Red Fort blast: agencies to recreate ‘bomber’s’ route, probing hawala trail

As part of the expanding probe into the Red Fort car blast that claimed 13 lives on November 10, security agencies are preparing to recreate the route taken by Umar ul Nabi, a doctor who has been identified as the one who drove the explosive-laden car, an official said on Sunday.

“Though he was initially not spotted with a phone in CCTV footage, he is believed to have had one. We will examine data from all mobile signals in his vicinity to understand who he was in contact with,” the official said.

Investigators suspect the use of triacetone triperoxide – an explosive commonly known as ‘mother of satan’. They have also learnt that the accused spent at least ₹3 lakh on purchasing fertilizers. “We are investigating a hawala trail through which the money was likely sent,” the official added.

Shops identified

Several shops in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh – from where the accused allegedly sourced the fertilizers – have already been identified by the police and the National Investigation Agency.

The police are tracing people who were present at Sunehri Masjid around the same time as Nabi and tracking owners and drivers of vehicles that were parked near his car in the Red Fort area, the official said.

A bomb disposal squad remains at the blast site even as nearby roads have been reopened.

Meanwhile, police forces in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh have launched a tenant verification drive.

In Haryana and Meerut, police have sought details of Kashmiri students to check if the accused was in touch with any of them.