The first image of Dr Umar Mohammad, suspected to be the suicide bomber behind the Delhi car blast near the Red Fort, has surfaced. Umar, who owned the white Hyundai i20 that exploded on Monday evening, is believed to have detonated the vehicle himself, killing nine people and injuring 20 others.
According to investigators, Umar was born in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on 24 February 1989. He was employed as a doctor at Al Falah Medical College in Haryana and was reportedly close to Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather and Dr Mujammil Shakil, both arrested in what police have described as a “white-collar” terror module.
According to reports. Umar fled from Faridabad after learning that the two key members of his group had been arrested and that nearly 2,900 kg of suspected explosives had been seized over the past few days. “He reportedly panicked and triggered the blast,” a senior officer said.
Citing forensic and intelligence inputs, an official source told NDTV, “Umar Mohammad and his associates used Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) to carry out the attack. They placed a detonator inside the car and executed the explosion in a crowded area near the Red Fort.”
CCTV footage shows the white Hyundai i20 entering Delhi through the Badarpur border before heading towards Old Delhi via the Outer Ring Road. The car, bearing registration number HR 26 CE 7674, was parked near the Red Fort for over three hours, entering around 3:19 pm and exiting close to 6:30 pm. Investigators noted that the suspected bomber never stepped out of the vehicle, suggesting it was a suicide mission.
Initial findings reveal that the vehicle changed hands several times before the blast. It was first sold by Salman to Devender in March 2025. The car was later purchased by Aamir on October 29, before passing to Tariq and eventually to Umar Mohammad. Both Aamir and Tariq are currently being questioned by the Delhi Police. Aamir is reportedly Umar’s brother, and a photograph circulating online shows him holding the car key shortly after buying the vehicle from Devender.
Over the past week, several doctors have been detained from Faridabad in connection with the same module. Among them is Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, a faculty member at Government Medical College, Anantnag, who was arrested from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, on 6 November. CCTV footage had earlier shown him putting up posters praising the Jaish-e-Mohammed group in Srinagar.
A subsequent raid at GMC Anantnag led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from Rather’s locker. He has been booked under the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The probe also uncovered 2,900 kg of explosives and arms stored in Faridabad, allegedly in collaboration with Dr Mujammil Shakeel, who was arrested on 10 November. Another accused, Dr Shaheen Shahid, was arrested as part of the same network. Police recovered a rifle and live cartridges from her car.
In a parallel development, Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly plotting a ricin-based terror attack. Investigators claim he had conducted reconnaissance of an RSS office in Lucknow and several crowded marketplaces.
Authorities suspect that these individuals were part of an organised network of educated professionals using their positions to plan and coordinate terror operations across states. The Delhi Police and National Investigation Agency (NIA) are jointly verifying possible links between Umar’s suicide blast and the larger “white-collar” module.
