Nia Names Saharanpur Doctor S Brother Key Red Fort Blast Conspirator

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has widened the Uttar Pradesh link in the November 10, 2025 Red Fort area car bomb blast case by naming absconding pediatrician Dr Muzafar Ahmed Rather, elder brother of arrested Saharanpur-based doctor Dr Adil Ahmed Rather, as one of the alleged key conspirators behind the attack that killed 11 people in Delhi, according to an NIA press note issued on Saturday.

In a supplementary chargesheet filed before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House Courts, New Delhi, on Friday, the agency chargesheeted three more accused, including Muzafar Ahmad Rather alias Faraz alias Zafar, taking the total number of accused in the case to 13, including deceased prime accused Dr Umer Un Nabi.

The latest development comes six weeks after the NIA filed its 7,500-page main chargesheet on May 14, 2026, naming two doctors with Uttar Pradesh links, Lucknow resident Dr Shaheen Saeed and Saharanpur-based physician Dr Adil, as accused in what investigators described as a radicalised terror network operating under the Al-Qaeda-linked outfit “AGuH Interim.”

According to the NIA, the supplementary chargesheet alleges that Dr Muzafar, an MBBS and MD pediatrician from Jammu and Kashmir, was among the founding members of AGuH Interim and one of the principal conspirators behind the vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack near the Red Fort Metro station.

Investigators alleged that Muzafar worked with deceased mastermind Dr Umer, co-accused Muzammil, his younger brother Dr Adil and Mufti Irfan in planning and executing the conspiracy. The agency also alleged that Muzafar attended a secret meeting at Eidgah in Srinagar in June 2022 where AGuH Interim was formed after members regrouped following an unsuccessful attempt to reach Afghanistan through Turkey.

The renewed focus is also on Saharanpur, where Dr Adil had worked at a private hospital for nearly a year before his arrest on November 7, 2025, three days before the blast. At the time, hospital colleagues described him as quiet, reserved and professionally competent, saying he mainly handled OPD consultations and surgeries.

The NIA’s earlier chargesheet alleged that Dr Adil used his professional contacts in the medical fraternity to maintain links across several states and allegedly expand the network. After his arrest, teams of the Uttar Pradesh Anti Terror Squad (ATS), Jammu and Kashmir Police and central intelligence agencies examined CCTV footage, attendance records, communication details and other documents to trace his activities during his stay in Saharanpur.

The supplementary chargesheet adds that Muzafar allegedly played a leading role in the module’s operations. Officials said a non-bailable warrant (NBW) has been issued against him and efforts are continuing to trace and arrest him.

The NIA further alleged that Muzafar played a key role in manufacturing, testing and concealing TATP-based improvised explosive devices at a clandestine facility allegedly operated by Dr Umer and Muzammil inside Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Investigators identified Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) as the explosive used in the Red Fort blast.

The agency also chargesheeted Zameer Ahmad Ahanger and Tufail Ahmad Bhat. Zameer allegedly acted as an overground worker (OGW), handling cash, arms and ammunition deliveries, while Tufail, described as a former OGW of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), allegedly procured and supplied an AK-47 rifle, a Krinkov rifle, a pistol and live ammunition through dead-drop networks for ₹3 lakh.

Investigators said the case has been reconstructed through forensic examination, geo-location mapping of conspiracy sites and financial trail analysis. The supplementary chargesheet, officials added, alleges that the conspiracy involved a structured network of radicalised professionals and operatives across multiple states, with the arrest of Dr Adil in Saharanpur emerging as one of the earliest breakthroughs in the investigation.

Rohit K Singh is a Principal Correspondent. He writes on crime, police and social issues