The death toll in Monday’s blast near Delhi’s historic Red Fort has risen to 13, with 21 injured people still undergoing treatment in hospital.
Investigators said, most of the clues lead to the conclusion that it was a suicide attack carried out by a doctor, identified as Dr Umar un Nabi, from Pulwama, Kashmir.
The slow-moving Hyundai i20 car stopped at a red light signal near Red Fort Metro station, minutes before it exploded at 6.52 pm.
Preliminary investigations reveal Dr. Umar was allegedly connected to a terror module based in Faridabad, from where 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate was reportedly seized on Monday during a raid, hours before the Red Fort blast.
Police said, the car used in the blast had changed hands several times and it was with Dr Umar when the blast occurred.
Sources said, Dr Umar worked in the same terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, in which his doctor friends – Dr Muzammil and Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather were members.
Dr Muzammil was arrested by Kashmir police on October 30, and a few days later Dr Adeel Ahmed Rather was detained. Following interrogation, a joint team of J&K Police, Intelligence Bureau and Faridabad Police went to his rented home and seized nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate on Monday.
Investigators believe Dr Umar carried out the blast after he found out that his doctor friends had been picked up by police. A female doctor, Dr Shaheen, was picked up by police from Lucknow, after an AK-47 rifle was seized from her car. She was also part of this terror module. She was flown to Srinagar for custodial interrogation.
It is almost clear that the aim of the terror module was to wreak havoc in Delhi and several other cities by detonating 2,900 kg of explosives. The module members were using Al Falah University as a cover for their activities. Al Falah is a private university based in Dhauj near Faridabad, Haryana. The terror module members were in contact through a Telegram group.
Doctors were recruited by the terror masterminds to allay suspicions in the minds of people. Even a medical professor teaching in the University used his girlfriend doctor to be part of the module.
Had these doctors not been arrested in time, the terror module could have carried out massive damage. Investigators of National Investigation Agency are now probing the links of this module with others.
Home Minister Amit Shah held a top level meeting on Tuesday with IB chief, Delhi Police commissioner and other security officials.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the blast conspirators “will not be spared and all those responsible for this act will be brought to justice.”
The Prime Minister is right. The handlers and masterminds of terrorists must not be spared even if they hide in any other country. The death of innocent people in the blast must be avenged.
Get connected on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook