Red Fort blast accused used code words, need to decipher: NIA to Delhi court
Seeking custody extension of five accused, allegedly part of a terror module, the agency said it wanted to unearth the overall “larger conspiracy” in the case
3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 14, 2026 02:18 PM IST
The NIA has arrested nine people in connection with the Red Fort blast case that left 13 dead and several injured after a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Lal Qila Metro station on November 10 last year. (File Photo)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday said it needs to decipher “code words” used by the accused persons in the Red Fort blast terror module case while seeking an extension of custody of five accused before a Delhi court.
“The NIA seeks custodial interrogation of the above-mentioned accused persons… for explaining code words and other incriminating material that has surfaced… after forensic examination of digital devices of accused persons and extracted data recovered at the instance of above said accused persons during their previous police custody period,” the NIA said in its remand papers submitted before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of Patiala House Court.
Judge Chandna said, “… NIA is granted further custody of accused persons Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay, Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish, Ahmad Dr Adeel Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, Dr Muzamil Shakeel Ganie for three days till January 16.”
The NIA has arrested nine people in connection with the Red Fort blast case that left 13 dead and several injured after a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Lal Qila Metro station on November 10 last year.
As per the agency, all the arrested persons were connected to Umar Nabi, the man allegedly behind the wheel of the i20 car. Officials had confirmed he was driving the car after DNA samples were taken from his mother.
The NIA also said it wanted to unearth the overall “larger conspiracy” hatched by the accused persons.
In its remand papers, the agency said: “The accused persons are required to be confronted with co-accused persons, suspects, and certain witnesses… who are believed to possess exclusive knowledge of facts and circumstances of the case… to carry out crime simulation and point out remaining places in J&K, UP and NCR… which have been revealed by witnesses.”
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It also said it wanted to “identify additional associates/conspirators and trace the flow of communications and movements linked to the present case”.
The NIA, which was handed over the investigation by the Union Home Ministry, is working closely with various state police forces to track and arrest everyone behind the blast. It is also closely tracking everyone Umar contacted over the last few months.
Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.
Professional Background
Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.
Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.
Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.
Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.
Recent notable articles
In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.
1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.
2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.
3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.
Signature Style
Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.
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