India

Intelligence for Better Decision Making

NIA Cracks Down on Jaish-e-Mohammed Cell After Deadly Red Fort Car Bombing
Dec. 11, 2025 | Non-Interstate Conflict & Security

The National Investigation Agency has intensified its crackdown on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror cell following the November 10 car bomb attack near Delhi’s Red Fort.

**The NIA arrested Dr.**
Bilal Naseer Malla from Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, as the eighth suspect in the attack that killed 15 people and injured several others. Charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, he provided shelter and logistical support to the suicide bomber and destroyed evidence linked to the conspiracy.

**Investigators say that Dr.**
Bilal harboured Dr. Umar Un Nabi—a native of Jammu and Kashmir and former employee at Faridabad’s Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre—before the bombing. They allege he helped conceal materials that would have tied the plot back to its handlers.

**The probe focuses on a Jaish-e-Mohammed module recruiting radicalised professionals, particularly white-collar workers.**
Jammu and Kashmir Police first uncovered the network while investigating Jaish posters threatening security personnel in Srinagar’s Nowgam area. That inquiry led to the October 19 arrests of Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar, followed by the detention of a cleric known as “Mufti Sahab,” exposing the plot’s religious and ideological underpinnings.

**Before Dr.**
Bilal’s arrest, the NIA had already detained seven individuals: medical professionals Dr. Muzzamil Ganaie, Dr. Adeel Rather, and Dr. Shaheena Sayeed; religious preacher Maulvi Irfan; and two associates, Amir Rashid Ali and Jasir Bilal Wani (alias Danish). Investigators determined that Umar Un Nabi used Amir Rashid Ali’s identity to acquire the vehicle laden with explosives.

**Authorities also linked this terror module to a major cache of explosive material in Faridabad.**
Working with Uttar Pradesh and Haryana forces, Jammu and Kashmir Police seized about 2,900 kilograms of volatile chemicals at Al Falah University shortly before the Red Fort bombing. On November 15, an accidental detonation of the recovered materials killed nine people, including forensic and police officials handling the evidence.

**Based on intelligence from these suspects, the NIA has carried out coordinated raids in multiple locations, including Mattan in Anantnag, southern Kashmir.**
It continues collaborating with central and state investigative agencies, along with the J&K State Investigation Agency in Srinagar, to map the full extent of the conspiracy and identify everyone involved in planning and executing the attack.

**Dr.**
Bilal Naseer Malla appeared before a court and was remanded to NIA custody for seven days. Investigators also secured a seven-day custody extension for Amir Rashid Ali as they build prosecutable cases against all members of the Jaish-linked network.
Supreme Court Clarifies Citizenship Application Under CAA and Electoral Roll Procedures
Dec. 11, 2025 | Governance & Law

India’s Supreme Court has delineated the procedures for acquiring citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and clarified the Election Commission’s role in electoral roll revisions.

**On December 9, 2025, the Supreme Court affirmed that religious minority migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh cannot automatically acquire Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.**
Chief Justice Surya Kant emphasized that the Act grants only the right to apply for citizenship; it does not itself confer citizenship. He directed that each applicant prove minority status in the country of origin, establish legal residence in India, and document their status on entry. Authorities may grant citizenship only after verifying these statutory requirements.

**An NGO, Aatmadeep, challenged administrative delays in issuing citizenship certificates and protested the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of West Bengal’s electoral rolls.**
It argued that refusing to accept acknowledgment receipts for CAA applications and dragging out procedures risked rendering beneficiaries stateless and disenfranchised despite Parliament’s explicit protection of these groups. In response, the Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Union Government, and the West Bengal State Election Commission, seeking explanations for procedural hurdles faced by CAA applicants. Further hearings the following week will examine how naturalization, once granted, could facilitate inclusion of these individuals in the electoral rolls, subject to verification and legal procedures.

**The Court also directed the Election Commission to justify why it exempted Assam voters from documentary proof requirements during the roll revision, while enforcing such proof in other states.**
Given Assam’s history of illegal migration from Bangladesh, the Bench demanded an explanation by December 16, 2025.

