Red Fort blast: Umar panicked after Faridabad raids, planned attack in haste

New Delhi: The Red Fort car blast was a hurried plan triggered by raids on a Faridabad terror module, with suspect Dr Mohammad Umar allegedly fitting a detonator inside a white Hyundai i20 before carrying out the attack, according to investigators. 

Nine people have died and 20 are injured, as per the document. 

Police sources said Umar was under pressure after back-to-back arrests linked to the Faridabad module. 

Fearing a crackdown, he allegedly moved ahead with a fidayeen-style strike using the i20. Early analysis points to explosives placed inside the car.

The case has been registered under UAPA sections 16 and 18, sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, and IPC provisions for murder and attempt to murder. 

The timeline and route investigators have mapped

CCTV mapping by the Delhi Police Special Cell shows the i20 entering Delhi from the Badarpur border. The car then remained parked for about three hours near Sunehri Masjid close to the Red Fort, entering the parking at 3:19 pm and exiting at 6:48 pm, before the explosion around 6:55 pm. 

Police have seized video of the car entering and leaving the lot and are now combing 100 CCTV clips and toll-plaza feeds to reconstruct the full movement. 

A CCTV grab from just before the explosion shows a lone driver wearing a black face mask, whom agencies suspect to be Umar. 

Investigators now believe he was alone in the vehicle at the time of the blast, revising an earlier working input that three people might have been inside. 

Ownership trail of the i20 and fresh detentions

The i20 (HR 26 7624) is registered with Gurugram North RTO. Records list Mohammed Salman as the owner, who told police he sold the vehicle to Nadeem. 

It was then sold to a Faridabad used-car dealer, Royal Car Zone, after which Tariq in Pulwama purchased it; investigators say Umar later took possession. 

Jammu & Kashmir Police have detained Tariq from Sumbura, Pulwama, and are also questioning an associate named Aamir. 

Delhi Police have interrogated Salman about the car’s sale chain. 

What ties the case to the Faridabad module

Special Cell officers have sought details from the Faridabad Crime Branch and the J&K Police on the explosives recovered in the Faridabad case. 

Initial indicators suggest traces of ammonium nitrate, though confirmation awaits the Forensic Science Laboratory’s first report. 

The busted module, investigators say, had links to proscribed outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and included two men and a woman doctor. 

Police have made seven arrests in that case and seized about 2,900 kg of explosive material, arms and other items. 

What probes are testing

Officers say the working hypothesis is a self-driven, fidayeen-style strike executed under duress, with a detonator fitted inside the car. 

Teams are verifying the trigger mechanism, the explosive mix, the route, and whether anyone provided last-mile support. DNA testing has been ordered on remains recovered from the car to confirm the driver’s identity. 

The Special Cell is coordinating the forensic, technical and human-intelligence leads with central agencies.