Delhi Red Fort blast accused Umar Nabi 'fled' Al-Falah University after Dr Muzammil's arrest: Report

Investigators piecing together the Delhi terror conspiracy say that Umar Un Nabi, described as the doctor at the heart of the Delhi terror plot, went underground for nearly a week and a half in Nuh before ending up in the i20 that exploded outside the Red Fort metro station on November 10, killing 13 people. According to The Times of India, officers say that after sensing the unraveling of the plan -- suspected to have been crafted alongside his colleague Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie over a period of two years -- Umar abandoned his regular life at Al-Falah University and slipped away from the campus.

According to officials, Umar stayed for 10 days in Hidayat Colony in Nuh, a hideout arranged with the assistance of an electrician attached to the Faridabad-based university. The room was rented discreetly, and investigators have since detained the homeowner for questioning. As one senior officer put it, the radicalised module’s network “is being tracked end to end,” particularly their use of hawala channels.

According to the report, police and the National Investigation Agency are probing the financial links of the two hawala operators in Mewat region whose money movements indicated possible support for Umar and his associates. These leads immediately triggered nightlong raids across Nuh, Faridabad and adjoining location, the report said. Raiding teams searched quarters of doctors connected to Umar and Muzammil as well as the rooms of students and interns who had previously worked with them. Among those examined was the accommodation associated with Dr Shahin Shaheed, identified as the third individual from Al-Falah arrested in the case.

Meanwhile, shortly after an unrelated explosion at the Nowgam police station in Srinagar on Friday night, security forces conducted a sweeping operation at Al-Falah University. “They were all over the road,” recalled a restaurant owner near the campus, describing the convoy of over 30 police and National Security Guard vehicles that arrived after midnight, according to the report. He has been quoted to say, “People were being detained. Someone from our village was also taken but later released after it turned out to be a misidentification.” The J&K Police later clarified that the Nowgam blast was accidental and involved explosive substances previously seized from Faridabad -- materials allegedly procured by Umar and Muzammil.