New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday granted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) an additional 45 days to complete its investigation in the Red Fort blast case that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured.
Though the anti-terror agency had sought a 90-day extension, the Patiala House Court partially allowed the NIA’s plea and directed that the investigation be completed within the extended period.
It also extended the judicial custody of the seven accused in the case till March 13.
Accused Shoaib was produced before the court physically, while the remaining six accused appeared through video conferencing.
Earlier, Additional Sessions Judge Prashant Sharma had then permitted the NIA to interrogate accused Yasir Ahmad Dar for 10 more days, while the custody of co-accused Dr Bilal Naseer Malla was also extended.
According to the NIA, Dar, a resident of Shopian district in Jammu and Kashmir, is the ninth accused arrested in the case. He was arrested in New Delhi under relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
“NIA investigations have revealed Dar’s active role in the conspiracy behind the car bomb blast that rocked the national capital on November 10. An active participant in the conspiracy, he had sworn allegiance and taken an oath to carry out self-sacrificial operations,” the anti-terror agency had said earlier.
The NIA has also claimed that Dar was in close contact with other accused persons in the case, including Dr Umar Nabi, the deceased perpetrator of the bombing, and Mufti Irfan. Dr Malla of Baramulla, who is the eighth accused in the case, was arrested by an NIA team from Delhi on December 9. As per the agency, he had knowingly harboured Umar Nabi by providing him logistical support and is also accused of destruction of evidence related to the terror attack.
The NIA has said that it is continuing its investigation into the larger conspiracy behind the deadly blast and is working closely with various central and state agencies to unravel all its links.
(IANS)
