Red Fort blast: How 'panic, desperation' struck Dr Umar after crackdown on ‘white-collar terror module’

Investigators suspect that, in fear of being caught, Dr Umar may have triggered the blast, that killed at least 10 near Red Fort, intentionally or by accident.

The raids in Haryana's Faridabad by security agencies between November 8 and 10, which led to the crackdown on a "white-collar terror module", triggered "panic and desperation" in Dr Umar Nabi, a key suspect who is believed to be the owner of the i20 car that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening.

A senior officer said CCTV footage from the site of the explosion confirmed that Dr Umar Nabi was driving the i20 used in the blast. (PTI/HT Photo)

Dr Umar, a Pulwama-based doctor who worked at Faridabad's Al-Falah Hospital, is believed to have driven the white Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday evening, killing at least 10 people. Follow live updates on the Delhi Red Fort blast

Security agencies recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives along with detonators, timers, and other bomb-making material in the raids conducted in Faridabad between November 8 and 10. The 'white-collar terror module', which they bust, is suspected to be linked to the Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). Foreign handlers are believed to have been operating this module from Pakistan and other Gulf countries, HT reported earlier.

Investigators said that Dr Umar Nabi was a part of this network and suspect that he panicked when a security crackdown began.

Where it all began | Follow timeline

• The starting point of the discoveries dates back to October 19, when the Jammu and Kashmir police discovered objectionable JeM posters in Srinagar and Nowgam, a second officer said.
• Soon after the posters were found, Moulvi Irfan Ahmad and Zamir Ahmad were arrested.
• On November 5, another suspect, Adeel, also a doctor, was nabbed from Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur.
• Two days later, on November 8, an AK-56 rifle and explosives were recovered from a hospital in J&K's Anantnag.
• The officer said that during interrogation, information regarding the involvement of other individuals in the module was also obtained. This led to the arrest of Dr Muzammil, from the Al-Falah Medical College. "Based on the leads, further arrests were made and a large quantity of arms and explosives was recovered," the officer added.
• On November 10, a staggering 2,563 kg of explosives was seized from the residence of Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiyaq, the Imam of the Al-Falah Mosque in Mewat's Dhera colony. Police later also recovered 358 kg of explosive material, detonators, and timers from the adjoining premises.
• All of the seizures added up to nearly 3,000 kilograms of bomb-making materials.

Amid this crackdown on the terror module, Dr Umar Nabi "managed to escape", said the second officer.

Acted 'hastily' in a 'state of panic'

An officer, as cited in a previous HT report, said, "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."

The officer further said that the explosion in the car near the Red Fort metro station was "caused by panic and desperation" because of the raids that were carried out to nab those involved in the terror module. "The bomb was premature and not fully developed, thus limiting the impact," the officer added.

A senior officer said CCTV footage from the site of the explosion confirmed that Dr Umar Nabi was driving the i20 used in the blast.

Additionally, forensic teams have also established that the explosives used in the Red Fort blast matched those recovered in Faridabad.

Investigators suspect that, in fear of being caught, Dr Umar may have triggered the blast intentionally or by accident. Another officer said, "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."

The crackdown on the terror module prevented a much larger terror conspiracy, with plans for coordinated attacks across India, said officials.

The probe into the Red Fort blast is now being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).