The NIA has arrested Amir Rashid Ali, alleging he helped Umar Nabi execute the Red Fort IED blast by providing logistical support and arranging the car. (Express Photo)
Kashmiri resident Amir Rashid Ali, who had allegedly conspired with Umar Nabi, the doctor who allegedly drove the Hyundai i20 that exploded outside the Red Fort Metro station on November 10, allegedly provided him logistical support, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) told a Delhi court on Monday. It also said he will be taken to Kashmir for further investigation.
Ali was earlier arrested by the Jammu & Kashmir Police from his home in Pampore, a few hours after the blast. The NIA Monday took him into its custody — its first arrest in the blast case.
In its remand papers submitted to Principal and District Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of Patiala House Court, the NIA said that Amir, in whose name the car was registered, provided logistical support to the Umar. It was also claimed that Amir arranged a safe house for Umar. The agency said that Amir’s remand was necessary to unearth the entire conspiracy behind the blast.
The “intensity and precision” of the blast was meant to “cause alarm and panic in the public” and “instill fear in their minds”, it said. It was also claimed that the act aimed to threaten and destabilise the sovereignty and unity of the nation.
After being produced before a Delhi court on Monday, Amir was sent to 10 days in NIA custody.
On Monday, an NIA spokesperson had said: “Amir had come to Delhi to facilitate the purchase of the car, which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (IED) to trigger the blast. NIA has forensically established the identity of the deceased driver of the vehicle-borne IED as Umar Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district and Assistant Professor in General Medicine Department at Al Falah University in Faridabad.”
“Investigations has revealed that Amir, a resident of Samboora, Pampore, had conspired with the alleged suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi, to unleash the terror attack,” the spokesperson added.
Story continues below this ad
The Indian Express earlier reported that forensic analysis of the explosives used in the blast confirmed the presence of a mixture of ammonium nitrate and triacetone triperoxide (TATP).
According to the initial findings from the FSL, at least 30-40 kg of ammonium nitrate was present in the car, which could have led to an explosion of such a magnitude.
The findings are crucial, as investigators are examining a possible link between the Delhi blast and the Faridabad terror module, as part of which 358 kg of ammonium nitrate and other bomb-making materials have been seized.
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
