Delhi Blast Case: Court Allows Accused Jasir Bilal Wani To Meet Lawyer At NIA HQ

A Delhi court has permitted Jasir Bilal Wani, an accused in the Red Fort blast case, to meet his lawyer at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters. The approval came after the Delhi High Court directed that the matter be placed before the trial court for consideration.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of the Patiala House Court allowed Wani's plea on Saturday. A day earlier, the Delhi High Court had declined to issue an order, noting that Wani had not shown any trial court rejection of his request. However, it granted his counsel the liberty to approach the trial court for adjudication.

Wani, a resident of Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, was arrested by the NIA in Srinagar on November 17. Investigators allege he provided technical support for terror operations by modifying drones and attempting to make rockets ahead of the November 10 Red Fort blast, which killed 15 people.

On November 18, Judge Chandna remanded him to 10 days of NIA custody.

According to the NIA, Wani was an "active co-conspirator" who worked closely with suicide bomber Dr Umar-un-Nabi to plan the attack. Nabi was driving the explosives-laden i20 car that detonated outside the Red Fort on November 10.

The blast occurred shortly after authorities uncovered an interstate "white-collar" terror module and recovered around 3,000 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, mainly from Faridabad in Haryana.

Wani is among six individuals arrested so far by the NIA in connection with the module and the Red Fort attack.