Red Fort Blast: Inside the Growing Terror Probe and the Hunt for Umar Nab
On Monday evening near Delhi’s historical Red Fort, horror struck when a Hyundai i20 car packed with explosives detonated, killing at least nine people and injuring two dozen others. The explosion, so powerful that it gutted cars and threw bodies across the area, sent shockwaves not just across the capital but the entire nation. The blast site, a bustling area near the Red Fort Metro Station, became the epicenter of panic, confusion, and an immense security response as emergency personnel raced to help the wounded and secure the scene.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah immediately took stock of the situation. Amit Shah promised a thorough probe and visited both the blast site and hospitals treating the injured, while Delhi was put on “high alert,” with an intense manhunt launched across the city and adjoining states.
Probing the Terror Module: The Search for Umar Nabi
As the investigation widened, authorities quickly linked the blast to a suspected terror module with a grim history and alarming capabilities. The focus zeroed in on Dr. Umar Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama, Kashmir, whose involvement in extremist circles and discussions of a “spectacular attack” had increasingly worried intelligence agencies. As details unfolded, it became clear this was not the work of a lone wolf, but a coordinated plot with significant support and planning.
On Wednesday, investigators raced to track a red Ford EcoSport vehicle, believed to be owned by Umar Nabi and potentially pivotal to the manhunt. The car was eventually traced to a farmhouse in Haryana’s Khandawali village, reportedly owned by a friend of Umar. Forensic experts swept the vehicle, combing for evidence, while the property owner faced intense questioning about his relationship with the prime suspect.
More telling, the accused had at their disposal not only the car that exploded, but possibly two other vehicles—one linked directly to Umar and another to his close associate, Dr. Muzamil Shakeel Ganai, who had already been apprehended. It was Ganai’s arrest—along with the seizure of a terrifying 358 kilograms of suspected ammonium nitrate from his rented home in Faridabad—that allegedly sent Umar into a panic, prompting him to detonate the explosives.
A Network of Conspirators
The case’s complexity increased as more details came to light about the terror module. Both Umar Nabi and Ganai hailed from the same village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, and both were young doctors working at Faridabad’s Al-Falah School of Medical Sciences & Research Centre. Their connection laid the groundwork for a covert operation, as they steadily amassed explosives over the course of months.
The investigation, now led by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Jammu and Kashmir’s State Investigation Agency (SIA), soon identified two additional doctors as part of the plot—Dr. Adeel Majeed Rather, who worked at a private hospital in Saharanpur, and Dr. Shaheen Shahid Ansari, another Al-Falah hospital employee known to Ganai. Both men have since been arrested. Early information suggests the group was united not only by profession and geography, but a shared radicalization and recruitment pipeline, with evidence surfacing of contacts with handlers possibly linked to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Uncovering the Plot: From Srinagar to Delhi
The story behind the Red Fort blast began months earlier, with surveillance and phone records revealing that Umar and Ganai first visited Delhi in January 2025 to conduct reconnaissance of the Red Fort and other major national landmarks. Investigators believe the module was planning an even larger attack, possibly on Republic Day, January 26, or on Diwali, as mimics of the devastating Mumbai attacks of 2008. Surveillance footage and telecom data show the perpetrators frequented crowded markets, religious venues, and tourist hotspots, seeking to maximize casualties and publicity.
On the day of the Red Fort blast, Umar reportedly spent hours monitoring news of Ganai’s and Rather’s arrests online, parked in a Delhi lot with the explosive-laden car. As the news spread that his accomplices were in custody and police were closing in, he allegedly decided to act out of desperation—driving to a crowded intersection near the Red Fort Metro Station and triggering the detonation just before 7 pm.
The Haul: Stockpiling Explosives and Weapons
The most frightening detail of the probe is the sheer scale of the explosives that the suspects had managed to amass. In raids across Faridabad and adjacent areas, police uncovered 2,900 to 3,000 kilograms of explosive materials, mostly ammonium nitrate, but including high-grade military explosives as well as an arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, assault rifles, and pistols.
Ballistics teams and forensic units are currently tracing where this mountain of material came from, delving into local suppliers and underground networks. Though ammonium nitrate is often available in small amounts for agricultural use, assembling this volume—and associated bomb-making paraphernalia—points to sophisticated logistics and clandestine financing.
Motives and Radicalization
As the investigation gets deeper, authorities have pieced together a chilling psychological profile of Umar Nabi. Multiple sources report that Umar regularly spoke about carrying out an attack that would “make history.” His circle of friends and contacts described him as increasingly agitated and fixated on extremist ideology—a marked shift from his earlier, quieter days studying medicine. Chat records and digital forensics are expected to reveal more about the ideological roots of the module and any communication with handlers abroad.
Early revelations also suggest an active radicalization effort targeting professionals in medicine and academia, furthering concerns about the vulnerability of young, educated Indians to sophisticated recruitment strategies by external terror outfits.
An Atmosphere of Urgency and Fear
In Delhi, and indeed across India, the response to the Red Fort blast has been immediate and sweeping. Security across the National Capital Region was ramped up, with checkpoints, police postings, and emergency alerts across busy areas and transport hubs. Investigators are conducting round-the-clock searches for additional vehicles, potential accomplices, and missing explosives.
Government leaders have condemned the attack unequivocally, promising justice for the victims and renewed efforts to prevent such atrocities. The Indian Cabinet observed a moment of silence in memory of the lost, while statements from the Prime Minister and Home Minister underlined that there will be “zero tolerance” for terrorism of any kind.
The Road Ahead
The case remains fast-moving. With Umar Nabi still at large and leads about additional vehicles and partners to be explored, police forces across several states are on high alert. The central investigation, now under the NIA, must not only bring the perpetrators to justice, but also dismantle the support network that made this plot possible.
Early signs indicate the terror cell behind the Red Fort blast was not isolated; it drew on external handlers, possible foreign safe houses, and logistical support from within and outside India. As digital evidence and communications are sifted, and as arrested suspects are interrogated, new details will emerge not just about this attack, but about broader threats to public safety in the country.
A Wakeup Call
The Red Fort blast was a calculated, highly organized terror attack aimed at sowing chaos and fear in one of India’s most iconic public spaces. It also marks a major inflection point for counterterrorism strategy—underscoring the need for relentless vigilance against radicalization, better intelligence coordination, and continued international cooperation. For ordinary citizens, the blast is a stark reminder that terror can strike anywhere, and that securing peace means confronting both the ideology and infrastructure of extremism.
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