New Delhi: Using footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras, Delhi Police has reconstructed Dr Umar Nabi’s last hours, right from leaving Faridabad the night before the Red Fort blast to driving an explosives-laden car slowly towards the metro station the next evening, seconds before it blew up.
Investigators have also found that the three suspects — Dr Umar Un Nabi, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, and Dr Shaheen Shahid — allegedly used a Switzerland-based encrypted messaging app “to plan and coordinate their activities related to the terror conspiracy”.
Police said the four suspects had pooled more than Rs 26 lakh in cash, which was handed over to Umar for safekeeping and operational use.
Using the pooled money, the group had allegedly purchased around 26 quintals of NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) fertiliser, approximately worth Rs 3 lakh, from suppliers in Gurugram, Nuh, and nearby towns. The fertiliser, mixed with other chemicals, is commonly used to manufacture Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
A senior police officer said a large bag — believed to have contained explosives — was placed on the back seat of the car driven by Dr Umar, as he travelled to Delhi ahead of the blast.
The chilling hours of his journey from Haryana to the national capital have been pieced together bit by bit in a route-mapping exercise by police, showing how he halted for food at a roadside eatery and spent the night inside his car before entering the national capital the next morning.
According to police sources, Umar’s movements indicate meticulous planning and deliberate attempts to avoid detection.
A police source said he started on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway on Sunday and then got off the expressway, reaching Firozpur Jhirka in Haryana’s Nuh district. He reportedly stopped at a roadside dhaba there and spent the night inside his car.
“He appeared to be hiding but not in panic. He avoided major towns, preferring highways and small eateries,” the police source said.
Later, on Monday morning, he was again seen on CCTV cameras installed along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, driving slowly toward Delhi. The footage shows him stopping twice, once for tea and once apparently to check his mobile phone.
Police said Umar entered Delhi through the Badarpur border. “He seemed to have planned every step, including his entry and exit routes, to avoid detection,” said the police source.
In the footage from the Badarpur toll plaza, Umar can be seen driving a white Hyundai i20 car and stopping at the toll gate around 8.02 am on November 10, the day of the explosion. The car pauses briefly as Umar takes out cash and hands it to the toll operator before proceeding.
Investigators said Umar, who was wearing a mask, repeatedly looked toward the CCTV camera, apparently aware that security agencies were on his trail. The large bag, likely to have contained explosives, can be seen in his car here, the senior police officer said.
The route-mapping also shows that Umar entered Delhi and made multiple loops across the city between 8 am and 3 pm before finally parking near the Red Fort at 3:19 pm.
“Umar’s car was first seen leaving Faridabad at around 7:30 am near the Asian Hospital. He then crossed the Badarpur toll plaza at around 8:13 am, marking his entry into Delhi. From there, he moved through several parts of southeast Delhi, including Okhla and the industrial belt, crossed Connaught Place, before being spotted in east Delhi and later near central Delhi’s Ring Road,” said the police source.
The reconstruction using the CCTV footage shows that Umar deliberately avoided major arterial roads and instead took a zigzag path through crowded areas, possibly to confuse surveillance or to study crowd movements.
He was seen on cameras in multiple districts — starting from Southeast Delhi, then East, New Delhi, Central, and Northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar, where he stopped at a roadside eatery around midday.
“He appeared calm, ordered food, and stayed for a while before continuing his journey,” the source said.
After this stop, he drove back towards central Delhi, where he visited a mosque near Asaf Ali Road, close to the Ramlila Maidan. He offered prayers there and stayed for around three hours in the parking area, the footage shows.
Police said his phone activity during this period is also being closely examined. Investigators suspect he might have received instructions before proceeding toward the site.
“At 3:19 pm, Umar’s car entered the parking area adjacent to the Red Fort complex, where it remained stationary for around three hours. CCTV footage shows the car parked quietly among other vehicles near the Sunehri Masjid parking,” an officer privy to the investigation said.
Around 6:22 pm, the car was seen leaving the parking area and heading towards the Red Fort Metro Station side. Barely 30 minutes later, at 6:52 pm, the vehicle exploded in a powerful blast that shattered windows, scattered body parts across the road, and triggered panic among visitors and commuters in the area.
The explosion was captured in traffic surveillance footage, which showed a slow-moving white car suddenly erupting into a ball of fire amid rush-hour traffic. The blast that killed 13 people also injured more than two dozen others.
A severed hand was also found on the roof of a shop near the Red Fort blast site on Thursday morning.
The hand was found a few metres away from the spot of the explosion, behind the Jain Temple, they said.
Umar, who was known as an academically accomplished professional in his circle, allegedly turned radical over the past two years. Investigators said he had joined several suspected messaging groups.
The DNA test of samples collected from the Red Fort blast site has confirmed that Dr Umar Nabi was driving the car that exploded on Monday.
Meanwhile, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council has issued a show-cause notice to Al Falah University — which is under scanner following the Delhi blast — for displaying false certification on its website.
The government has also ordered a forensic audit of all records of the Al Falah University, besides asking the ED and other financial investigative agencies to check the money trail of the Haryana-based institution, sources said.
