Red Fort Blast Suspect Sought Advance Salary: Investigation Deepens

Weeks before the explosive device detonated near Delhi’s Red Fort, a primary suspect, Dr. Adeel Ahmed Rather, was actively seeking an advance on his salary due to what he described as a ‘dire need of money’. WhatsApp messages recovered from his phone after his arrest on November 6th shed light on his financial predicament. These conversations from early September 2025 indicate that Dr. Adeel was in urgent need of funds, repeatedly asking for his salary to be paid in advance. Investigators are now exploring the possibility that these funds were intended to finance the terrorist act. Having joined a hospital in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in March 2025, Dr. Adeel’s pleas suggest a level of desperation that has raised red flags. The recovered chats show him expressing his urgent requirement for money multiple times over several days. Law enforcement is piecing together evidence, including his alleged substantial contribution to the Rs 26 lakh reportedly used in the blast and his supposed role as treasurer, to understand the full extent of his financial involvement in the conspiracy.