The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered several deleted WhatsApp chats from the mobile phone of Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather, one of the key accused in the Delhi car blast case. These messages from 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th September, give a new twist to the probe and point towards a larger funding network behind the attack.
According to the reports, the chat logs show Adeel repeatedly messaging his handler for money. He keeps asking for his “advance salary” and urgently pleads for funds, indicating his desperation. Investigators now believe these payments may be directly linked to the planning of the blast.
Officials say the total money involved in the attack was about ₹26 lakh, out of which nearly ₹8 lakh was arranged by Adeel himself. During questioning, co-accused Muzammil told the NIA, “We used to call Adeel the treasurer. He was the one who arranged the funds.” This has strengthened the suspicion that Adeel played a central role in collecting and managing the money used for the conspiracy.
The recovered chats reflect Adeel’s rising anxiety. Notably, he used the word ‘salary’ while asking for payments. As a doctor, Adeel earned a respectable salary, but still he was repeatedly pleading for ‘salary’ through the chats. The messages were sent to an unidentified superior at the hospital in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur where he was working.
On 5th September, he wrote, “Good afternoon sir. I had requested for my salary to be credited. I need the money urgently. Please transfer it to my account like last time.”
On 6th September, he again messaged early in the morning: “Good morning sir, please do it. I’ll be grateful.”
By 7th September, his desperation became more visible as he wrote: “Sir, I need the salary as soon as possible… I need money… please, it will help me a lot.”
On 9th September, he again begged: “Please do it tomorrow… I really need the money, sir.”
Digital forensic experts have recovered these messages successfully, giving NIA stronger evidence about the funding chain. Agencies are now examining whether this money trail has any connections to Pakistan-based handlers.
Adeel’s role in uncovering the Faridabad terror module
Adeel’s background has also surprised investigators. He was working as a doctor at a hospital in Saharanpur, and before that he was a senior resident doctor at the Government Medical College in Anantnag. CCTV footage from 27th October had captured him putting up Jaish-e-Mohammed posters in Srinagar. During interrogation, he confessed details that led to the recovery of ammonium nitrate from Faridabad. An AK-47 rifle was also found in his locker.
NIA chief said these chats are “crucial evidence” and will help expose the bigger network. The case is linked to the Faridabad terror module, from which several high-profile operatives, including doctors, have been arrested. One of them, Umar, had blown himself up near Delhi’s Red Fort.