New Delhi, Dec 19: A Delhi court on Friday extended the National Investigation Agency (NIA) custody of Dr Bilal Naseer Malla, one of the accused in the Red Fort blast case, by seven days. In the same proceedings, the court sent Soyab, a Faridabad resident accused of harbouring the blast perpetrator Umar-un-Nabi, to judicial custody for five days.
Both the accused were produced before the Patiala House Court under tight security after the expiry of their earlier four-day NIA remand granted on December 15. Media persons were not allowed to cover the court proceedings.
The matter was heard by Principal and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna, who permitted the NIA to further interrogate Dr Naseer in its custody for another week, while Soyab was remanded to judicial custody till December 24.
Earlier, an NIA spokesperson had stated that Soyab, a resident of Dhauj in Haryana’s Faridabad district, was arrested for allegedly providing logistical support to Umar-un-Nabi prior to the Delhi terror blast.
Dr Bilal Naseer Malla was arrested by the NIA in Delhi on December 9 and has been described by the agency as a key conspirator in the case. Investigations revealed that he had knowingly sheltered Umar-un-Nabi and provided logistical assistance. He is also accused of destroying evidence linked to the terror attack.
So far, the NIA has arrested nine individuals in connection with the case, including doctors Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Dr Adeel Rather, Dr Shaheen Sayeed, and religious preacher Maulvi Irfan. Others arrested include Amir Rashid Ali and Jasir Bilal Wani alias Danish.
On December 18, the agency arrested the ninth accused, Yasir Ahmad Dar, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, who is alleged to be a close associate of Umar-un-Nabi. The NIA has claimed that Dar was an active participant in the conspiracy and had taken an oath to carry out self-sacrificial operations.
Umar-un-Nabi, the main perpetrator, was driving an explosive-laden i20 car that detonated outside the historic Red Fort on November 10. (KNC)
