India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a resident of Kashmir in connection with last week’s car explosion in central Delhi, a blast that killed eight people and injured at least 20 more. The agency says the suspect, Amir Rashid Ali, is accused of conspiring with the alleged suicide attacker who detonated the vehicle near the historic Red Fort.
The arrest marks a significant development in what authorities have formally classified as a terror incident, the first major bombing in India’s capital since 2011.
In a statement issued Sunday, the NIA said Ali was taken into custody in Delhi after investigators determined that the vehicle used in the attack was registered in his name. According to the agency, Ali traveled to the capital earlier this month to help facilitate the purchase of the car, which was later converted into a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).
The NIA identified the alleged suicide bomber as Umar Un Nabi, a resident of Pulwama district in south Kashmir — a region that has been the site of multiple militant attacks over the past decade.
Investigators also seized a second vehicle owned by Nabi for forensic examination, the agency added.
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The explosion, which occurred near one of India’s most heavily guarded tourist sites, prompted a major security review in the capital. Scenes from the aftermath showed police cordoning off the blast site in the busy old-quarter streets surrounding the Red Fort.
So far, 73 witnesses, including survivors of the attack, have been interviewed, the NIA said. Authorities are continuing to reconstruct the bomber’s movements, trace communication links, and examine whether additional accomplices may have been involved.
Following the explosion, the Indian government said it was treating the blast as a deliberate act of terror and pledged to bring all responsible to justice. Security around major government buildings and transportation hubs was tightened in the days after the attack.
The Red Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a central landmark in Delhi, has been targeted in past attacks, including a 2000 assault claimed by Pakistan-based militants. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the latest bombing.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities analyze vehicles, digital evidence, and witness accounts to determine the full scope of the plot.