The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Sunday that it has arrested a main conspirator in the Red Fort blast case. The suspect is Amir Rashid Ali, a plumber from Kashmir. He owned the Hyundai i20 that exploded near the monument on November 10. The blast killed 11 people. The agency also called the driver a “suicide bomber” for the first time.

NIA Links Ali to Suicide Bomber

In its statement, the agency said Ali planned the attack with “suicide bomber” Dr Umar Un Nabi. Umar was driving the car when it blew up. The NIA said Ali came to Delhi to help buy the car. The attackers later turned it into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, or IED.

This is also the first time the NIA described the car as a “vehicle-borne IED”.

Ali’s Role and Movements

The agency said, “Amir Rashid Ali, in whose name the car involved in the attack was registered, was arrested from Delhi… The accused, a resident of Samboora, Pampore in J&K, had conspired with the alleged suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi, to unleash the terror attack.”

Ali was one of the two men seen with Umar in the i20 at a petrol pump in Sector 27, Faridabad, on October 29. They had stopped to get a PUC certificate. The third man, Sonu, worked at the used-car dealership from where Ali bought the car. Police detained Ali in Kashmir a day after the blast.

How the Blast Happened

At 6.52pm on November 10, the i20 exploded at a traffic signal on Netaji Subhash Marg near the Lal Quila metro station. The car was slow-moving. It had changed owners several times. It had a CNG tank and carried the number HR26CE7674. The fire killed at least 11 people.

The NIA took over the case the next day. Forensic tests confirmed Umar was driving. The agency said, “NIA has forensically established the identity of the deceased driver of the Vehicle Borne IED as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama District and Assistant Professor in General Medicine Department in Al Falah University.”

More Evidence Collected

The agency said it seized “another vehicle” belonging to Umar. It is examining the vehicle for clues. So far, the NIA has questioned 73 witnesses, including the injured.

Earlier, investigators seized three other cars—a silver Maruti Brezza, a red Ford EcoSport, and a Maruti Swift Dzire. They are tracking how the attackers used multiple vehicles to plan the Red Fort blast. Agencies are probing a “white-collar terror network” spread across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.

Wider Conspiracy Under Watch

The Delhi Police Special Cell has filed a separate FIR. It is investigating the bigger plot, including whether the group procured explosives and bought vehicles to carry out a suicide attack similar to the 2019 Pulwama strike.

Security officials said they are coordinating with central agencies and state police forces. They are working to identify the full network.

A senior officer said on condition of anonymity, “Multiple teams are following leads across states as part of efforts to uncover the broader conspiracy behind the case. The investigation remains active and multi-layered, with the agency focusing on identifying additional suspects, funding channels, and possible foreign links.”