Dealer who sold 2-tonne fertiliser to Umer nabbed

A team of the Delhi Police Special Cell conducted raids in Nuh district on Thursday and detained a fertiliser dealer from Pinangwa village in connection with the Delhi blast case.

Source said the dealer had sold more than 20 quintals of NPK fertiliser worth Rs 3 lakh to one of the suspects, Dr Umer un-Nabi. The shopkeeper’s family has refused to comment. While the investigating agencies and the Haryana Police have yet to confirm his arrest, locals confirmed that the police took the shopkeeper with them.

Investigators have also seized diaries and notebooks belonging to Umer and his associate Dr Muzammil Ganai, containing code words. A senior officer said Umer had created a group of two to four members on Signal app.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Police have found another suspect vehicle at Al Falah University in Dhauj, Faridabad. The Maruti Brezza (HR 87 U 9988) is registered in the name of Dr Shaheen Shahid, who was earlier arrested in the case.

In the afternoon, a bomb squad team reached Al Falah University to inspect the Brezza car. A heavy police deployment was seen at the site. A Swift Dzire car found earlier also belonged to Dr Shaheen.

Sources said during questioning by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Shaheen reportedly admitted that both cars were used to smuggle and hide explosives in Faridabad. A senior investigating officer said they would impound the car only after clearance from the bomb disposal squad.

The police have cordoned off areas within a 200-metre radius of a red Ford EcoSport allegedly linked to the suspects behind the blast in Delhi, a day after it was seized from Faridabad’s Khandawali village. The Delhi Police have detained a man who had parked the vehicle for questioning.

The Faridabad police on Thursday carried out a search operation in the Muslim-dominated areas of Ajji Colony, Sector 62 Ashiana, Mirzapur and slums around Muzaidi village. A terrorist had been arrested from Ajji Colony by the Delhi Police in 1997. Amid high alert, checkpoints are being set up across the city to monitor vehicles.

Investigations have confirmed that the Hyundai i20 used in the blast was purchased from Faridabad through OLX. The accused reportedly negotiated the deal online before coming to the city to collect the car. This was confirmed by Amit Patel, owner of Royal Car Zone in Faridabad.

“On October 29, a customer contacted us via OLX. My staff member Sonu handled the request for a Hyundai i20. He showed them a 2013 or 2014 model and they immediately agreed to buy it. The buyer provided an Aadhaar and PAN card with an address in Pulwama, J&K. After documentation, the car was handed over to two men named Aamir and Rashid. Had we suspected anything, we would never have sold the car. Aamir had requested 25 days to transfer the RC. They had come in an auto and left after purchasing the vehicle,” said Patel. The sources said the Ford EcoSport was registered in the name of Umer, who was driving the exploded Hyundai i20.

Thursday’s search operations in Faridabad were led by ACP Jitesh Malhotra. Police teams collected tenant details and Aadhaar numbers from residents of Mirzapur, Muzaidi and Ajji Colony, and took documents from local Imams. A large number of people live in slums around Muzaidi and Mirzapur, where the police also questioned Rohingya and Bangladeshi residents.

“The search operation is underway. So far, no suspicious individuals have been found. We urge everyone to stay vigilant,” said Rajkumar Walia, DCP, Ballabgarh. Police teams also revisited Al Falah University and the residence of Ganai, one of the key suspects arrested in the case. Several doctors and students were questioned on the campus.