12112025-TTC-01.qxd 11/12/2025 12:43 AM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 9 NO. 312 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2024-2026 ESTABLISHED IN 1881 COP30 PRAISES INDIA, CHINA FOR PUSHING CLEAN ENERGY WORLD /thetribunechd PB, HRY FARM FIRES TO BLAME FOR POOR NCR AIR, SC TOLD NATION VIVO DOMINATES INDIAN SMARTPHONE MARKET BUSINESS INDIA SEEKS BALANCED TRADE AGREEMENT WITH US BACK PAGE wednesday | 12 november 2025 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Terror Act invoked as NIA takes over blast probe Won’t spare plotters: PM’s stern warning Initial investigation hints at Faridabad module, no foreign hand | Shah chairs twin meetings Animesh Singh & Rahul Gahlawat Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 11 A preliminary investigation into the car blast near the Red Fort in Delhi has not found any visible involvement of a foreign-based terror organisation and has hinted at the role of the Faridabad-based terror module. The death toll in the incident rose to 13 on Tuesday. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe on Tuesday after a case was registered under the antiterror Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The NIA is likely to comb various parts of Haryana in the coming days in connection with the case. Highly placed sources said NIA chief Sadanand Date might also visit Haryana soon as part of the probe. A team of the anti-terror agency reached Faridabad on Tuesday evening. In a related development, the city police arrested 13 persons in connection with the case. The initial probe has revealed that the explosion was caused by the suspect in panic and desperation due to the raids carried out by the security agencies earlier in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama to nab suspected terror module members, the sources said. The raids had led to the recovery of significant quantities of explosives. This is Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service Officials of the Delhi Police, NIA, NSG and FSL collect evidence from the area around the scene of the blast near the Red Fort in New Delhi. MANAS RANJAN BHUI PM MODI TO CHAIR CCS MEET TODAY WILL HUNT DOWN CULPRITS, SAYS SHAH EXTENSIVE SEARCH OP IN FARIDABAD India’s top security review body, the Cabinet Committee on Security, will meet on Wednesday to take stock of the situation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the meeting, which will also discuss the status of probes into the blast and take a call on the way forward. After chairing two security review meetings, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said he had instructed security agencies to hunt down each and every culprit behind the blast. “Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies,” Shah wrote on X. A day after the arrest of terror-module operatives, the Faridabad police on Tuesday launched an extensive combing and search operation in the Dhauj area. The police questioned more than 50 persons, but denied having detained anyone as reported in a section of media. PAK ISSUES NOTAM, PUTS FORCES ON ALERT | CAB DRIVER, SHOP OWNER AMONG VICTIMS PAGE 9 believed to have led the suspect to act hastily under mounting pressure, especially after 2,900 kg explosives along with detonators, timers and other bomb-making material were caught. The sources said the bomb was not fully developed, thus limiting the impact. The Tri- bune had reported that the explosion did not create a crater on the spot and no shrapnels were found. They said due to pan-India alertness and coordinated crackdown on the suspected terror module, a major attack was continued on page 8 edit: terror alert New Delhi, November 11 A day after a deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort shook the nation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday vowed that those behind the “heinous conspiracy” would be brought to justice. Speaking in Bhutan during an event to mark the 70th birth anniversary of the Bhutan King’s father, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the PM opened his address on a sombre note, saying he was attending the ceremony “with a very heavy heart”. “The horrific incident that occurred in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. Today, the entire nation stands with them,” Modi said. The PM said he had been in touch with security and intelligence agencies. “I was in contact with all the agencies probing the incident and with all the important people throughout last night. Discussions were ongoing. Information was being pieced together,” he said. Assuring the nation that the perpetrators would face the full force of