DNA test confirms Dr Umar Nabi drove car that exploded near Red Fort: Police

The Delhi Police have confirmed through DNA analysis that Dr. Umar Nabi, a key member of a recently busted “white-collar” terror module, was driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort earlier this week, killing him on the spot.

According to police sources, DNA samples collected from the blast site were matched with those of Umar’s mother, taken on Tuesday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district. “The DNA results confirm that it was indeed Umar who was driving the fateful vehicle,” a senior source said on Thursday.

Umar, a young physician from Koil village in Pulwama, was among the main operatives of the module linked to proscribed terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

The revelation comes just days after Delhi Police and central agencies dismantled the module, arresting eight people — including three doctors — from Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Investigators recovered around 3,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate, and sulphur, materials believed to have been intended for multiple coordinated attacks.

Hours after the module was exposed, a high-intensity explosion ripped through a slow-moving white Hyundai i20 near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening. The blast shattered windows in the vicinity and sent shockwaves through the crowded area.

Police believe Umar was attempting to transport or dispose of explosive material when the blast occurred. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is assisting Delhi Police’s Special Cell in probing the full extent of the network and its possible links to handlers across the border.

With PTI inputs