Red Fort car explosion: Adil repeatedly sought money, reveal deleted chats

Investigative agencies have recovered a set of deleted WhatsApp chats from one of the Red Fort blast accused, Dr Adil Ahmed Rather, indicating that he was repeatedly requesting the release of his monthly salary in the days leading up to his arrest, officials familiar with the probe said.

According to investigators, the chats — exchanged between September 5 and 9 — show Adil urgently asking the management of his hospital, where he worked, to credit his pending salary. The investigators are examining whether the funds he was trying to obtain were linked in any way to the financing of the blast conspiracy.

In a September 5 message, also seen by The Tribune, Adil wrote, “Good afternoon sir. I had requested for my salary to be credited… I really need the money.”

He followed up the next day with, “Good morning sir, please do it. I will be grateful to you.” On September 7, he again pressed for payment, saying he needed his salary “as soon as possible”, and on September 9 requested that it be done “tomorrow”, citing urgent need.

Officials said the chats suggest Adil was under financial stress even as his monthly salary was more than Rs 4 lakh. Investigators are analysing these conversations alongside other material recovered from his phone, including documents, travel records and account details.

Adil is considered a significant link in the module under investigation. He was first detained by the J&K Police on November 6 for allegedly putting up Jaish-e-Mohammad posters, after which further raids were conducted across Delhi and Faridabad, leading to the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives and the arrest of Dr Muzammil.

During questioning, Muzammil is learnt to have told investigators that Adil handled certain financial responsibilities within the group, referring to him as the “treasurer”.

Officials said they were now probing whether the money Adil was trying to secure formed part of the approximately Rs 26 lakh believed to have been used in the blast. Adil is suspected to have contributed about Rs 8 lakh.

The financial trail is expected to play a key role in piecing together the wider conspiracy.