NIA Chargesheet Uncovers 'Rocket IED' Plot In Red Fort Blast Investigation

The NIA chargesheet also revealed that between December 15, 2023, and January 24, 2024, Bilal used funds provided by Dr. Umar to purchase several components online via Flipkart.

To facilitate the construction, Dr. Umar Nabi supplied funds and two drones to Bilal, while Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar provided raw materials including potassium nitrate and sugar.

Source : Shivank Mishra

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• NIA revealed Rocket IED was planned for long-range attacks.
• Terrorists fabricated Rocket IED using AI, drones; then buried.
• Cylinder IED successfully tested; dummy Rocket IED proved lethal.

In a major revelation following the investigation into the Red Fort blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has disclosed in its chargesheet filed before the court that the deceased terrorist Dr. Umar Nabi and his associates were getting a "Rocket IED" fabricated through Bilal Jaseer Wani, a resident of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. The Rocket IED was designed to launch long-range improvised explosive device attacks. Although the NIA did not explicitly detail how the terrorists planned to execute the strike using the Rocket IED, the chargesheet highlights that Bilal Jaseer Wani was provided with drones, suggesting a plot to deploy and detonate the Rocket IED with drone assistance.

AI Tools, YouTube Tutorials, Local Supplies Used In Fabrication

According to the chargesheet, the probe established that terrorist Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar had introduced Bilal Jaseer Wani to Dr. Umar Nabi around 2024. Subsequently, Bilal stayed at Al-Falah College in Faridabad on three separate occasions, where he met Umar along with Dr. Muzammil and Dr. Muzaffar, and was tasked with assembling the Rocket IED. To facilitate the construction, Dr. Umar Nabi supplied funds and two drones to Bilal, while Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar provided raw materials including potassium nitrate and sugar. Relying on tutorials and assistance from ChatGPT and YouTube, Bilal successfully constructed the Rocket IED. The group comprising Dr. Umar, Dr. Muzammil, Dr. Muzaffar Ahmad Rathar, and Bilal Jaseer Wani planned a test launch of the drone assisted Rocket IED in the Qazigund forest area of Anantnag. However, due to internal disagreements, the planned test in the deep woods of Qazigund was aborted, and the Rocket IED was buried deep inside the forest on the instructions of Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar.

Failed Drone Modifications Lead To Forest Cache And Cylinder IED Test

The NIA further detailed that Umar had directed Bilal to expand the flight range of the two drones so they could cover longer distances. When Bilal failed to modify their range, he returned one drone to Umar and buried the second one in the Qazigund forest after it malfunctioned during testing. During the investigation, NIA teams successfully recovered both the buried Rocket IED and the drone from the depths of the Qazigund forest. Abandoning the Rocket IED test, Bilal instead fabricated a cylinder IED, which was successfully test-detonated in the Youshmarg forest of Anantnag in the presence of Dr. Umar, Dr. Muzammil, and Dr. Adil Ahmad Rathar. Based on disclosures made by Adil, the NIA later retrieved fragments of the tested cylinder IED from the Youshmarg forest site.

Bomb Experts Confirm Lethality In Dummy Simulation Test

To verify Bilal's technical capability, the NIA conducted a practical test in the presence of BDDS expert using non-explosive dummy materials. Bilal constructed a functional non-explosive dummy Rocket IED using iron pipes, putty, wires, sugar, batteries, a blower coil, and salt. Bomb experts evaluated the dummy device and concluded that if the same design were assembled using active explosive materials, it would possess severe lethality, causing massive property destruction alongside fatal injuries and casualties within its blast radius.

E-Commerce Buys Paved Way For 'Shoe Bomb' Trigger Used In Red Fort Attack

The NIA chargesheet also revealed that between December 15, 2023, and January 24, 2024, Bilal used funds provided by Dr. Umar to purchase several components online via Flipkart. The purchases included inductive proximity sensor switches to serve as triggers, a heat gun to melt and shape plastic or metal components, and piezo plates designed to generate electricity and voltage under physical pressure. Shifting his focus from rocket testing to developing alternative IED mechanisms, Bilal adapted the piezo plate for explosive use and delivered the concept to Umar as a "foot bomb" or "shoe bomb." Under this design, the IED could be triggered by stepping on or applying foot pressure to the embedded piezo plate. The NIA established that Dr. Umar utilized this exact shoe-embedded, piezo-plate-triggered IED to execute the blast at the Red Fort on November 10, a finding further corroborated by NIA and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) forensic reports that detected metallic fragments inside one of Dr. Umar's shoes after the explosion.