Hours after a dry fruit seller from Qazigund died from burn injuries following an alleged self-immolation attempt, his son, who had been detained for questioning in the “white-collar terror module” case, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday in connection with the Red Fort car bomb blast.
The NIA said it arrested Jasir Bilal Wani, also known as Danish, a resident of Qazigund in Anantnag district, from Srinagar. Jasir is the son of Bilal Ahmad Wani, who had set himself on fire on Sunday after reportedly being denied repeated permission to meet his detained son and brother. Bilal was moved from Anantnag Hospital to SMHS Hospital late Sunday night, where he died of severe burn injuries around 12:30 am, officials said.
According to the NIA, the arrest was part of ongoing investigations into case RC-21/2025/NIA/DLI. The agency said Jasir had allegedly provided “technical support” to the terror network by modifying drones and attempting to make rockets ahead of the November 10 Red Fort car bomb blast, which killed 10 people and injured 32. The NIA described him as an “active co-conspirator” who worked closely with Umar un Nabi, the alleged “suicide operative” who drove the explosive-laden vehicle.
The agency added that Jasir was a crucial link in the operational chain of the attack and had travelled across locations to coordinate technical preparations for the explosion. His family lives near Dr Muzaffar Rather, identified by investigators as a key figure in the “white-collar terror module” spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Muzaffar is believed to be in Afghanistan, while his brother Dr Adeel Rather was arrested from Saharanpur on November 6.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned Bilal Wani’s death, calling it the result of “despair and anguish” caused by the alleged “high-handedness” of authorities in denying him access to his detained family members.
The NIA said it is exploring “multiple angles” to uncover the broader conspiracy behind the Red Fort blast, with teams conducting searches across several states to identify all individuals involved in the attack.
