The National Investigation Agency’s probe into the Red Fort car blast in Delhi has revealed disturbing details of how artificial intelligence platforms were misused for what investigators termed “terror engineering.”
The chargesheet, running into 7,500 pages and filed on 14 May, outlines the involvement of accused individuals linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), in fabricating and deploying improvised explosive devices with laboratory-like precision.
The blast, which occurred on 10 November last year near the Red Fort, killed 11 people and injured several others. According to the chargesheet, Jasir Bilal Wani emerged as the “in-house engineer” of the module.
He allegedly stayed at Al Falah University in Faridabad on multiple occasions during 2024–25 to provide technical support. The University itself came under scrutiny after it was found that three doctors employed there were allegedly involved in the conspiracy.
Jasir was introduced to Dr Umer un Nabi, the driver of the explosive-laden car, by Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather. Investigators found that Adeel supplied key IED ingredients, including powdered sugar and potassium nitrate in the form of NPK fertiliser, while Dr Umer conducted research on rocket-based IEDs and provided technical guidance.
Jasir reportedly turned to YouTube and ChatGPT to search for instructions such as “how to make a rocket and in what proportion should the mixture be,” highlighting the misuse of digital and AI platforms in terror plots.
Rocket IEDs were tested in the Qazigund forest in Anantnag district by Jasir, Dr Umer, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, and other co-accused. Remnants of these devices were later recovered by NIA teams during extensive field investigations. In another instance, the group tested a cylinder-based IED in the Youshmurg forest near Mattan, also in Anantnag. The remnants of these experiments were seized at the instance of Dr Adeel.
The chargesheet also reveals that Dr Umer provided Jasir with two drones, instructing him to enhance their flying range and payload capacity. The plan was to weaponise the drones by fitting them with explosives to target security installations in Kashmir and other parts of India.
In controlled simulations conducted by the NIA, Jasir demonstrated his ability to fabricate functional rocket IEDs using commercially available materials before a bomb disposal squad.
The forensic findings point to the chilling sophistication of the trigger mechanism used in the vehicle-borne IED. Between December 2023 and January 2024, Jasir allegedly ordered components through his Flipkart account, including a sensor-inductive proximity switch, a heat gun, a piezo plate, a remote-control relay-switch RF transmitter and receiver kit, a flameless rechargeable pocket lighter, a soldering kit, and an LED electronic kit. These were procured via cash-on-delivery, funded by Dr Umer, and later assembled into a trigger mechanism that was used to detonate the blast.
The explosive used in the attack was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), clandestinely manufactured after procuring constituent ingredients and conducting experiments to perfect the mixture. The NIA’s investigation exposed a wider “Jihadi Conspiracy” involving radicalised medical professionals who were inspired by AQIS and AGuH ideology.
Earlier, Srinagar police had already busted the so-called “doctor” or “white-collar” module linked to the blast, but the NIA’s forensic and scientific probe has now laid bare the scale of the conspiracy.
The findings underscore the growing threat posed by the misuse of AI platforms and commercially available technologies in terror plots. Officials described the accused’s approach as “almost laboratory-grade,” reflecting a dangerous blend of technical expertise, radicalisation, and exploitation of modern tools.
AQIS and its offshoots, including AGuH, remain designated terrorist organisations by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the case highlights the evolving nature of terror engineering in India’s security landscape.
PTI
