Red Fort Blast: Pulwama Doctor Identified As Car Driver After DNA Match Confirms Identity
A day after the Union government officially termed the Delhi car explosion near Red Fort a “terrorist incident,” authorities have confirmed that Dr Umar Nabi, a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, was driving the car that exploded on Monday, November 10.
According to The Hindu, DNA samples collected from Umar Nabi’s mother were matched with the remains recovered from the blast site, confirming his identity.
Officials believe Umar, who worked as a faculty member at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the explosion.
As per The Hindu report, investigators suspect that Umar was attempting to evade a police raid jointly conducted by teams from Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, as part of an ongoing crackdown on an emerging “white-collar terror module.”
Over the past two weeks, eight individuals, including three doctors, have been reportedly arrested in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) announced that the Lal Quila Metro Station will remain closed until further notice owing to heightened security measures in the area.
Also, read| Massive Police Crackdown In Kashmir: Raids At 200 Locations, Hundreds Detained
In a statement, DMRC said that while the Red Fort station will stay shut “as a precautionary measure,” all other metro lines and stations continue to operate normally.
The explosion, which occurred near one of the country’s most secure heritage zones, has triggered nationwide security reviews. At a press briefing on Wednesday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Union Cabinet had passed a resolution condemning the act and directing agencies to ensure the “swift identification and punishment of all those responsible.” The Cabinet also observed two minutes of silence in memory of the victims.
The Counter-Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) unit on Thursday carried out search operations at 13 locations across the Valley in connection with the case. The raids are aimed at uncovering a wider network suspected of financing or aiding the blast operation.
Elsewhere, tensions and fear led to brief panic in Delhi’s Mahipalpur area on Thursday morning when the sound of a bus tyre burst was mistaken for another explosion.
The Delhi Fire Services received a distress call around 9:19 a.m., but officials later confirmed that no suspicious activity or damage was found.
Also, read| Delhi Blast: Who Is Dr Umar Un Nabi And What Does His Family Say?
In a related development, nine more individuals were arrested in Assam for posting “offensive” or inflammatory content on social media following the Delhi blast. This brings the total number of arrests in Assam to 15, according to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who confirmed the action on X.
Internationally, the incident has drawn strong responses. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while addressing reporters in Washington on Wednesday (local time), described the Delhi explosion as “clearly a terrorist attack” and commended Indian authorities for their professionalism and prompt action in the investigation.
