Blast linked to “white collar” terror module; Car owner identified as Pulwama doctor

New Delhi

In a dramatic turn of events, investigators have traced the deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed nine people to a “white collar” terror module comprising radicalised professionals, sources revealed early Tuesday.

 The car that exploded on Monday evening was owned by Dr Umar Mohammad of Pulwama, South Kashmir, who was allegedly part of the module being probed by Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Police, according to a report on NDTV. 

The Delhi Police have now classified the incident as a terror attack, invoking Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), alongside Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, and charges of murder and attempt to murder. Investigators suspect the car was laden with ammonium nitrate, a fertiliser chemical often used in bomb-making

According to top officials, Umar allegedly detonated the explosives after learning that two key module members — Dr Mujammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather — had been arrested in Faridabad, where authorities recovered nearly 2,900 kg of suspected explosives over the past week. Police believe the car’s intended target was somewhere in central Delhi, as CCTV footage showed it moving from Red Fort toward the city centre.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed that “a slow-moving vehicle halted at a red light before an explosion tore through it, damaging several vehicles nearby.” The powerful blast engulfed six cars and multiple auto-rickshaws in flames, leaving the area — one of Delhi’s busiest — strewn with debris and blood.

The explosion occurred just hours after coordinated raids in Faridabad’s Dhoj and Fatehpur Taga villages led to massive seizures of explosives, timers, assault rifles, and ammunition. Both houses were rented by Shakeel, a medical professional linked to the module. Officials described the group as “white collar radicals” — educated individuals with professional backgrounds allegedly operated by Pakistan-based handlers.

A nationwide multi-agency probe has now been launched, involving the Delhi Police, J&K Police, NIA, NSG, IB, Haryana Police, UP ATS, and Gujarat Police. The J&K Police have detained a suspect, Tariq, in Pulwama, who reportedly confirmed that the blast vehicle had changed hands multiple times — from an individual named Aamir to Tariq, and finally to Umar.

The J&K Police had been tracking the Jaish-e-Muhammad-linked module for 26 days before the Red Fort blast. Home Minister Amit Shah, who chaired a late-night review meeting, stated that “no possibility is being ruled out” and that all angles, including cross-border links, are under active investigation.

With Delhi under high alert, authorities are intensifying searches across NCR and Kashmir to uncover the full extent of the module’s network — one that appears to have blurred the lines between professional respectability and radical extremism.