law, he said, “Our agencies will get to the bottom WILL ENSURE JUSTICE Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought tojustice.Narendra Modi, PRIME MINISTER ❝ of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice.” The strong statement came amid a sweeping investigation into the Red Fort blast, which has triggered a nationwide security alert. Multiple agencies, including the NIA and Delhi Police’s Special Cell, are coordinating efforts to identify those behind the attack. Modi’s remarks from Bhutan carried both gravitas and symbolism, delivered at continued on page 9 ‘Bomber’ waited in car for 3 hrs before Missing Pulwama doc ‘was behind the wheel’ WAS WORKING AT blast as police trace i20’s 11-hour trail FARIDABAD HOSPITAL Adil Akhzer Rahul Gahlawat & Ujwal Jalali Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 11 In one of the most chilling reconstructions of a terror strike in the national capital in recent years, investigators have pieced together the 11hour trail of the car that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday evening, revealing that the suspected bomber sat inside the parked vehicle for nearly three hours before the blast. The car, a white Hyundai i20 believed to have been Delhi’sAQI touches 425; GRAP-3 curbs imposed in NCR New Delhi, November 11 Delhi’s air quality, which was in the “very poor” category for the past several days, slipped into the “severe” zone, with the overall air quality index (AQI) touching 425 early Tuesday. The Commission for Air Quality Management enforced restrictions under Stage-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across the National Capital Region (NCR) with immediate effect. Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said the government was tackling the crisis on a “mission mode”. — TNS A CCTV grab of the suspect and the car involved in the blast. PTI driven by Dr Umer un-Nabi, a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, travelled from Faridabad in Haryana to the Red Fort area before erupting in a massive explosion. The blast, now suspected to be a suicide attack, left at least a dozen people dead and several others critically injured. According to investigators, CCTV footage shows the car beginning its journey around 7.30 am near Asian Hospital in Faridabad. About 45 minutes later, it was captured at the Badarpur toll plaza, entering the national capital. The lone occupant, wearing a mask, could be clearly seen behind the wheel. continued on page 9 The father of Dr Umer un-Nabi, who is suspected to have driven the car that exploded near the Red Fort, being detained by the police in Pulwama. PTI Pulwama, November 11 A doctor from Kashmir, who was working at a hospital in Haryana and was on the run after the J&K Police busted a “white-collar” inter-state terror module, is the likely suspect who was driving the i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort in Delhi on Monday evening, killing 12 persons and injuring several others. Police sources told The Tribune on Tuesday that the investigation had indicated that the blast in Delhi was “linked” to the terror module. They said Dr Umer un-Nabi, who was working with a pri- ■ Sources said Dr Umer un-Nabi, who was working with a private hospital — Al-Falah University — at Dhauj in Faridabad, went into hiding soon after Dr Muzamil Ahmad Ganai, his university colleague, was arrested ■ Muzamil’s arrest had led to the recovery of over 2,900 kg of material, used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), in Faridabad. Both doctors belong to Koil town of Pulwama in South Kashmir vate hospital — Al-Falah University — at Dhauj in Faridabad, went into hiding soon continued on page 9 HC:Regulariseasst profsworkingfor12 yearsinPUcolleges CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered regularisation of contractual assistant professors serving for more than 12 years in colleges of Panjab University. Justice Jagmohan Bansal ruled that the petitioners, who were appointed in 2012 after undergoing a due selection process against sanctioned posts, were not “backdoor entrants” and could not be denied regularisation. INSIDE Himachal BJP MLA HansRajgetsbailin sexual abuse case CHAMBA: A Chamba court on Tuesday granted interim bail to three-time BJP legislator from Churah, Hans Raj, in a sexual exploitation case and directed him to join the investigation. The court restrained the police from arresting the MLA till November 22. Hans Raj had moved court after he was booked under Section 6 of POCSO Act and Section 69 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. INSIDE Dharmendrastable, stopspreadingfalse news, says family