The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the Red Fort blast probe after investigators zeroed in on a doctor identified as Umar Nabi. He was allegedly driving the car that exploded and is suspected to be one of the 12 people killed.
Initial probe indicated the doctor reportedly had links with a terror module busted on Monday in Faridabad. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir police took a DNA sample from his mother to establish the connection.
The decision to hand over the case to NIA was taken after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired two security review meetings. “Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with the senior officials. Instructed them to hunt down every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies,” he posted on social media.
The meetings were attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and NIA DG Sadanand Vasant Date, sources said. DGP of J&K Nalin Prabhat also attended the meeting virtually.
The blast near the Red Fort on Monday evening came hours after eight people, including three doctors, were arrested. Arrests were spread across J&K, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Also recovered were 2,900kg of explosives. Those arrested are suspected to be involved with the Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Preliminary findings suggest ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and detonators may have been used in the blast that ripped through the slow-moving car near a traffic signal. Among those arrested on Monday were Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both connected to the Al Falah University in Faridabad. The police claim to have recovered 360kg of ammonium nitrate from them. Security agencies claim, Umar, also connected to Al Falah University, allegedly carried out the blast, fearing arrest. He was allegedly carrying explosives, possibly ammonium nitrate, in the car, they added.
Teams from Delhi Police, NIA and intelligence agencies have fanned out across Delhi and J&K. Four people have been detained in the raids in Kashmir. Of the four, two have been shifted for joint interrogation for their role in the Delhi blast as well as the interstate terror module.
Security agencies said CCTV footage of the car that exploded shows a “masked man” driving the car. Multiple teams have been deployed to scan CCTV from the vicinity of the Red Fort and adjoining routes, officials added. They said Umar was the lone occupant of the car. “Multiple teams have been deployed to scan CCTV footage from the vicinity of the Red Fort and adjoining routes to know more about the masked man,” sources said.