**In a separate public interest litigation over interim inclusion of CAA beneficiaries in West Bengal’s voter list, the Court ruled that voting rights cannot precede formal citizenship and refused to allow interim electoral participation.**
The Bench urged the government to expedite citizenship application scrutiny and indicated that the Attorney General or Solicitor General may assist at the next hearing on December 17, 2025.

**Clarifying the Election Commission’s role, the Court stated that determining citizenship status falls to the government or Foreigners Tribunals, not to the Commission.**
However, the Commission may investigate cases of doubtful voter eligibility. The Court reaffirmed that constitutional citizenship remains the sole prerequisite for voting under the Representation of the People Act, distinct from statutory requirements of residence and age, and rejected arguments that a self-declaration and proof of residence suffice. It warned that without an inquisitorial function to verify citizenship, voter lists risk including illegal migrants.

Monitored Intelligence for India - Dec. 12, 2025


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Erudite Risk takes an all risks approach to intelligence reporting. We categorize key intelligence into one of 40 different risk intelligence categories.

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Seminal Decision of the Delhi High Court on Constitution of Service Permanent Establishment

Vaish Associates Advocates | English | AcademicThink | Dec. 12, 2025 | UndeterminedLegal Exposure

The Delhi High Court, in the case of CIT v. Clifford Chance Pte. Ltd. (ITA No. 353/2025 and 354/2025), ruled that the tax authorities cannot apply the concept of Virtual Service Permanent Establishment (PE) in the absence of a specific clause in the India-Singapore Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA). This decision prevents taxing the profits of a non-resident taxpayer in India based on a Virtual Service PE notion not recognized by the treaty.

Additionally, the Court clarified the computation of days spent in India for constituting a Service PE under Article 5(6)(a) of the DTAA. It held that days during which the taxpayer’s employees were on vacation or engaged in business development activities should be excluded from the count. This interpretation impacts how the duration threshold for Service PE is calculated under the treaty.

India among nations hit as Mexico raises import duties up to 50%

Hindu Business Line | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

Mexico’s Senate has approved tariff increases of up to 50% on imports from China and several Asian countries, including India, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia, starting in 2026. This move aims to protect and promote domestic manufacturing amid opposition from business groups and foreign governments.

The tariff hikes will mainly range up to 35% and will affect a variety of goods such as automobiles, auto parts, textiles, clothing, plastics, and steel. These increases will apply to imports from countries that do not have existing trade agreements with Mexico. The legislation had already been passed by the lower house before receiving Senate approval.

Lack of coercive action, Supreme Court order saw end-of-life vehicles still ply capital roads: CAQM tells top court

The Hindu | English | News | Dec. 12, 2025 | Regulation

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) informed the Supreme Court that over 63 lakh end-of-life vehicles continue to operate on the roads of the national capital, significantly contributing to air pollution. CAQM attributed this to inadequate coercive action by authorities and a Supreme Court order from August 12 that lifted restrictions on these vehicles. While the number of vehicles impounded in Delhi rose to 35,558 by June 2025, progress in removing old petrol and diesel vehicles from the National Capital Region (NCR) remains unsatisfactory.

The Commission highlighted that many vehicles with Bharat Stage (BS) emission standards II, III, and I, which exceed 15 to 24 years in age, are still on the roads despite their high pollution potential. CAQM emphasized that vehicle fitness is tied to emissions aligned with BS standards, and restricting vehicles with poor emission standards is crucial, especially during winter when pollution dispersion is poor in Delhi-NCR. Approximately 93% of vehicles in the NCR are light motor vehicles and two-wheelers, making their regulation vital to air quality.

CAQM has directed that, starting November 1, 2026, no buses other than CNG, electric, or BS-VI diesel buses (excluding those registered in Delhi) should enter the capital. Additionally, state governments in Delhi and the NCR have been instructed to urge motor vehicle aggregators, delivery services, and e-commerce companies to switch to cleaner vehicles promptly. The Commission also mandated a phased but time-bound phaseout of diesel auto-rickshaws across the NCR by 2026.

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