Suspect in Deadly New Delhi Car Bomb Attack Appears in Court
NEW DELHI, Nov 18: Indian anti-terrorism authorities on Monday brought a key suspect before a New Delhi court in connection with last week’s deadly car-bomb explosion near the Red Fort, as investigators probe what they describe as a coordinated suicide attack.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified the suspect as Amir Rashid Ali, one of two men accused of involvement in the November 10 blast that killed at least 10 people, though hospital officials put the death toll at no fewer than 12.
Ali is alleged to have conspired with Umar Un Nabi, the suspected suicide bomber, to carry out the attack near a crowded metro station in Old Delhi. The explosion occurred close to one of India’s most symbolic landmarks, where the prime minister delivers the nation’s Independence Day address each year.
Authorities say both men originated from Indian-administered Kashmir, a region long at the heart of tensions between India and Pakistan. However, officials have yet to reveal any information about the attackers’ motives or possible organizational links.
An AFP photographer reported seeing Ali escorted under heavy security from a police truck into the courtroom. According to local media, the court ordered him to be remanded in NIA custody for 10 days as investigations continue.
The NIA alleges that Ali travelled to Delhi to help acquire the vehicle used as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED). Nabi, who died at the scene, was reportedly a medical professor at a university in neighboring Haryana state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the bombing as a “conspiracy” and pledged that those responsible, including supporters and financiers, would be brought to justice. India has not yet released any conclusions regarding the attackers’ affiliations or the broader network behind the plot.
The Red Fort bombing is the deadliest attack since April, when 26 people, mostly Hindu civilians, were killed at a tourist site in Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for that attack, an accusation Islamabad denied. The incident led to four days of cross-border clashes in May, which left at least 70 people dead before a ceasefire was agreed.
On Monday, India’s army chief, General Upendra Dwivedi, issued a stern warning to Pakistan during a defense conference in New Delhi. Referring to the brief May conflict, he said it was only a “trailer.”
“The movie hasn’t even started,” Dwivedi declared. “If Pakistan gives us such an opportunity again, we are fully prepared and ready to teach them how a responsible nation behaves with its neighbors.”
The investigation into last week’s blast remains ongoing, with officials tight-lipped about possible motives or foreign involvement.