Premium

Red Fort blast probe stalled by J&K protests against killing of Ayatollah: NIA

In its earlier remand papers, the NIA had told the court that it wanted to “carry out crime simulation” and “point out remaining places in J&K (among other places)” which had allegedly been revealed by witnesses.

Red Fort Blast, Red Fort Blast case, Red Fort Blast probe stalled by J&K protests against killing of Ayatollah, Red Fort Blast case probe stalled, J&K protests against killing of Ayatollah, Indian express news, current affairsIn its earlier remand papers, the NIA had told the court that it wanted to “carry out crime simulation” and “point out remaining places in J&K (among other places)” which had allegedly been revealed by witnesses.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has told a court in Delhi that the progress of its investigation in the Red Fort blast case has been stalled by the protests that took place in Jammu and Kashmir following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader in the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Iran’s government announced the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Israeli and American airstrikes on March 1. Soon afterward, thousands of people in J&K came out in the streets in protest and mourning. The Ayatollah, who was the leader of Iranian Shi’ism, had a sizable following in J&K.

“To carry out pointing out of places in J&K where they (accused) have dealt with arms & ammunition and kept it for safe places for furtherance of terror act, facts have been revealed by them during police remand. Such pointing out could not be conducted…on account of the prevailing law and order situation in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and protests following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,” the NIA said in remand papers submitted before a judge in the Patiala House Court recently.

The NIA is investigating the November 10, 2025 incident near Red Fort, in which a Hyundai i20 car exploded at a traffic signal, killing at least 13 people. The car was suspected to have been driven by Umar Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama, and the key figure in an alleged Kashmiri terrorist module.

In its earlier remand papers, the NIA had told the court that it wanted to “carry out crime simulation” and “point out remaining places in J&K (among other places)” which had allegedly been revealed by witnesses.

These submissions had been made while requesting extension of police custody of accused persons Tufail Ahmad Bhat and Zameer Ahmad Ahangar. The NIA also said that it wanted to extract social media accounts of the accused persons.

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. X (Twitter): @Nirbhaya99 ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Advertisement
Loading Recommendations...
Latest Comment
Post Comment
Read Comments