Three additional suspects charged by NIA in Red Fort bombing case.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made significant progress in the case of the 2025 car bomb explosion near the Red Fort that tragically claimed the lives of 11 individuals. In a recent development, the NIA has charged three more individuals in connection with this horrific incident, including one absconder. The NIA has filed a supplementary chargesheet in a special court, naming Zameer Ahmad Ahanger, Tufail Ahmad Bhat, and Muzafar Ahmad @ Faraz @ Zafar as the newly accused.

All three individuals are from Jammu and Kashmir. With this latest development, the total number of accused in the case has now risen to 13, including the prime accused, Umer Un Nabi, who unfortunately passed away in the explosion. One of the accused, Muzafar Ahmed, is a pediatrician and the elder brother of co-accused Adeel Ahmed Rather.

He was also a founding member of "AGuH Interim" - a splinter group of Al-Qaeda. The NIA's investigation revealed that Muzafar played a key role, alongside Umer, Muzammil, Adeel, and Mufti Irfan, in planning and executing the deadly car bomb explosion. The NIA's probe also uncovered that Muzafar had attended a secret meeting at Srinagar in June 2022, where the terrorist organization AGuH Interim was formed.

He was heavily involved in the manufacturing, testing, and safekeeping of TATP-based IEDs at a clandestine facility run by Umer and Muzammil at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Muzafar is currently on the run, and a Non-Bailable Warrant has been issued for his arrest. According to the NIA's investigation, Zameer was an overground worker for AGuH Interim and had direct contact with the handlers of the terror module.

He also acted as a courier for weapons, cash, and ammunition for the group. Tufail, on the other hand, was a former OGW (overground worker) for the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba and served as the arms supplier for the module. He obtained weapons, including an AK-47, a Krinkov rifle, and a pistol, through dead drops orchestrated by a handler and delivered them to Umer for a sum of Rs 3 lakh.

The NIA has charged Zameer and Tufail under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Act and the BNS (Bureau of Narcotics and Smugglers) Act. Muzafar, who has been identified as a prime architect of the conspiracy, faces additional charges under the BNS Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. The NIA has been able to establish connections between the accused through a comprehensive investigation, including forensic testing, geo-location mapping of conspiracy sites, and a detailed financial analysis.

The agency is continuing its investigation into the case, and more developments are expected in the future. Orissa POST – Odisha's No.1 English Daily