Delhi blast co-conspirator Jasir Bilal, also known as Danish, was arrested from Srinagar and has emerged as a crucial figure in the Red Fort blast investigation. According to officials, he was initially selected to execute the suicide attack but refused at the last moment.
A resident of Qazigund in Anantnag, Bilal had been radicalised by Red Fort car bomber Dr Umar Nabi, who also relied on him for technical assistance.
Bilal, a political science student, had been under Umar’s influence since 2023. Arrested doctors revealed during interrogation that he was prepared for a suicide bombing for nearly two years.
However, when the terror module instructed him to carry out the attack this year, he refused, insisting that “suicide is a sin in Islam.”
Dr Umar Advocated Suicide Bombing in New Video
In stark contrast, Umar was seen justifying suicide attacks in a video that surfaced today. Speaking in fluent English, he claimed that suicide bombing is misunderstood and reframed it as a “martyrdom operation,” offering a revealing look into his radicalised mindset.
Bilal met the Jaish-linked terror module at a mosque in Kulgam in October 2023. Soon after, he was taken to a rented flat near Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where Umar — an assistant professor there — spent months attempting to indoctrinate him.
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The plan collapsed in April 2025 when Bilal backed out, citing two reasons: his severe financial distress and his belief that suicide was forbidden. While other members were willing to place him in an over-ground worker (OGW) role, Umar insisted on using him as a suicide bomber.
Umar Became the Bomber After Bilal Refused
Following the refusal, investigators believe Umar chose to become the suicide bomber himself. He allegedly drove the explosive-laden car that detonated near the Red Fort in Delhi on November 10, killing 14 people.
DNA samples from human remains in the car matched those of Umar’s mother, conclusively confirming his identity.
Bilal’s interrogation came after the arrest of other co-accused doctors — Dr Adeel Rather and Dr Muzaffar Ganaie — and helped Srinagar Police unravel the wider interstate terror network linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
In a tragic development, Bilal’s father, Bilal Wani, a dry fruit seller, was summoned for questioning after his son’s detention. Overcome with despair and repeatedly denied permission to meet his son and brother, he set himself on fire.
He suffered critical burn injuries and was moved from Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, where he later died.
