'Brainwashed' bomber Dr Umar Mohammad parroted ISI martyrdom line, say experts

Delhi blast prime accused Dr Umar

A disturbing video recovered from the personal phone of Dr Umar Mohammad alias Umar-un-Nabi, the terrorist behind Delhi’s recent car bombing, has surfaced, showing the bomber attempting to justify his planned suicide attack as a legitimate "martyrdom operation.”

The video, discovered on a handset Nabi left at his family home in Pulwama before travelling to the capital, was reportedly recorded close to the date of the November 10 blast. According to a TOI report, Nabi’s brother, who had initially tried to dispose of the phone in a pond for fear of implication, later handed it over to investigating agencies.

In the footage, Nabi is seen speaking in broken English, differentiating between what he labels suicide and a "martyrdom operation." He argues that the latter occurs when "a person presumes that he is going to surely die at a particular place, at a particular time."

This statement, intelligence officials noted, corroborates the investigation line that Nabi was waiting to detonate the improvised explosive device (IED) near the Red Fort between the Maghrib and Isha evening prayers.

"He goes against the presumption that a particular person is going to die in a particular situation," Nabi is heard saying in the video. He further claimed that the "biggest mistake people make is failing to understand what the idea of suicide bombing - truly is," insisting instead that "it's a martyrdom operation and it is...known in Islam."

Analysis of the video by psychologists suggests a deliberate attempt to appear unscripted and persuasive. Experts noted that Nabi avoided staring directly into the camera and spoke in a manner that pretended to be thoughtful.

Dr Rajiv Mehta, a senior consultant psychiatrist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, analysed the footage as reported by TOI, stating that the bomber’s manner of speech indicated he had been "brainwashed." Dr Mehta also observed that the individual’s body language suggested a "high degree of confidence" and that he "appeared to be certain that he would be praised for what he was doing," seemingly to inspire others for his cause.

Intelligence officials cited by TOI said that such ideological justification is a classic tactic drawn from the playbook of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). They stated it is designed to alleviate the religious dilemma faced by potential recruits who may consider suicide to be forbidden in Islam. The notorious terror recruiter and Hafiz Saeed aide, Abdul Rehman Makki, has even authored a book on this very subject, they confirmed.