Red Fort Blast: Months after the deadly Delhi Red Fort car blast on November 10, in which a slow-moving i20 car near Delhi's Red Fort exploded, killing 15 people, investigating agencies have uncovered shocking details. According to the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the explosion was a suicide bombing, with Umar Un Nabi allegedly activating an improvised explosive device (IED) while inside the Hyundai i20.
The chargesheet RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI provides details of the investigation into the bombing and the alleged Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) module linked to the attack, as reported by CNN News18.
What the NIA chargesheet says
The NIA has alleged that Umar Un Nabi was inside the vehicle when the explosion occurred and personally triggered the IED. According to the agency, “accused Umar Un Nabi (A-1) was inside the car at the time of the explosion, and the IED was initiated by him.”
Investigators have also alleged that the accused were exposed to extremist literature and material associated with terrorism. Among the documents cited in the chargesheet was a publication described as the “Lone Mujahid Pocket Book/How to Become an Assassin", which the NIA has identified as a manual linked to AQAP.
According to the investigating agency, the document contained material relating to explosives, weapons, covert operations and IEDs. The NIA said it also included references to TATP and remote-controlled detonation, along with material on combat, surveillance, escape and more.
The NIA has argued that the material recovered during the investigation was not limited to ideological writings. According to the agency, some of the documents contained information that could potentially assist an organised terror group in carrying out operations.
The material allegedly portrayed existing political structures as “Satanic and tyrannical systems" and advocated their destruction through what it described as jihad.
The chargesheet states that the document declared that “Muslims cannot attain honour without jihad."
The NIA also alleged that the writings encouraged violence carried out in the name of Islam. They reportedly referred to Gazwa-e-Hind and expressed support for insurgencies in Iraq, Afghanistan and America.
According to NIA, these documents form part of the ideological evidence it has cited while describing the alleged AGuH module and its connection to the Red Fort attack.
Documents allegedly contained operational instructions
Investigators have also pointed to material that allegedly provided practical instructions for individuals involved in the suspected module. According to the chargesheet, the documents discussed methods of maintaining operational secrecy, including hiding one’s identity, carrying out stealth infiltration and creating multiple false identities to avoid detection by security agencies.
The NIA has further alleged that the literature dealt with different forms of attacks, including targeted ambushes, lone-wolf operations and martyrdom or suicide attacks.
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Delhi Red Fort blast was planned two years ago
The NIA chargesheet into the Red Fort blast reveals the attack was allegedly planned over several years, with repeated visits to the historic site from December 2023. The alleged suicide bomber, Umer Un Nabi, reportedly visited the Red Fort several times with other accused, which indicates that the target was not chosen as a last-minute plan.
The chargesheet said the blast was not executed on a fixed date. Nabi rushed the attack after several arrests were made in Srinagar. The agency said the bombing was therefore triggered by panic and the fear of being arrested.
Investigators have also cited handwritten notes recovered from an Al-Falah flat. According to the NIA, the writings expressed opposition to democracy and advocated the establishment of Sharia law.