New Delhi – A suspect linked to last week's deadly car bombing in New Delhi appeared in court on Monday, November 17, 2025. Amir Rashid Ali is accused of involvement in the suicide attack near the Red Fort and conspiring with the alleged suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), India's counter-terrorism agency, presented Amir Rashid Ali in court. The court ordered that Ali be held in custody for 10 days by the NIA. Later in the day, the NIA arrested another alleged accomplice, Jasir Bilal Wani, from Kashmir. Wani is accused of providing technical support, including modifying drones and attempting to make rockets, for terror attacks.
The November 10 blast, which the NIA has called a "heinous terror incident" carried out by "anti-national forces", erupted near a busy metro station close to the Red Fort in Old Delhi. This is the location where the prime minister delivers the annual Independence Day address. The NIA put the death toll at 10, though hospital officials told AFP that at least 12 people had been killed. It remains unclear whether Nabi is included in the tally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called the attack a “conspiracy” and vowed to bring the “perpetrators, their collaborators and their sponsors” to justice.
According to the NIA, Ali, a resident of Samboora, Pampore in Jammu and Kashmir, allegedly traveled to Delhi to "facilitate the purchase of the car which was eventually used as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED)". The Hyundai i20 used in the attack was registered in Ali's name. The car was captured by CCTV cameras making several stops at key intersections in the crowded Old Delhi area before the explosives went off.
The NIA has forensically identified the deceased driver of the car as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of the Pulwama district. Nabi worked as an Assistant Professor in the General Medicine Department at Al Falah University in Faridabad. An NIA forensic probe established Nabi's identity. The agency has also seized another vehicle belonging to Nabi, which is being examined for evidence.
Indian officials have not disclosed any details on the motives or organizational backing of the alleged attackers. Both suspects are said to be from Indian-administered Kashmir. Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947, and both claim the Himalayan territory in full. Tensions remain high between New Delhi and Islamabad.
The bombing was the worst attack since April 22, when 26 people were killed at the tourist site of Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir. New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing that attack, claims Islamabad denied.
