NEW DELHI, May 24: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its chargesheet in the Red Fort area car blast case, has alleged that an accused linked to an offshoot of global terror outfit Al-Qaida misused artificial intelligence platforms, including ChatGPT, for “terror engineering”.
According to official sources, the accused also fabricated and tested rocket Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in the forests of Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The findings form part of a 7,500-page chargesheet filed by the NIA on May 14 in connection with the high-intensity vehicle-borne IED blast near the Red Fort area in Delhi on November 10 last year.
The chargesheet, submitted before a special NIA court, details what investigators described as a “laboratory-grade” approach adopted by the accused in fabricating and testing explosive devices.
The NIA identified one of the accused, Jasir Bilal Wani, as the “in-house engineer” of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) interim terror module linked to Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
According to the agency, Jasir allegedly searched YouTube and ChatGPT for information on “how to make a rocket and in what proportion should the mixture be”, indicating misuse of digital and AI platforms for terror-related activities.
Investigators said Jasir prepared rocket IEDs and tested them in Qazigund forests along with co-accused Dr Umer un Nabi, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and others. Remnants of the devices were later recovered by NIA teams during field investigations.
The chargesheet stated that Dr Umer, described as another key accused and driver of the explosive-laden car, had conducted research on improvised rocket IEDs and provided technical guidance.
The explosion allegedly killed 11 people and injured several others.
The probe further revealed that Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather allegedly supplied IED ingredients, including powdered sugar and potassium nitrate in the form of NPK fertiliser, to Jasir.
The NIA also alleged that Dr Umer provided Jasir with two drones and instructed him to improve their flying range and payload capacity with plans to weaponise them for attacks on security installations in Kashmir and other parts of the country.
Investigators said the group also tested cylinder-based IEDs in the Youshmurg forest near Mattan in Anantnag, with remnants later seized by NIA teams.
As part of the probe, Jasir allegedly demonstrated before bomb disposal experts how to fabricate functional rocket IEDs using commercially available materials.
The agency said Jasir ordered components for trigger mechanisms through his Flipkart account between December 2023 and January 2024, including proximity switches, relay kits, soldering tools and electronic components, allegedly funded by Dr Umer.
These components were later assembled and used in the vehicle-borne IED blast near the Red Fort area, the chargesheet stated.
The NIA said the explosive used in the blast was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), allegedly manufactured clandestinely after conducting experiments to perfect the mixture.
The agency further claimed that several accused, including medical professionals, were radicalised by AQIS/AGuH ideology and were part of a wider “jihadi conspiracy” uncovered during the investigation. (Agencies)
