Police inspect the mangled i20 car near Red Fort, hours after the explosion that killed 13 and exposed a major terror network (Photo: File)
Delhi Blast: The blast that shook the capital has pushed investigators into a complex trail stretching from Faridabad to Nuh and Kashmir. What seems to emerge now is a disturbing profile of a highly structured terror module being run by educated professionals, armed with nearly three tonnes of explosive material, and linked to Pakistan-based networks.
As agencies retrace the path of Dr Umar un Nabi, who was at the wheel when the i20 exploded near Red Fort, a clearer view of the days leading up to the attack is finally emerging.
According to investigators, Nabi had left Faridabad for Nuh with the same stockpile of explosives eleven days before the blast ripped through Delhi.
On CCTV footage, he is seen re-entering the NCR in the early hours of 10 November, making many unexplained halts across the city. The suspicion among officers is that he might have met someone or further manipulated the device. Whether the blast was deliberate or triggered prematurely remains under investigation.
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Ahead of his disappearance, police had already started closing in on his associates. Two rented houses in Faridabad were found stocked with nearly 3,000 kg of ammonium nitrate, assault rifles and other bomb making material.
The properties were traced to Dr Muzammil Shakeel, while earlier arrests in Shopian had led officers to yet another doctor operating out of Saharanpur. Together, they formed what officials describe as a white-collar module attached to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Nabi appeared increasingly anxious after the first arrests and CCTV clips show him visibly distressed in the hours before the explosion, hinting that he may have rushed into action after he lost control of the wider plan.
DNA samples recovered from the blast site confirmed his presence in the vehicle, leaving little doubt about his role in the incident. The subsequent demolition of his house in Pulwama was intended as a direct message to those offering support or shelter to terror networks.
With a number of suspects already in custody, investigators have now pieced together the larger aim of the module that they say intended to carry out a series of attacks. The Delhi bombing, they say, may have been only the first step. How deep the network runs and whether more operatives were involved is something that the days to come would show.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on ongoing investigations. Details may evolve as authorities release verified information.
