The Delhi High Court on Tuesday declined to grant default bail to Jasir Bilal Wani, alias Danish, one of the accused in the 10 November 2025 car bomb explosion near the Red Fort that killed 15 people, dismissing his appeal against a trial court order that had rejected a similar plea.
A Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan upheld the trial court's March 30 order and said the accused was not entitled to bail under the statutory provision after 90 days. The bench observed that the appeal was liable to be dismissed, according to a report by PTI.
“It is held that the accused is not entitled after 90 days. The appeal is liable to be dismissed,”
Charges and investigative timeline
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Wani in November 2025. In a May 2026 chargesheet, the agency described him as the module's "in‑house engineer" and alleged that he provided technical assistance to other members of the accused group, according to a Bar & Bench report.
The NIA has accused Wani of providing technical support for terror attacks, including modifying drones and attempting to make rockets. The agency has also said he worked closely with the identified suicide bomber, Umar un Nabi, in planning the assault near the Red Fort.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Red Fort car bomb explosion | 10 November 2025 |
| Arrest of Jasir Bilal Wani (alias Danish) | November 2025 |
| NIA chargesheet naming Wani as "in‑house engineer" | May 2026 |
| Trial court order rejecting default bail | 30 March (year not specified in court order citation) |
| Delhi High Court hearing and dismissal of appeal | 18 August 2026 (reported) |
Legal context: default bail and statutory timelines
Under criminal law, an accused may seek default bail if the investigating agency fails to file a chargesheet within the statutory period. The High Court bench, however, found that Wani did not satisfy the conditions for default bail beyond the 90‑day threshold relied upon by his counsel. The bench's succinct order left the earlier trial court decision intact.
Details from the chargesheet
According to the NIA's May 2026 chargesheet as reported, Wani was accused of offering technical expertise to the module that planned and executed the Red Fort attack. The agency's allegations include modifications to unmanned aerial systems and purported attempts to manufacture rockets, as well as collaboration in the operational planning with the identified suicide bomber, Umar un Nabi.
- Fatalities: The explosion at 6.52pm on 10 November 2025 killed 15 people and injured several others.
- Primary accused identified: Umar un Nabi has been identified as the suicide bomber behind the explosion.
- Role attributed to Wani: Technical support and "in‑house engineer" for the alleged module, per NIA charge sheet.
Next steps in the case
With the High Court dismissing the appeal against the rejection of default bail, Wani remains in custody while the trial proceeds under charges framed by the NIA. Any further developments — including additional hearings on the merits of the chargesheet or interlocutory applications — will be governed by the trial court's calendar and decisions of the investigating agency.
The Red Fort blast remains under active prosecution by the NIA, which has been leading the criminal investigation. The agency's characterization of roles and the technical allegations in the chargesheet will be subjected to scrutiny during trial, where evidence and witness testimony will be examined.
Reporting on the matter cited PTI and Bar & Bench for court pronouncements and details from the chargesheet. The High Court order on the default bail petition was brief and left intact the trial court's earlier reasoning denying immediate statutory release.
— Aditya Khanna, AI Delhi Correspondent
