Red Fort Blast Investigation Points to Pulwama Doctor as Key Suspect
Security agencies have identified Dr Mohammad Umar Nabi, a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, as the suspected driver of the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near Delhi's historic Red Fort on November 10. The powerful blast claimed at least 12 lives and left 20 others injured in one of the capital's most significant security incidents.
Senior security sources confirmed to news agency PTI that Umar Nabi was driving the vehicle when it exploded on Monday evening. "Based on CCTV camera footage, it can be almost conclusively established that the car in which the explosion took place was being driven by Dr Umar," the sources stated.
Who Was Dr Mohammad Umar Nabi?
Dr Umar Nabi served as an assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad district. Hailing from Koil village in Lethpora, Pulwama district, the academic was allegedly part of a terror module that security agencies had been tracking since October.
Investigators revealed that Umar had allegedly transported explosives, possibly ammonium nitrate, in the same vehicle that exploded near the Red Fort. Officials confirmed that a man named Tariq from Pulwama district had provided the i20 to Umar and is currently under arrest.
Security operations conducted at multiple locations in Kashmir and Faridabad since October 19 had put pressure on the terror module, forcing Dr Umar to change his location repeatedly to evade detection.
Family's Shock and Disbelief
Muzamil, Umar's sister-in-law, described him as an introvert who focused intensely on his studies and work. "He was a reserved kind of person right from childhood," she told PTI, adding that the family struggled to believe he could be involved in terrorist activities.
"He was working as a faculty member at a college in Faridabad. He called on Friday, saying he is busy with examinations and will return home after three days," Muzamil recalled. She emphasized how the family had invested significantly in his education, making the allegations particularly devastating.
Umar had last visited his home in Kashmir two months before the incident, according to family members.
Investigation Reveals Critical Details
Officials involved in the probe are considering the possibility that the explosives detonated accidentally as Umar panicked under pressure from security agencies. Sources indicated that Umar fled after successful anti-terror operations in Faridabad, and his anxiety and desperation might have triggered the explosion.
"Flustered by the agencies' successful action, Umar fled, and whether his panic, anxiety, and lack of options led to the blast or it was pre-planned/accidental will be known later," a source explained.
Investigators have established that Umar waited in the Sunehri Masjid parking lot near the Red Fort for approximately three hours while monitoring internet updates about his associates' arrests in Faridabad. Security agencies have successfully reconstructed an 11-hour trail of Umar's vehicle movements before the explosion.
The blast occurred just hours after security forces seized nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosives in Faridabad, indicating the scale of the potential threat that had been developing.
While initial reports suggested three people were in the car during the explosion, another account indicates Umar might have been the lone occupant, fleeing after the Faridabad terror module was busted.
Dr Umar Nabi is believed to be among the 12 people killed in the blast. The Jammu and Kashmir police have collected a DNA sample from his mother to establish conclusive identification of the remains.
