Delhi blast probe: Main accused planned to recruit women; NIA seizes cash

Dr Shaheen Shahid, arrested in the “white-collar terror module” case linked to the November 10 Delhi blast, revealed that she had planned to recruit women to carry out the terrorist act, Faridabad police sources have revealed.

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They said the National Investigation Agency (NIA) brought Shahid, a former pharmacologist at Al-Falah University, to the university campus on Thursday in connection with the probe, and that during questioning, she revealed she had planned to recruit women for the mission.

Police sources also revealed that the NIA sleuths recovered Rs 18.5 lakh in cash, along with some gold biscuits and foreign currency, from Shahid's hostel room at the university.

Two arrested from Uttarakhand

In another development, the NIA has arrested an imam and one of his associates from the Banbhulpura area here, in connection with a car blast near Delhi's Red Fort, officials said on Saturday.

The Delhi police had received a clue from Haldwani through the call details of a mobile number linked to Dr Umar Nabi, the main accused in the blast outside the Red Fort, and based on it, the accused were arrested, they said.

The accused, Mohammad Asif, the imam of the Bilali mosque, and Nazar Kamal, an electrician, were arrested on Friday night by an team of NIA with the help of police from Delhi and Haldwani, they said, adding that the duo have been taken to Delhi.

Court sends 4 to judicial custody

Meanwhile, a Delhi court on Saturday sent three doctors and a preacher, who were arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast, to 10 days' judicial custody.

All four accused, Muzammil Ganaie, Adeel Rather and Shaheena Saeed as well as Maulvi Irfan Ahmed Wagay, were produced before Principal and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna, who sent them to 10-day judicial custody.

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As of now, the NIA has arrested seven persons accused in the case, which is linked to a “white-collar” terror module busted by the Jammu and Kashmir police.

“The agency continues to pursue various leads in connection with the suicide bombing, and has been conducting searches across states in coordination with the respective police forces in a bid to identify and track others involved in the gruesome attack,” the NIA said in a statement.

(With agency inputs)