NIA Tasked with Inquiry After 13 Casualties in Red Fort Car explosion
The inquiry into the car explosion at Red Fort, which led to the deaths of 13 individuals on Monday evening, has officially assigned to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The move follows investigators’ uncovering of probable connections between the blast and an existing inquiry into a terrorist module operating in Faridabad, Haryana.
The blast occurred at approximately 6.52 pm near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro station, torching neighbouring vehicles as well as injuring multiple passersby. Initially believed to be the explosion of a CNG cylinder, investigators are looking into the incident for possible violent extremism connections. Officials believe the vehicle involved in the blast – a Hyundai i20 . Red Fort Car Explosion Investigation (reg. HR26CE7674) – is connected to a factually missing Kashmiri doctor, Umar Un Nabi, who disappeared last week.
PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah denounced the actions taken bye the suspected terrorists and have committed their departments to ensuring that the perpetrators are brought to justice. In the interim, the agents from the NIA, Delhi Police Special Cell, and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are working in cooperation to gather information and examine evidence from the blast site. https://c.ndtvimg.com/2025-11/6s5l3sgc_delhi-blast_625x300_11_November_25.jpeg?downsize=773:435
Movement of the i20 Before the Blast as Recorded by CCTV
A number of CCTV footages recovered from cameras at Lower Subhash Marg, Chhata Rail Chowk, and Red Fort Metro Station helped to reconstruct the final journey of the car.
The investigators disclosed the i20 had entered the vicinity of the Red Fort around 4 pm and could seen parked at a location close by, before being driven back towards the main road during the late evening. The footage clearly shows the car slowing down at a red light, at a spot near the metro gate, moments before it engulfed in a huge explosion.
According to reports, the car carried at least three passengers, but authorities could not confirm their identities. The authorities believe that at least one of them is directly related to the Faridabad terror module, which has been the subject of investigation by Haryana, along with the central agencies.
Dr Umar Un Nabi — The Doctor Who Has Disappeared from the Periphery
Investigation revealed the Hyundai i20 blew up bought by Dr Umar Un Nabi, a doctor from Kashmir, who is suspected of having contacts with the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operatives associated with the explosives haul in Faridabad.
Police sources said that Umar worked with Dr Muzammil Shakil, who earlier arrested in connection with the recovery of 2,900 kilograms of explosives from two rented houses in villages in Faridabad. The explosive devices were to become part of a wider conspiracy and found just before the Delhi blast.
Umar has gone missing ever since the time Muzammil arrested, and he is now seen as the link in connecting the car blast at Red Fort to the terror module in Faridabad. “Somebody connected to the module suspected in the i20. Identification will only confirmed after the DNA tests,” a senior police officer from Delhi has said.
DNA Tests and Family Detentions in Kashmir
To determine who the driver was, investigators have sent DNA to forensic examination from the charred bodies found on the I-20.
Similarly, the Jammu and Kashmir Police collaborated with central agencies to conduct nighttime raids in Pulwama, Shopian, and Srinagar and apprehended six people, three of whom were related to Dr. Umar, from Koil Village in Pulwama.
Sources said that three detainees were directly related to Umar and interrogated for their alleged contact with Umar and Dr. Muzammil. “They are interrogated about the logistics network for the Faridabad cell,” said a senior Jammu and Kashmir Police officer to reporters.
Broader Terror Network Behind Faridabad Module
The module, which is now receiving global attention, is believed part of a radicalised network operating across Haryana, Delhi, and Kashmir. The module allegedly operated as a medical, social, charitable, and educational movement to raise funds and identify individuals to exploit as recruits.
Investigators suspect that Dr Umar, Dr Muzammil, and other associates used these occupational networks to transport materials, disguise communication, and provide safe houses. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
The NIA believes the Red Fort car blast may have either linked to a detonation that did not activate the safety switch or a premature detonation when conducting an operation in Delhi. “We are considering the possibility that the blast accidental and occurred during transport or assembly,” an official who is familiar with the investigation said.
Continued Investigation and National Security Response
The NIA and forensic experts have taken samples from the blast site in order to analyze the chemical. Security agencies have requested data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the Regional Transport Office (RTO) to trace the ownership and movement of the vehicle.
As the investigation continues, the Red Fort blast has revealed a vast reach of an excessively educated, professionally-connected terror network that recalls examples of earlier incidents of “white-collar radicalisation.” With leads that now extend from Faridabad to Pulwama, investigators are trying to ascertain if the blast in Delhi was a component in a larger attack plan plotted against the capital.
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