Red Fort Blast: Delhi Police Submits Detailed Report to Home Ministry
Investigators trace Pulwama link, Dr. Umar Mohammad suspected as key conspirator behind suicide car bomb attack
New Delhi, Nov 12: The Delhi Police has submitted a detailed report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the Red Fort car bomb blast, which killed 13 people and injured 24 on Monday evening. The probe has now been officially transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials confirmed on Tuesday.
A high intensity explosion ripped through a moving Hyundai i20 near the Red Fort Metro Station, in what investigators now believe was a suicide bomb attack carried out by three operatives linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror outfit.
Initially registered as a bomb blast case by Kotwali Police, the investigation was soon handed over to the NIA, which is coordinating with police units in Jammu & Kashmir and Faridabad.
According to sources, the car was allegedly driven by Dr. Umar Mohammad, a Pulwama resident wanted in a separate case filed by the J&K Police. Umar reportedly planned the attack hastily following multiple arrests made by Faridabad Police.
Investigations have traced the vehicle’s ownership chain from Salman to Tariq (Pulwama), who sold it to Amir, before it was handed over to Umar. Officials believe Umar and his two associates rigged the car with ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil) and detonated it near the Red Fort.
A video clip that surfaced shortly before the explosion shows a masked man, identified by investigators as Dr. Umar, inside the vehicle. The NIA is conducting DNA tests on the remains recovered from the site to confirm his identity and those of the two other suspected accomplices.
Over 4,000 CCTV cameras have been examined, and dump data from mobile phones active in the vicinity is being analyzed to identify possible contacts and movements linked to the suspects.
Meanwhile, J&K Police have detained Umar’s family members for questioning, and the NIA may soon record their formal statements.
