A significant new angle has emerged in the Red Fort car blast probe with the arrest of Jasir Bilal Wani — also known as Danish — from Srinagar on Monday. Investigators say Bilal was originally selected to carry out the suicide bombing but refused, citing his belief that “suicide is a sin in Islam.” Even so, agencies allege he remained an active part of the module, offering technical support to the group that executed the attack.
Bilal, a political science student from Qazigund in Anantnag district, is believed to have been radicalised by the alleged mastermind, Dr Umar Nabi, as per a report on India Today. According to interrogation of earlier arrested accused, Bilal had been groomed for a suicide mission since 2023 but withdrew when the plan was set in motion this year. Umar, meanwhile, has consistently endorsed suicide bombings. A newly surfaced video shows him speaking in English and defending such strikes as “martyrdom operations,” offering a disturbing window into his extremist worldview.
Investigators say Bilal’s involvement began in October 2023 after meeting module members at a mosque in Kulgam. He was later taken to a rented accommodation near Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where Umar — then an assistant professor — spent months indoctrinating him and preparing him for a suicide attack.
NIA Produces Wani In Court
In a parallel development, the NIA arrested Wani. Jasir Bilal Wani is suspected of providing specialised technical help to the module, including altering drones and attempting to assemble rockets in the run-up to the blast. The NIA has described him as an “active co-conspirator” who worked closely with Umar in planning the attack, which claimed 15 lives, as per PTI.
Wani was produced before Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna in Delhi on Tuesday. The agency is expected to seek Wani’s custody for further questioning.
