The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Jasir Bilal Wani, an alleged “active co-conspirator” of suicide bomber Umar un Nabi, in connection with the car blast near the Red Fort last week that claimed 13 lives, officials said on Monday.
A resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, Wani faces serious charges, including providing technical support for terror operations such as modifying drones and attempting to fabricate rockets ahead of the deadly explosion. He was apprehended in Srinagar by an NIA team and is also known by the alias Danish.
Wani worked closely with Umar to meticulously plan the November 10 attack. The NIA revealed that it is examining various angles to uncover the deeper conspiracy behind the blast in the national capital. Multiple teams are pursuing leads and conducting searches across states to identify all individuals connected to this terror plot.
A political science graduate, Wani confided to interrogators that Umar had intensely radicalised him over months to become a suicide bomber. He met members of the so-called “Doctor module” in October last year at a mosque in Kulgam before relocating to a rented accommodation near Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
While the broader module intended for Wani to serve as an over-ground worker for the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed, Umar did attempt to recruit him for a suicide attack. That plan fell apart in April when Wani withdrew, citing economic hardship and his belief that suicide is prohibited in Islam.
Investigators believe this scouting attempt introduces a perilous new dimension to the probe into the sophisticated interstate terror network linked to JeM.
Umar, a 28-year-old doctor based in Pulwama, has emerged as a radicalised and central figure in a network spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Authorities suspect he was preparing a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack, likely timed around the December 6 anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. His plan allegedly involved planting the bomb in a crowded location—either in Delhi or at a religious site—and then disappearing.
Wani’s interrogation revealed that Umar’s radicalisation escalated following a 2021 trip to Turkiye with co-accused Dr. Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie. During this excursion, they purportedly met JeM over-ground workers. Upon their return, Umar and Ganaie began purchasing large quantities of hazardous materials, including 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur, much of which was stored near the university campus.
The plot for a December attack ultimately collapsed after the Srinagar Police conducted an investigation leading to Ganaie’s arrest and the recovery of explosives. This series of encounters reportedly instilled panic within Umar, leading to the premature detonation at the Red Fort that killed 13 people.
The interstate network began unraveling on October 19 after JeM posters appeared on walls in Bunpora and Nowgam near Srinagar. The police launched a detailed investigation, reviewed CCTV footage, and arrested three locals—Arif Nisar Dar (alias Sahil), Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar (alias Shahid)—all of whom had previous involvement with stone-pelting incidents.
Their questioning culminated in the arrest of Maulvi Irfan Ahmad, a former paramedic turned Imam from Shopian. Ahmad allegedly supplied the posters and played a significant role in radicalising the doctors involved in the terror module.