MUMBAI: Dharmendra is “stable and recovering”, the veteran actor's family said on Tuesday, urging the media to stop circulating false news about his health. The 89-year-old star continues to remain under observation at a Mumbai hospital. Earlier in the day, there were several news reports about Dharmendra's death but daughter Esha Deol dismissed them in a post on Instagram. — PTI Nithari convict Koli to Bihar exit polls predict big win for walk free as SC acquits NDA, Jan Suraaj makes no impact COUNTING OF VOTES ON NOVEMBER 14 himin last pending case Shekhar Singh Tribune News Service that meets the legal stanTribune News Service dards,” the Bench said. New Delhi, November 11 “The petitioner is acquitted The Supreme Court on Tues- of the charges. He shall be day acquitted Surendra Koli released forthwith,” Justice in one of the Nithari murder Nath said, pronouncing the cases by allowing his curative verdict on his curative petition. petition challenging his conThe Bench recalled and set viction, paving the way for his aside its judgment dated Februrelease. Koli has ary 15, 2011 that already been acquitupheld his conviction ted in other Nithari and the October 28, killing cases. 2014 order which disA three-judge Bench missed his review petiof CJI BR Gavai, Justion. It also set aside tice Surya Kant and the Session Court’s Justice Vikram Nath, February 13, 2009 and which had on October October 11, 2009 judgSurinder Koli 7 while reserving its ments in the case. verdict on Koli’s curative petiA judicially-devised mechation, said his petition nism in Rupa Ashok Hurra vs “deserves to be allowed”, Ashok Hurra in 2002, curative acquitted him in the last petitions are considered to be remaining case against him. the last hope for a litigant to “It is a matter of deep regret get justice. Generally, a curathat despite prolonged inves- tive petition is not taken up in tigation, the identity of the open court and is entertained continued on page 8 actual perpetrator has not edit: nithari acquittal been established in a manner Satya Prakash New Delhi, November 11 The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) appears headed for a convincing return to power in Bihar, all exit polls indicated on Tuesday. The real verdict will come when votes are counted on November 14. Projections suggested a clear and decisive edge for the BJP , JD(U), LJP HAM and RLM com, bine over the opposition RJD, Congress, Left and VIP Mahagathbandhan (MGB).The average of nine exit polls showed the NDA crossing the halfway mark (122) comfortably with 148 seats in the 243-member Assembly and the grand alliance trailing at 88 seats. The remaining seven seats are expected to be shared among smaller parties, including Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party (JSP). continued on page 8 BIHAR BATTLE EXIT POLL ANALYST NDA MGB JSP OTH Chanakya Strategies 130-138 100-108 0 3-5 Dainik Bhaskar 145-160 73-91 0-3 5-10 ■ Times Now-JVC 135-150 88-103 0 3-7 ■ People’s Insight 133-148 87-102 0-2 3-6 ■ Matrize-IANS 147-167 70-90 0-2 2-6 POLL OF NDA MGB JSP OTH ■ ■ POLLS (AVERAGE PROJECTION) 60.95% turnout in Tarn 148 88 2 5 Taran; polling peaceful MAJORITY MARK 122 69% voting in 2nd phase, 76% in Muslim-majority Kishanganj Dipak Mishra T HE second and final phase of polling for 122 of the 243 Assembly seats saw Bihar break its own record on Tuesday, witnessing a turnout of nearly 69 per cent. Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Singh Gunjiyal said the c m y b A security man keeps vigil as voters arrive to cast their ballot at a polling station during the Budgam Assembly byelection in J&K on Tuesday. PTI state recorded a tentative 68.79 per cent voter turnout. “The percentage may rise as we are yet to receive data from several booths,” he said. Gunjiyal said in both phases, the state had registered a turnout of 66.90 per cent compared to 57.29 per cent in 2020. continued on page 8 Manmeet Singh Gill Tribune News Service Amritsar, November 11 The much-watched byelection in the Tarn Taran Assembly segment concluded this evening with nearly 60.95 per cent voter turnout recorded till 6 pm. In comparison, the turnout during the 2022 Assembly elections stood at 65.90 per cent. The polling process remained largely peaceful, although the day was not with- HEAVY VOTING IN J&K The Budgam and Nagrota bypoll in Jammu and Kashmir saw high turnout of 50.02 per cent and 75.08 per cent, respectively. Voting passed off peacefully in both seats. out controversy as the SAD accused the ruling AAP of using the police to intimidate its workers. SAD leaders alleged that police officials frisked their workers stationed continued on page 8