Red Fort car explosion: Accused pooled Rs 20L for terror plot

Investigation into the car blast near the Red Fort in Delhi has revealed that Dr Umer Un Nabi along with co-accused Dr Muzammil Ganaie, Dr Adeel, and Dr Shaheen Saeed, jointly raised around Rs 20 lakh in cash, which was later handed over to Umer. The money, officials said, was allegedly used to procure materials for assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The suspects are believed to have purchased over 20 quintals of NPK fertiliser worth nearly Rs 3 lakh from dealers in Gurugram, Nuh, and adjoining areas. The fertiliser, commonly used in agriculture, was allegedly meant for IED preparation, investigators said.

Sources added that there had been a financial dispute between Umer and Dr Muzammil over the use of funds. Umar is also learnt to have created a private group with two to four members on the Signal app, where encrypted messages were exchanged regarding target locations and logistics.

Officials said the findings point to an elaborate, premeditated operation financed and executed by a network of radicalised individuals.

Meanwhile, the DNA test of samples collected from the Red Fort blast site has confirmed that Dr Umer Un Nabi was driving the car that exploded near the historic monument earlier this week.

Delhi Police sources on Thursday said the DNA samples of Umer’s mother were collected on Tuesday and sent to a forensic laboratory for examination. “The results confirm that it was indeed Umar who was driving the fateful vehicle,” an official said.

Investigators said Umer’s leg was found stuck between the steering wheel and the accelerator, suggesting he was inside the Hyundai i20 car when it detonated. The confirmation closes the loop on the identity of the suicide bomber suspected to have carried out the capital’s deadliest terror strike in a decade.

Umer, a resident of Koil village in Pulwama, was a key member of a “white-collar” terror module busted earlier this week. The module, investigative agencies said, comprised educated professionals, including doctors linked to Al-Falah University in Faridabad.