New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Jammu and Kashmir resident, a close associate of suicide bomber Umar-un-Nabi, in connection with the Red Fort area blast, making it the ninth arrest in the case, officials said on Thursday.
Yasir Ahmad Dar allegedly played an active role in the conspiracy behind the blast that claimed 15 lives and left many others injured on November 10, they said.
An active participant in the conspiracy, Dar had allegedly taken an oath for carrying out self-sacrificial operations, the NIA said.
Another accused, Dr Bilal Naseer Malla, was also brought before Principal and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna to authenticate his voice sample. Malla, a resident of Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested in Delhi on 9 December and is the eighth person taken into custody so far.
According to the NIA, Malla allegedly sheltered the now-deceased Umar Un Nabi, who investigators say drove the explosives-laden Hyundai i20 that blew up outside the Red Fort, killing 15 people and injuring several others. The agency also accuses him of destroying evidence linked to the attack.
The NIA earlier said the terror module, reportedly led by a group of medical professionals, had been searching for a suicide bomber since last year, with Umar believed to be the principal planner of the operation.
Investigators continue to chase multiple leads across several states in coordination with local police, as efforts intensify to identify and track others involved in the bombing. The case, which has shaken security agencies, has now resulted in eight arrests as the probe enters a crucial phase.
