7,500-page NIA chargesheet reveals alleged AQIS-linked conspiracy behind Red Fort blast

Rashmi Pandey — Thu, 14 May 2026 06:13:06 +0000

The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday filed a detailed 7,500-page chargesheet against 10 accused persons in connection with the deadly car bomb explosion near the Red Fort area in November 2025 that killed 11 people and injured several others.

The chargesheet was submitted before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House Courts and names all 10 accused, including the alleged main perpetrator Umer Un Nabi, who is reported to be deceased. According to the NIA, all the accused were linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), described as an offshoot of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent.

The case relates to the high-intensity Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) blast that took place on November 10, 2025, near the Red Fort area of the national capital. Investigators said the explosion caused extensive destruction to nearby property apart from claiming civilian lives and injuring several others. Security agencies had termed it one of the most serious terror attacks in Delhi in recent years.

According to the NIA, the chargesheet includes evidence related to the planning, execution, financing and logistical support behind the attack. Officials said investigators examined digital records, forensic evidence, CCTV footage, financial transactions, communication data and witness statements during the probe.

The agency alleged that the accused were part of a broader extremist network inspired by radical ideology and linked to AGuH operations in different regions. The organisation had earlier been associated with recruitment efforts, online propaganda and attempts to carry out attacks targeting security forces and public spaces.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had officially declared AQIS and all its manifestations as terrorist organisations in June 2018 under anti-terror laws. Investigators believe the Red Fort blast conspiracy was intended to create panic and destabilise public security in the capital.

Following the explosion last year, multiple security agencies launched coordinated operations across Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and several other states to trace suspected operatives and support networks. The investigation also reportedly involved intelligence inputs related to encrypted communication channels and cross-border terror links.

Officials said the filing of the chargesheet marks a major stage in the investigation, though further probes into suspected associates and financial trails are continuing. The case is expected to proceed before the NIA Special Court in the coming weeks.

The Red Fort area, a high-security and historically significant zone in Delhi, remains under enhanced surveillance following the attack. Security agencies have since strengthened monitoring of crowded public locations and strategic installations across the national capital.

Delhi court grants bail to Sukesh Chandrashekhar with strict bail conditions

Rashmi Pandey — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:45:21 +0000

A Delhi court has granted bail to alleged conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar in a money laundering case, ruling that his continued incarceration beyond a reasonable period violates the fundamental right to personal liberty and speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution. Special Judge Vishal Gogne directed Chandrashekhar’s release upon furnishing a personal bond of Rs 5 lakh along with sureties of the like amount, marking another legal reprieve for the high-profile accused lodged in Tihar Jail. The order imposes stringent conditions to ensure compliance during trial proceedings.

Chandrashekhar, 37, faces multiple probes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) linked to extortion rackets exceeding Rs 200 crore, often targeting Bollywood personalities and politicians. The court noted his detention exceeded half the maximum sentence for the charged offences, invoking twin PMLA bail conditions—reasonable grounds for innocence and non-flight risk—while prioritizing constitutional safeguards. He must refrain from contacting or influencing witnesses, provide his address and mobile number to the investigating officer, surrender his passport, and seek prior court permission to leave the country.

This bail pertains to a specific money laundering complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), stemming from Chandrashekhar’s alleged syndicate operations run from jail via smuggled mobiles. Prior grants include February 2025 relief in the AIADMK election symbol bribery case—also on Rs 5 lakh bond by the same judge—and Bombay High Court clearance in a 2015 Mumbai cheating scam. Despite these, he remains detained on overlapping charges, including MCOCA cases involving wife Leena Maria Paulose, whose bail pleas linger in Delhi High Court as of March 2026.

The court’s 25-page order underscores judicial scrutiny of prolonged pre-trial detention, citing Supreme Court precedents like Supreme Court Legal Aid Committee vs. Union of India (1994) on liberty erosion. It records Chandrashekhar’s cooperation, deposition completion, and no further custodial need, while device analysis by Forensic Science Laboratory concluded without recovery implicating him further. Conditions mirror standard PMLA safeguards: daily reporting, location sharing, and social media silence, with violation triggering cancellation.

Chandrashekhar’s notoriety traces to 2015 arrests by Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing for duping over 100 victims of Rs 91 lakh via “govt official” scams. ED entered in 2022, attaching assets worth Rs 120 crore including a Delhi farmhouse and 26 luxury cars gifted to actress Jacqueline Fernandez. His lavish Tihar lifestyle AC cells, iPhones, jacuzzis drew CBI raids uncovering threats to witnesses and Bollywood coercion via Leena Paulose.

Legal trajectory shows mixed outcomes. April 2024 saw MCOCA bail denial for Pinky Irani, an associate, but February 2025 High Court relief for Arun Muthu highlighted trial delays. Paulose’s March 2026 plea claims no interrogation need and marital discord with Chandrashekhar, opposed by Delhi Police alleging her syndicate mastermind role. Supreme Court in February 2026 directed expedited High Court hearing on her application pending over a year.

Bail logistics require surety verification within 48 hours, post which Chandrashekhar joins 15 co-accused granted relief in interconnected cases. ED protests center on tampering risks given his history of 50+ jail communications intercepted. Probe agencies hold Rs 28 crore seized cash and digital footprints linking to hawala channels.

The release injects uncertainty into parallel extortion trials before Patiala House Court, where 167 witnesses await examination. Chandrashekhar’s compliance will face scrutiny amid victim statements detailing threats, luxury gifts, and coerced “wedding” ceremonies. Conditions bar media interactions, preserving trial fairness.

As he steps into regular bail first since 2015 arrests investigations continue on international links to Dubai-based handlers. Tihar’s high-security wing logs his exit, with electronic tagging proposed for monitoring. This ruling reinforces courts’ balance between PMLA rigour and Article 21 imperatives in white-collar probes.

PatialaHouseCourt | Business Upturn

7,500-page NIA chargesheet reveals alleged AQIS-linked conspiracy behind Red Fort blast

Delhi court grants bail to Sukesh Chandrashekhar with strict bail conditions