New Delhi/Srinagar: Investigators on Tuesday began probing the Red Fort blast as a suspected terror attack, focusing on a Pulwama-based doctor believed to have driven the car that exploded. The doctor, Dr. Umar Nabi, is thought to have died in the explosion that killed at least 12 people on Monday evening.
Jammu and Kashmir Police have collected a DNA sample from his mother to confirm his identity.
“We have taken the sample to match it with the remains recovered from the blast site,” an official in Srinagar said.
The case has been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) following a review meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah.
The explosion, which shook the area near Red Fort during rush hour, occurred just hours after eight people — including three doctors — were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized in a major crackdown that exposed a “white-collar” terror network linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Among those arrested were Dr. Muzammil Ganaie and Dr. Shaheen Sayeed from Faridabad’s Al Falah University, where police also recovered 360 kg of ammonium nitrate. Investigators allege that Shaheen led the women’s recruitment wing of JeM, known as Jamaat-ul-Mominat.
Officials said Umar, also associated with Al Falah University, was driving a Hyundai i20 that exploded near a traffic signal. They suspect he carried ammonium nitrate and fuel oil in the vehicle and might have triggered a suicide blast fearing arrest after his associates were detained.
Umar, a resident of Lethpora in Pulwama, was described by family members as quiet and academically inclined.
“He was a reserved person since childhood,” said his sister-in-law Muzamil. “He called home on Friday saying he was busy with examinations and would return in three days. He last visited Kashmir two months ago.”
Preliminary forensic analysis indicates the use of ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators in the explosion that tore apart the slow-moving car.
Investigators have arrested Tariq, a Pulwama resident who reportedly handed over the i20 to Umar. Teams from the Delhi Police, NIA, and intelligence agencies have spread across Delhi and Kashmir, detaining four individuals for questioning — two of whom are being jointly interrogated for their suspected roles in both the blast and the wider terror module.
The Delhi Police has filed a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act, invoking sections related to terrorism and criminal conspiracy.
The national capital has been placed on high alert. Raids are being carried out at multiple locations, while intensive vehicle checks are underway at all Delhi entry points, airports, railway stations, and bus terminals.
CCTV footage reportedly shows a masked man driving the car before the explosion.
“Teams are scanning video footage from the Red Fort vicinity and nearby routes,” an official said, adding that the car had been parked in a nearby lot for nearly three hours before the blast.
An overnight search operation was also carried out in Daryaganj and Paharganj hotels and guesthouses to trace possible suspects.
The Red Fort Metro Station remains closed, and traffic diversions have been implemented around the area. The Delhi Traffic Police has advised commuters to avoid the Red Fort stretch from 6 am until further notice.
Among the deceased are Ashok Kumar (34) from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, and Amar Kataria (35) from Delhi. Other victims, aged between 28 and 58, are yet to be identified.
A mutilated body was recovered from the mangled car. Of the 20 injured, 12 are from Delhi and eight from states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.
