Delhi Red Fort car blast: Missing doctor turned suicide bomber?

Dubai:  A day after a car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort killed 13 and injured over 20, investigators have zeroed in on Dr. Mohd Umar — a young physician from Pulwama who vanished soon after police busted a Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind module in Faridabad.

Intelligence sources told The Indian Express that Umar, who died in the blast, is believed to have carried out a suicide attack after learning his associates — fellow doctors Adeel Ahmad Rather and Muzammil Shakeel — had been arrested.

The arrests led to the recovery of 2,900kg of ammonium nitrate, firearms, and detonators from a rented Faridabad flat. Police call this network a “white-collar terror ecosystem” — educated professionals radicalised into supporting extremist ideologies.

Families in denial

In Pulwama’s Koil village, Umar’s mother and brothers — now detained for questioning — insist he was a devout but apolitical youth who earned his MBBS on merit from Srinagar’s Government Medical College.

Similarly, Muzammil’s family in the same village describe him as a cricket-loving, ambitious doctor from a well-off orchard family. “He had no reason to be influenced by terrorism,” his sister said, rejecting any link to Jaish.

CCTV trail and digital clues

Over 1,000 CCTV clips from the Red Fort and nearby areas are being examined. Footage shows Umar’s white Hyundai i20 parked at 3:19pm near Gate No.1 and leaving around 6:48pm., minutes before it exploded in traffic.

Police are analysing mobile “dump data” from Delhi and Faridabad to map every phone active near the car. The Hyundai i20 had changed hands multiple times before reaching Umar, raising questions about how the terror cell procured it.

Massive multi-agency probe

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set up a 500-member task force combining the NIA, NSG, IB, and Delhi Police Special Cell. Shah visited the blast site Monday night and later met victims at LNJP Hospital, vowing: “No stone will be left unturned.”

PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have promised “strong action” against those behind the attack, calling it part of a larger transnational conspiracy.

Security ripple nationwide

Following the explosion, high alerts have been declared in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Mumbai, and Karnataka. Bengaluru and coastal Karwar have seen security tightened around airports, naval bases, and metro stations.

Mangaluru Airport has enhanced screening and urged passengers to arrive early. Vehicle checks are underway at Goa-Karnataka borders as bomb squads sweep sensitive locations.

Investigators’ focus

Officials say the Delhi blast may have been triggered in panic after the Faridabad module’s exposure. The group allegedly sought to avenge the deaths of family members of Jaish founder Masood Azhar during Operation Sindoor.