Red Fort Blast: DNA confirms Pulwama doctor Umar Un Nabi as attacker, Delhi Police tighten probe
New Delhi – Delhi Police confirmed on Thursday that DNA testing identified the Red Fort car blast suspect as Umar Un Nabi, a 35-year-old doctor from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. He worked as an assistant professor at Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
Investigators said Nabi drove a white Hyundai i20 that exploded outside the Red Fort on Monday evening. Forensic experts collected DNA samples from a severed leg trapped between the car’s steering and accelerator. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) informed police that the sample matched the DNA of Nabi’s mother, confirming his identity beyond doubt.
A senior officer said the FSL’s confirmation was critical to the case. “The DNA match connects Nabi directly to the blast,” he noted, adding that it establishes the explosion as a planned terror act. The police had earlier collected body parts from the car, nearby shops, and religious structures scattered around the site.
According to investigators, Nabi purchased the i20 car 11 days before the blast from a dealer in Faridabad. CCTV footage later traced his movement from Badarpur Border to Connaught Place, Turkman Gate, and the Red Fort, moments before the explosion.
Officials revealed that Nabi had close links with Dr. Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie and Dr. Adeel Rather, who were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir last week. Both men face accusations of storing more than 2,900 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, along with detonators, timers, and rifles in Faridabad.
Police said Nabi panicked after Ganaie’s arrest on October 30 and went underground. When officers found the explosives cache on Sunday night, Nabi allegedly fled Faridabad carrying a detonator and other materials. Investigators now believe he orchestrated the Red Fort explosion in a desperate attempt to destroy evidence.
On Wednesday, police recovered another of Nabi’s vehicles, a red Ford Ecosport, from Faridabad. Initial checks showed it was used to transport ammonium nitrate from his rented apartment near the university. Sources said Nabi played a key role in moving explosives for Ganaie’s network.
Meanwhile, police detained Nabi’s mother and two brothers in Pulwama for questioning. Her DNA sample, flown to Delhi, provided the conclusive match. Officials called the discovery a major breakthrough in identifying the prime suspect and mapping his connections across Delhi, Haryana, and Jammu and Kashmir.
Investigators continue to search for Nabi’s possible handlers and funding sources. The case has exposed a deeper terror link stretching from Faridabad to Kashmir, involving educated professionals.
Delhi Police have now expanded their operation with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) expected to take over the probe. Security around sensitive areas, including Red Fort and nearby markets, has been tightened.
Officials said the DNA confirmation closes one chapter but opens another—one that could reveal how a university professor turned into the executor of one of Delhi’s most alarming blasts in recent years.