The decisions have been taken following a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah which reviewed for one-and-a-half hours the progress of the ongoing investigation into the November 10 blast near Red Fort.
“An order has been issued to carry out a forensic audit of all records of Al Falah University. The ED (Enforcement Directorate) and other financial agencies were also asked by the government to check the money trail of Al Falah University,” the sources said.
The Al Falah University at Dhauj in Haryana’s Faridabad district near Delhi is a private institute that also houses a hospital on its campus.
Three doctors associated with the university have been detained by the investigating agencies.
According to its website, Al Falah University was established by the Haryana Legislative Assembly under the Haryana Private Universities Act.
The Al Falah Medical College is also affiliated to the university.
The university, in a statement on Wednesday, had said it was extending its full cooperation to the concerned investigating authorities to enable them to arrive at a logical, fair and conclusive determination in the matter pertaining to national security.
Air ticket from Srinagar to Delhi found from house of doctor held from Saharanpur
Saharanpur (UP): A flight ticket showing that Dr. Adil Ahmad, a Jammu and Kashmir native arrested from Saharanpur last week, had travelled from Srinagar to Delhi on October 31, just days before the November 10 car explosion near Red Fort that killed 13 people and injured over 20.
According to officials, the air ticket bearing Adil’s name and travel date was recovered from a garbage pile outside his rented house in Aman Vihar Colony, Manakmau, along Ambala Road in Saharanpur on Wednesday.
The house, now sealed and under police guard, was searched after multiple intelligence and anti-terror teams reached the city earlier this week, they said.
Police sources said the ticket has been seized and sent for forensic examination. The finding has raised further questions about Adil’s movements and possible links to the Delhi blast, as investigators try to determine how long he stayed in the capital and whom he met during that period.
Adil was arrested from Saharanpur on November 6. His travel records now suggest that he flew from Srinagar to Delhi on October 31, barely 10 days before the Red Fort blast, according to officials.
Adil, a doctor holding MBBS and MD degrees, had been working at Famous Hospital on Ambala Road in Saharanpur, where he was described by colleagues as “quiet, polite and professional”.
Despite his professional credentials, investigators allege that Adil “maintained links with terror outfits, including Jaish-e-Mohammed, and may have facilitated logistics for their operations”.
Earlier, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had taken Adil on remand to Srinagar, while the central and state agencies also expanded their probe into his activities and network.
Security agencies from Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and central intelligence units are currently camping in Saharanpur to trace Adil’s local contacts and verify his communications and bank records.
Adil had been living in a rented house in Bapu Vihar Colony on Ambala Road. Locals described him as a quiet tenant who kept to himself but frequently received late-night visitors, with several vehicles often seen parked outside.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police filed a case in Srinagar on October 28 after posters supporting the proscribed outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed appeared in several areas. CCTV footage allegedly showed Adil putting up the posters, leading investigators to trace him to Saharanpur. He was taken into custody from Famous Hospital and handed over to the Srinagar Police on transit remand.
Meanwhile, Dr. Babar, a colleague at Famous Hospital, told PTI that Adil had joined the facility in March and was “highly competent” in his field.
“It is painful that such an educated person could be involved in shameful acts,” he said on Wednesday.
Investigators are now probing whether Adil’s Delhi visit on October 31 had any operational link to the November 10 Red Fort blast, or if he was acting independently as part of a broader network.
Adil’s arrest is seen as part of a wider counterterrorism operation launched after the Delhi blast and the earlier busting of a “white-collar terror module” in Faridabad and Haryana, where several suspects, including doctors associated with Al Falah University, were arrested and large quantities of explosives were recovered.
In a related development, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) on Thursday suspended membership of Al Falah University.
The Association of Indian Universities (AIU) is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with membership of Indian Universities. It provides a forum for administrators and academicians of member universities to exchange views and discuss matters of common concern.
“It is intimated that, as per the By-laws of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), all universities shall be treated as members as long as they remain in good standing,” said AIU Secretary General, Pankaj Mittal.
“However, it has come to notice that Al Falah University, Faridabad, Haryana, does not appear to be in good standing. Accordingly, the membership of AIU was accorded to Al Falah University, Faridabad, Haryana, stands suspended with immediate effect,” she added.
The top official informed that Al Falah University is not authorised to use the name or logo of AIU in any of its activities, and the AIU logo must be removed from the university’s official website.
Police move Interpol for Red Corner Notice against Kashmir doctor
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police has approached Interpol to issue a Red Corner Notice against Qazigund-based Dr Muzaffar in connection with the interstate ‘white collar terror module’ busted earlier this week, officials said on Thursday.
Muzaffar is the brother of Dr Adeel who was amongst the eight people, including three doctors, arrested in the case linked to the Red Fort blast. Of the eight arrested, seven are from Kashmir.
Muzaffar’s name surfaced during interrogation of those arrested. They said he was part of the doctors’ team that visited Turkiye in 2021 along with Muzammil Ganaie and Umar Nabi, who was driving the explosives-laden car that detonated outside Red Fort on Monday, killing 13 people, according to officials.
