Delhi Red Fort Blast: New CCTV footage reveals moment of explosion | Watch

Officials suspect the car was driven by Mohammad Umar, a Kashmiri doctor allegedly linked to a terror module. Police and security agencies are probing the incident, which has once again raised concerns over security in the high-profile heritage zone.

Among those arrested on Monday were Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both associated with Al Falah University in Faridabad. Investigators said 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered from the campus. Shaheen is alleged to have led Jaish-e-Mohammed’s women recruitment wing in India, heading its female front, Jamaat-ul-Mominat.

Dr Umar, who was also connected with Al Falah University and believed to have been driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded, allegedly carried out the attack fearing arrest after his associates were caught, officials said. The doctor from Lethpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district is suspected to have transported ammonium nitrate-based explosives in the car. A suicide mission has not been ruled out.

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His sister-in-law, Muzamil, described him as “an introvert right from his childhood” who remained focused on his studies and work. “He was working as a faculty at a college in Faridabad. He called on Friday and said he is busy with examinations and will return home after three days. He was a reserved kind of person right from childhood,” she said.

She added that Umar had last visited Kashmir two months ago and “did not have many friends.” Preliminary tests suggest the explosive mixture may have contained ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators, officials said.

Investigators have arrested Tariq, also from Pulwama, who allegedly supplied the i20 car to Umar. Teams from Delhi Police, NIA, and central intelligence agencies have spread out across Delhi and Kashmir, detaining four people in raids — two of whom are being jointly interrogated for their possible links to both the Delhi blast and the wider interstate terror module.

A case has been registered under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act related to conspiracy and execution of a terror attack.

CCTV footage reportedly shows a “masked man” driving the car that exploded near a traffic signal. “Multiple teams have been deployed to scan CCTV footage from the vicinity of the Red Fort and adjoining routes to know more about the masked man,” an officer said.

Officials said the car was parked in a nearby lot for nearly three hours before the blast. Footage from multiple parking areas is being examined. Overnight search operations were carried out in hotels and guesthouses across Daryaganj and Paharganj to trace possible suspects.

Security across the national capital has been stepped up. The Red Fort Metro station remains closed, while traffic restrictions and diversions have been imposed in the area. The Delhi Traffic Police advised commuters to avoid the Red Fort route from 6 am until further notice.

“All vehicles entering Delhi, whether private or commercial, are being thoroughly checked and verified as part of heightened security measures,” an official said.

The deceased have been identified as Ashok Kumar (34) from Amroha, Uttar Pradesh, and Amar Kataria (35) from Delhi. The other victims, aged between 28 and 58, are yet to be identified. One mutilated body was recovered from the mangled remains of the car, while 20 others were injured — 12 from Delhi and eight from other states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh.

*With Agency Inputs