The car exploded near a traffic signal on Netaji Subhash Marg, close to Red Fort Metro Station Gate No. 1. DNA tests confirmed Umar was driving the vehicle at the time.

The blast occurred just hours after officials in Faridabad recovered 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate and other explosive materials from a location about 50 km from Delhi — a cache suspected to be part of the same network.

Investigators are now examining the financial links among Umar, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, and a woman doctor, Dr Shaheen, all accused of forming a “white-collar terror module.” According to sources, Muzammil has told interrogators that the Rs 20 lakh came from a Jaish-e-Mohammed handler via hawala. A dispute reportedly arose between Umar and Shaheen over the money.

Several hawala operators have since been detained for questioning. Officials estimate that around Rs 3 lakh of the funds was spent on purchasing fertilisers, including ammonium nitrate, which has been used in past terror attacks.

Searches in Faridabad have yielded large quantities of explosive-grade materials tied to the network. The case has drawn attention due to the involvement of trained medical professionals and alleged links to Jammu and Kashmir.

Police officers confirmed that teams from the Special Cell, NIA, and other agencies have completed multiple rounds of examination at the blast site, collecting over 40 samples for analysis.

The Investigations are underway, say police.

With IANS inputs