Red Fort Blast Probe: UN Report Points to Possible Al-Qaeda Link

Startling Information in United Nations Security Council Report; Investigation Expands Across Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir

Mumbai: The investigation into the blast near Delhi’s historic Red Fort, which occurred in November 2025, has returned to the spotlight following information contained in a recent United Nations Security Council report. The report has raised questions over a possible link between the Red Fort blast and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), citing the organisation’s activities and network in the region.

Following the blast, security agencies widened their investigation beyond Delhi to parts of western Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and other locations. In the course of the probe, Dr Adil Ahmad Rather, a resident of Jammu and Kashmir, was arrested in Saharanpur.

Investigators found that Rather had previously worked as a doctor at Delhi’s GTB Hospital and later at a private clinic on Saharanpur’s Ambala Road. According to the investigation, his name surfaced during a probe into links between individuals associated with terrorist networks operating in Kashmir and northern India.

Probe Expands to Wider Network

Security agencies subsequently examined Rather’s contacts and associations. Investigators also looked into individuals who had come into contact with him and his wider network. A supplementary chargesheet filed in June 2026 reportedly named Dr Muzaffar Ahmad Rather, the brother of Adil Rather, as one of the alleged key conspirators in the case. The investigation has also sought to establish the nature of the suspected links and the wider network involved.

The UN Security Council report has now brought renewed attention to these suspected connections, although the investigation into the exact role of different individuals and organisations remains ongoing.

ADIL’S CONTACTS UNDER INVESTIGATION

The Special Task Force (STF) and investigating agencies have questioned several doctors in Saharanpur as part of the probe. The questioning included doctors who had been in contact with Adil Rather as well as those who had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir in connection with his wedding.

Investigators gathered information about their contacts, travel history and other movements. Following questioning, some individuals were released after the agencies determined that their cooperation and involvement did not warrant further detention.

UMAR NAMED AS KEY SUSPECT

The Red Fort blast took place on November 10, 2025, when an explosion involving a vehicle occurred near the historic monument, triggering a major national security investigation.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) subsequently named Umar Un-Nabi, a former assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, as an alleged key conspirator in the case. Investigators have been examining the suspected network surrounding him and its possible links with other accused persons.

The latest disclosures have therefore added another dimension to the investigation, with agencies continuing to examine the possible role of extremist networks and their associates in the Red Fort blast.