Red Fort blast: Faridabad man accused of harbouring bomber sent to 10-day NIA custody

A Delhi court on Wednesday remanded Soyab, a resident of Dhauj in Haryana’s Faridabad district, to 10 days of National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody for allegedly sheltering Red Fort bomber Umar-un Nabi and providing him with logistical support in the lead-up to the Delhi terror blast.

Soyab was produced before the Patiala House court amid tight security after his arrest by the NIA earlier in the day. According to an NIA spokesperson, he is accused of assisting “terrorist Umar-un Nabi” by facilitating movement and arrangements linked to the 10 November bombing.

The agency also brought before the court another key accused, Amir Rashid Ali, whose earlier 10-day custodial remand was due to expire on 27 November.

Principal and sessions judge Anju Bajaj Chandna extended Amir’s interrogation by another seven days, granting investigators additional time to pursue leads in the widening case.

With Soyab’s arrest, the total number of individuals held by the NIA in connection with the attack has risen to seven. The case is tied to what officials describe as a “white-collar” terror module originally uncovered by the Jammu and Kashmir Police — one involving individuals with professional backgrounds and access to resources that enabled discreet operational support.

In a statement, the NIA said it is “actively pursuing multiple leads related to the suicide bombing,” and that coordinated searches are underway across several states to identify and track other members of the network behind the “gruesome attack”.

The agency took custody of three doctors and a preacher on 20 November — Dr. Muzammil Ganaie, Dr. Adeel Rather, Dr. Shaheena Saeed, and Maulvi Irfan Ahmed Wagay — all of whom were earlier arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. Their interrogation, along with that of the two latest accused, is expected to further unravel the structure, motives and cross-state footprint of the terror module.

With PTI inputs