New Delhi: Investigators probing the Delhi car blast near the Red Fort have uncovered a crucial detail about the movements of prime accused Umar Mohammad, also known as Umar un Nabi. The probe reveals that he assembled the explosive device while sitting inside his vehicle at a public parking area close to the monument.
A key part of the investigation involved retracing his activities in the hours leading up to the explosion. CCTV footage showed Umar entering the Sunehri Masjid parking lot at 3.19 pm and exiting at 6.28 pm. The blast took place around 6.52 pm. Officials noted that during the entire three-hour window at the parking site, Umar did not step out of the car even once.
Further analysis indicates that Umar was in contact with his handlers soon after arriving in Delhi that morning. Discussions are believed to have centered around selecting the target location. His movements took him through Mayur Vihar and Connaught Place before he drove toward Old Delhi, eventually stopping at the parking area near the Red Fort. The site was reportedly chosen due to the symbolic importance of the monument.
However, neither Umar nor his handlers had accounted for the fact that the Red Fort remains closed to visitors on Mondays. With the area nearly empty, the plan to detonate the explosive inside the parking zone was dropped. The group then swiftly shifted focus to Netaji Subhash Marg, a busy stretch flanked by the Red Fort and Chandni Chowk, ensuring higher footfall.
According to investigators, Umar used the three hours in the parking lot to assemble the device. Once the process was complete, he left the area and soon after detonated the explosive, leading to the deaths of 13 people and injuries to 20 others.
The inquiry has also revealed that Umar acted out of fear after the arrest of his associates Muzammil and Shaheen, both medical professionals, in connection with the seizure of 2,900 kg of explosives in Faridabad. Believing that authorities were closing in on him, he rushed to carry out the attack, driving into Delhi with an explosives-filled vehicle and executing the plan ahead of his anticipated capture.
