Delhi blast probe: 2 months before explosion, key accused made multiple requests for salary advance

Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, identified as one of the four key suspects by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the 'white-collar terror network', reportedly made multiple urgent appeals for a salary advance around two months before the Delhi car bombing near the Red Fort, as per the WhatsApp chats accessed by India Today TV. Investigators say these requests are now part of the ongoing probe into how the attack was financed, after Adeel was identified as one of four key suspects.

Fourteen people died and dozens were injured when an explosive-laden Hyundai i20 detonated on a busy road, with the blast occurring just hours after a large cache of explosives was discovered at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. Police quickly linked the materials and the suspects to a sophisticated, multi-state plot spanning several locations.

Sources state that Adeel contributed Rs 8 lakh of the Rs 26 lakh spent on the blast. During interrogation, co-accused Muzammil Shakeel referred to Adeel as "the treasurer." The NIA has identified Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganai, Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, Dr Shaheen Saeed, and Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay as central figures in the case.

Adeel, a former senior resident at the Government Medical College in Anantnag, reportedly moved to a hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur in March 2025. Despite having a stable income, his deleted WhatsApp messages, later recovered by police, show a repeated pattern of seeking financial help.

Between September 5 and September 9, Adeel sent a series of messages to an unnamed superior. One message read, "Good afternoon, sir... I requested a salary credit... Will be a great help, sir... in dire need of money."

In a subsequent message, he wrote, "Please deposit it into my account, sir... The account I provided earlier." On September 6, he added, "Good morning, sir, please do it... I'll be grateful," further highlighting the urgency of his requests.

By the following day, Adeel’s texts intensified: "Need salary as soon as possible, sir... in need of money... Please, it would be a great help." His last message on September 9 reiterated, "Please do it tomorrow... I’m in very need, sir."

Following his arrest, authorities recovered an AK-56 rifle and ammunition from an old locker at the Anantnag medical college. The National Medical Commission has cancelled the registrations of Adeel and the other doctors linked to the module. The investigation remains ongoing as officials seek to map the full extent of the operation.