Delhi Court Permits NIA to Dispose of Remains of Red Fort Blast Victims and Bomber
On Monday, the Patiala House Court in New Delhi permitted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to cremate or otherwise dispose of the biological remains of 11 victims and the alleged suicide bomber involved in the November 10, 2025 car bomb explosion near the Red Fort.
Special NIA Judge Pitambar Dutt directed that the decomposing remains be handled with dignity and in accordance with the religious beliefs of the deceased. The court also ordered the agency to file a compliance report after carrying out the disposal process.
During the hearing, the NIA informed the court that all necessary forensic examinations, including DNA fingerprinting and voice analysis, had already been completed on the recovered body parts. The agency stated that the remains had begun to decompose and sought permission to dispose of them.
The biological remains include those of the 11 victims as well as Dr Umer Un Nabi, the alleged suicide bomber. Nabi died after driving an explosive-laden vehicle into a crowded area near the Red Fort. Because he died in the blast, the NIA has proposed that the legal proceedings against him be abated.
The high-intensity Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) blast occurred on November 10, 2025, killing 11 people, injuring several others, and causing extensive damage to nearby property.
The NIA filed its first chargesheet in the case on May 14, naming 10 accused, including Nabi, who was identified as the alleged mastermind. Last month, the agency filed a supplementary chargesheet against three more accused, including an absconding paediatrician alleged to be a founding member of the terror module, bringing the total number of chargesheeted persons to 13.
The supplementary chargesheet named Zamir Ahmed Ahangar, Tufail Ahmed Bhat, and the absconding accused. Zamir and Tufail were arrested in February 2026. According to the NIA, the accused were associated with Ansar Ghazawat-ul-Hind, an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent.
