DNA Confirms Dr Umar Un Nabi as Red Fort Blast Car Driver, Say Police

A DNA test has confirmed that Dr Umar Un Nabi was the man behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort earlier this week, Delhi Police said on Thursday, citing findings reported by news agency ANI.

Investigators determined that Umar’s leg was trapped between the steering wheel and the accelerator after the explosion. His identity was established when DNA samples collected from the blast site matched those of his mother, officials said.

The November 10 blast, which occurred near the Lal Qila Metro Station during rush hour, killed at least 10 people and injured over 20. The Union government on Wednesday declared the explosion a “heinous terrorist act” carried out by “anti-national forces.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security to review the situation and later held separate discussions with Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Faridabad Module Under Scrutiny

Security agencies continue to pursue leads pointing to a terror module operating from Faridabad, believed to be linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and a network of individuals associated with Al-Falah University in Haryana.

Following a multi-state manhunt across four states, investigators have traced connections between the Red Fort explosion and the busting of an extremist cell in Faridabad earlier this week.

Officials said the ongoing probe has tied together several key developments:

• The appearance of JeM posters in Nowgam, Kashmir, on October 18.

• The arrests of three doctors — Adeel Rather from Saharanpur, Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie from Faridabad, and Shaheen Shahid from Lucknow.

• The seizure of nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate, along with firearms and other explosive materials, in Faridabad.

Police have also detained Shaheen Shahid’s brother, Parvez Saeed Ansari, as well as Irfan Ahmad Waghay, a maulvi from Shopian, and Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiyaq, an imam from Mewat’s Al-Falah Mosque, where additional explosives were reportedly recovered.

Authorities say efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the remaining members of the network suspected of orchestrating the deadly blast.