Delhi Red Fort Blast: Toll Rises to 13; Pulwama Doctor Suspected as Sole Occupant of Explosive-Laden Car. 

New Delhi:

The death toll in the Red Fort car blast rose to 13 on Tuesday, a day after a powerful explosion ripped through a vehicle near the historic monument in the national capital. Preliminary investigations have identified Dr. Umar Nabi, a medical practitioner from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, as the likely sole occupant and suspected perpetrator of the blast, senior government officials confirmed.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) amid growing indications of an organized terror network involving multiple individuals, including medical professionals, across Delhi-NCR and Jammu & Kashmir.

Suspect Identified as Pulwama Doctor

Dr. Umar Nabi, a general medicine specialist and faculty member at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, was reportedly killed in the explosion. Officials said that the intensity of the blast was such that no identifiable body parts were recovered from the charred remains of the Hyundai i20 car. The J&K Police have collected DNA samples from Dr. Nabi’s family to confirm his identity through forensic analysis.

According to his family, Dr. Nabi had moved to Delhi in March 2024 after completing his studies at Government Medical College, Srinagar, where he was a topper.

A senior government source said, “The suspect was under immense pressure after multiple police raids and arrests of his associates. The evidence suggests that the bomb detonated prematurely, which limited the damage.”

Raids and Arrests Pushed Suspect to Act Hastily

Officials revealed that the suspect may have acted earlier than planned due to ongoing raids by Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh Police, which led to the arrest of eight individuals, including three doctors connected to Al-Falah University.

The arrested doctors were identified as:

• Dr. Muzamil Ahmad Ganaie (32), alias Musaib, from Pulwama, arrested in Faridabad on October 30.
• Dr. Shaheen (40), a resident of Lucknow, arrested on November 8.
• Dr. Adeel, from Wanpora, Kulgam, apprehended in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on November 5.

Police said these arrests, which were made public on November 10, led to the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives, weapons, timers, and metal fragments from multiple locations.

Sequence of Events Before the Blast

CCTV footage accessed by investigators shows the suspect’s Hyundai i20 (HR 26CE 7674) entering Delhi from Faridabad via the Badarpur toll plaza at 7:04 a.m. on November 10. The driver, wearing a black mask, can be seen paying cash at the toll booth.

Officials said that after spending several hours driving around Delhi, the car entered a parking lot near Red Fort at 3:15 p.m. and remained there for over three hours. The vehicle left at 6:48 p.m., and the explosion occurred at 6:52 p.m. as the car slowed near a traffic signal.

Sources stated that the bomb, although “powerful,” did not fully detonate. “There was no crater formation, and no shrapnel was found, indicating that the device exploded prematurely,” a senior officer said.

Was It a Suicide Attack?

While authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a suicide mission, officials said it was too early to draw conclusions.
“If it were a deliberate suicide attack, the suspect would have driven the car into a high-value or crowded target to cause maximum casualties. The circumstances suggest panic and haste rather than planned execution,” an officer from the central agency said.

Faridabad Police and Al-Falah University Under Scrutiny

The Faridabad Police confirmed that they had assisted J&K police in Dr. Ganaie’s arrest but claimed they had no prior information about Dr. Nabi’s location or involvement.
“After Dr. Muzamil’s arrest, the J&K Police shared leads about potential associates. Raids conducted on November 8 led to the recovery of a large cache of explosives,” a police spokesperson said.

Investigators have also begun questioning faculty and administrative staff at Al-Falah University, a private institution established in 2014, to determine whether they were aware of the alleged activities of the arrested doctors.

NIA Takes Over Investigation

Following the handover of the case, NIA teams along with Delhi Police’s Special Cell and state police forces have launched coordinated raids across Delhi, Faridabad, and Pulwama. At least 10 individuals have been detained for questioning.

“We are examining their communication networks, funding sources, and links to any known terror modules. Forensic and explosive experts are analyzing samples collected from the blast site,” an official from the NIA said.

Preliminary Findings

• Toll: 13 confirmed dead, several injured.
• Suspect: Dr. Umar Nabi from Pulwama, J&K.
• Vehicle: Hyundai i20 (HR 26CE7674).
• Explosives: High-intensity but prematurely detonated.
• Investigation: Handed over to NIA; forensic tests underway.

Officials Caution Against Speculation

Authorities have urged the public and media to refrain from spreading unverified information as the investigation unfolds. “This is a sensitive, evolving case involving cross-state networks. The NIA will provide updates once preliminary forensic and digital analyses are complete,” a Home Ministry official said.