NEW DELHI, Nov 11: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday officially handed over the investigation into the Red Fort blast to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), a day after the deadly explosion killed at least 12 people and gutted several vehicles in central Delhi. The move follows a high-level security review chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has directed agencies to probe the case “in-depth” and report fresh developments immediately.
A senior official confirmed that the NIA, India’s premier anti-terror agency, will now lead the investigation into what is suspected to be a terror-related suicide attack, possibly linked to the recently busted Faridabad “white-collar” terror module.
Meanwhile, in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police have detained the parents of Dr. Umar Nabi, who allegedly drove the Hyundai i20 that exploded near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening. Officials said Nabi’s mother was taken for DNA testing to match samples with human remains found at the blast site, while his father, Ghulam Nabi Bhat, was detained from their Koil village residence for questioning and DNA verification.
In Delhi, investigators have detained Mohammad Salman, the registered owner of the Hyundai i20 used in the blast. He is being interrogated to determine how the car came into the suspect’s possession. “Our probe has revealed the vehicle obtained a pollution certificate shortly before the attack — possibly to evade border checks,” said an official source.
Over 1,000 CCTV clips from across Delhi have been analyzed, helping authorities reconstruct the 11-hour route of the blast vehicle — from Faridabad to Delhi. According to police, the car was first spotted near Asian Hospital, Faridabad, at 7:30 a.m., crossed the Badarpur toll plaza by 8:13 a.m., and was seen near Okhla Industrial Area by 8:20 a.m. It later entered a parking area near the Red Fort complex at 3:19 p.m., remained there for nearly three hours, and left around 6:22 p.m. The explosion occurred at 6:52 p.m., moments after the car reached the traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station.
A massive joint team of over 500 personnel from the NIA, Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Security Guard (NSG), and Delhi Police’s Special Cell has been formed to coordinate the investigation. Preliminary forensic analysis suggests the use of ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators — materials similar to those recovered from the Faridabad module where 2,900 kg of explosives were seized.
Officials suspect the Delhi blast may be linked to a wider Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-aligned network, allegedly plotting to avenge the deaths of JeM founder Masood Azhar’s relatives, killed during Operation Sindoor. Intelligence inputs also point to coordination with individuals detained earlier by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), including a doctor accused of experimenting with ricin-based explosives.
In Pulwama, the families of both Umar Nabi and another accused, Dr. Muzamil, denied any link to terrorism, describing the allegations as shocking. However, intelligence sources have confirmed that Umar Nabi was the sole occupant of the vehicle that detonated near the Red Fort.