Police immediately tried to trace Muzaffar only to find that he had left India for Dubai in August. He is presently believed to be in Afghanistan.
The three doctors were in Turkiye for 21 days, police say.
On Wednesday, Turkiye’s Directorate of Communications Centre for Countering Disinformation put out a statement denying reports that its territory was being used for radicalisation.
The media reports claiming that “Turkiye is linked to terrorist acts in India and provides logistical, diplomatic, and financial support to terrorist groups are part of a malicious disinformation campaign aimed at damaging bilateral relations”, it said.
It said the claim that Turkiye engages in “radicalisation activities” targeting India or any other country is “purely disinformative and lacks any factual basis”.
Kashmir’s cardiology student, medical professor detained from UP
Kanpur/Hapur: A college professor and medical student, both from Jammu and Kashmir, were detained in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur and Kanpur, respectively, in connection with the November 10 Delhi blast, officials said on Thursday.
Dr Farukh, an assistant professor at Hapur’s GS Medical College, was detained by Delhi Police.
Hapur Additional Superintendent of Police Vineet Bhatnagar said, “Farukh taught in the obstetrics department (of GS Medical College) and lived on the college campus for nearly a year. He was detained from the premises on Wednesday night.”
He is a native of Jammu and Kashmir, and completed his medical education from Al Falah University in Haryana’s Faridabad, the officer said.
Mohammad Arif Mir (32), a first-year DM student at Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the state-run Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, was detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from an undisclosed location on Thursday, a senior official told PTI.
The UP ATS later searched Arif’s rented accommodation in Ashok Nagar, Nazirabad, and seized his mobile phone and laptop for forensic examination before taking him to Delhi for questioning, the official said.
“He is likely to be confronted with those already arrested in the Delhi blast case,” the official added.
Arif, a native of the Khagur Sadiwara area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, came on the ATS radar following disclosures made by former GSVM professor Dr Shaheen Sayeed, who has been arrested in connection with the terror module.
Sources said that on the day of the explosion in Delhi, Arif was in touch on phone with individuals allegedly linked to Dr Shaheen’s network, including her brother Parvez.
Arif also recently visited Jammu and Kashmir, which raised further suspicion. When ATS personnel reached his residence, he allegedly attempted to delete data from his phone, but the device was seized in time, the sources said.
Preliminary analysis of his call records and chats reportedly indicated communication with the alleged mastermind and other suspects.
The sources said investigators recovered data from Arif’s laptop and phone, after which his associates came under scrutiny.
Investigators believe the group used a shared email ID to exchange draft messages, a method often employed by terror outfits to avoid electronic surveillance.
The development has caused unease among doctors and students at GSVM Medical College, particularly in the Cardiology Department.
Chief Medical Superintendent (Cardiology) Dr Gyanendra said, “Dr Arif joined here three months ago through All India counselling. He was on duty on Wednesday afternoon and later went to his accommodation outside the campus.”
“Around 7 PM, we were informed that a team had taken him for questioning. He was from Kashmir. He used to come, work quietly and leave,” Dr Gyanendra said.
He said that the screening of all first, second and third-year cardiology students has been initiated as a precautionary measure.
Arif’s landlord, Kanhaiya Lal, said the doctor had been staying on the second floor of his house with his batchmate Abhishek for about a month.
Kanhaiya Lal owns six flats in the building, of which two are occupied by his family and the rest have been rented.
“Around 7:30 PM, a four-member team came straight to his room. They already had the keys, searched the entire portion, locked it again, and left quietly,” Kanhaiya Lal told reporters.
He added that Arif had submitted his ID before renting the room and that he had never noticed any suspicious activity or unusual visitors.
A top police official, requesting anonymity, confirmed that Arif was detained in Kanpur and later handed over to central investigating agencies for further interrogation.
Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal told PTI that he has received information about the detention and has sent a team to verify the reports.
“We are checking the facts. I will comment only after confirmation,” Lal said.
Dr Awadhesh Kumar Sharma, media in-charge of GSVM Medical College, said, “Arif first got admission at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, but later chose Kanpur during the second round of counselling.”
College director Dr Rakesh Verma said Arif secured an All-India Rank of 1608 in the NEET Super Speciality examination. “He was a bright and disciplined student,” Verma added.
Arif’s roommate, Dr Abhishek, who briefly went missing after the ATS action, later surfaced to deny any link with the case. “I was at a friend’s house when he was taken. I have no connection with any suspicious activity,” he told reporters.
According to the sources, Arif’s flat near Fatima Hospital in Ashok Nagar was arranged with the help of another doctor, Mohammad Yasir of Aligarh.
“He would leave for the hospital on a bike taxi every morning and return late in the evening. He rarely interacted with anyone,” a neighbour said.
The medical fraternity in Kanpur has expressed shock over the developments.
Meanwhile, both National Investigation Agency (NIA) and ATS, have begun verifying the backgrounds of Kashmiri-origin students studying in Kanpur and are continuing operations to trace any additional links to Dr Shaheen’s network.
According to ATS sources, around 48 such students are currently enrolled at a leading technical institute and details about their activities are being collected.
More names may surface as the probe progresses, they said.
