NIA presents evidence in Red Fort bombing; 588 witnesses cited in chargesheet

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Delhi was set to hear arguments on the framing of charges against the accused in the November 2025 Red Fort blast case, marking a crucial stage in the judicial proceedings.

The case relates to the November 10, 2025, car bomb explosion near the Red Fort Metro Station, which killed 11 people, injured several others and caused extensive damage to nearby property.

The NIA, which took over the investigation from Delhi Police, had filed a 7,500-page chargesheet in May 2026 against 10 accused, including alleged main perpetrator Dr Umer Un Nabi, who died in the explosion.

A supplementary chargesheet subsequently named three additional accused, taking the total number of persons chargesheeted to 13.

The special court had taken cognisance of the chargesheet on August 29, paving the way for further judicial proceedings.

𝗡𝗜𝗔 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆

According to the NIA, the accused were associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an organisation linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

The agency alleged that the accused had formed a network of radicalised individuals, including medical professionals, who were involved in recruiting members, collecting weapons and manufacturing explosives.

Investigators claimed that the group had planned a wider campaign of violence under a conspiracy identified as 'Operation Heavenly Hind'.

The NIA alleged that the conspiracy dated back to 2022, when members of the group held a clandestine meeting in Srinagar and reorganised their activities.

The chargesheet also referred to alleged experimentation with improvised explosive devices and the procurement of weapons and explosive materials.

The allegations have yet to be tested during trial.

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝟱𝟴𝟴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀

The NIA's chargesheet cited 588 witness testimonies, more than 395 documents and over 200 seized exhibits. The investigation covered Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi-NCR.

The agency also relied on forensic examinations, including DNA fingerprinting and voice analysis, to support its findings. It said DNA analysis had established the identity of Umer Un Nabi, who allegedly drove the explosives-laden vehicle.

The chargesheet invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀

Special Judge Prashant Sharma had earlier directed the prosecution to supply the chargesheet and related documents to the accused as part of the statutory procedure.

The court had also sought details of the specific roles attributed to individual accused persons.

At the stage of framing charges, the court examines whether the prosecution material discloses sufficient grounds to proceed to trial against each accused. The exercise does not amount to a determination of guilt.

The forthcoming arguments were expected to focus on the evidence collected by the NIA and the offences alleged against the accused.

The case remained one of the country's major terrorism prosecutions following the deadly explosion near the historic Red Fort.