Suspect acted in panic after crackdown: Delhi blast probe

Raids across locations in NCR and Pulwama, recovery of significant quantities of explosives, are believed to have prompted the suspect to act hastily

Investigations into Monday’s suspected suicide bombing near the Red Fort have revealed that the attacker acted in “panic and desperation” following a sweeping multi-state crackdown on a “white-collar terror module” linked to the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), according to officials familiar with the probe.

Dr Umar Nabi.

The suspected bomber, Dr Umar Nabi, a Pulwama-based doctor who worked at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad, is believed to have driven the white Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort, killing at least 10 people. Officers aware of the matter said Nabi acted “hastily” after several of his associates were arrested in recent raids across Faridabad, Jammu and Kashmir, and Delhi-NCR.

“Raids by security agencies across multiple locations in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama, recovery of significant quantities of explosives, are believed to have led the suspect to act hastily under mounting pressure,” said an officer, who asked not to be identified.

“The explosion was caused by panic and desperation due to raids carried out by the security agencies to nab them. The bomb was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact,” the official added.

Between November 8 and 10, raids in Faridabad led to the recovery of nearly 3,000kg of explosives, along with detonators, timers, and other bomb-making material. The module is suspected to be linked to the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), with foreign handlers operating from Pakistan and other Gulf countries. Investigators said Dr Umar was part of this network.

A second officer said that the chain of events began on October 19, when Jammu and Kashmir Police discovered objectionable JeM posters in Nowgam, Srinagar. The arrests of Moulvi Irfan Ahmad and Zamir Ahmad soon followed. On November 5, another suspect, Dr Adeel, was apprehended from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Two days later, an AK-56 rifle and explosives were recovered from a hospital in Anantnag.

“During interrogation, information about other individuals involved in the module was obtained, leading to the arrest of another person, Dr Muzammil from Al-Falah Medical College. Based on these leads, further arrests were made and a large quantity of arms and explosives was recovered,” the officer said.

On November 10, police discovered a massive cache of 2,563 kilograms of explosives at the residence of Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiyaq, the Imam of Al-Falah Mosque in Mewat’s Dhera Colony. Another 358kg of explosive material, detonators, and timers were later recovered from adjoining premises. Altogether, nearly 3,000 kilograms of bomb-making material were seized.

Dr Umar, the second officer said, “managed to escape as agencies intensified their crackdown”.

“He was driving the i20 used in the blast, which has been confirmed through CCTV footage,” a senior officer said. Forensic teams have also established that the explosives used in the Red Fort blast matched the cache seized in Faridabad.

Investigators suspect that Umar, fearing capture, may have triggered the explosion intentionally or by accident. “In a state of panic following the crackdown, he moved toward the Red Fort area. Whether the blast was deliberate or accidental will be determined after forensic analysis, but it is part of the same chain of incidents,” said another officer.

Officials said the operation prevented a much larger terror conspiracy, with plans for coordinated strikes across India. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has now taken over the probe into the module’s funding, foreign links, and operational networks.