DNA Test Confirms Dr Umar Drove Explosive-Laden i20 In Delhi Red Fort Blast
Investigators had suspected early on that the bomber was Dr Umar, who had purchased the white Hyundai i20 used in the attack just 11 days before the Delhi Red Fort blast.
A DNA test has confirmed that Dr Umar Mohammed, a medical professional from Kashmir, was driving the explosive-laden i20 car in the Delhi Red Fort blast. His body was blown apart in the blast, leaving investigators uncertain of his identity until now.
The November 10 explosion ripped through a crowded street outside the historic monument, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more. The powerful blast shattered shopfronts and triggered panic across Old Delhi, one of the most congested parts of the capital.
Investigators had suspected early on that the bomber was Dr Umar, who had purchased the white Hyundai i20 used in the attack just 11 days before the explosion. DNA samples taken from his family in Pulwama district matched with human remains recovered from the car, confirming that he was behind the wheel when it detonated, sources said.
Officials now link Dr Umar to a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) logistics module operating between Faridabad, Lucknow, and south Kashmir. The group allegedly included nine to ten members, among them five to six doctors, who used their medical credentials to procure chemicals and explosive materials.
Doctors, Fake IDs, And Radical Links
Police say Dr Umar had been missing since November 9, a day after raids uncovered nearly 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate from a Faridabad warehouse. He is believed to have gone underground near Dhauj village, switching off five phones and skipping university duties since October 30.
The wider probe has since ensnared several others, including Dr Shaheen Shahid, a former lecturer arrested from Faridabad, who investigators believe headed JeM’s women’s wing in India under the banner Jamaat-ul-Momineen. Two other doctors — Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganai and Dr Tajamul Ahmed Malik — have also been detained for questioning over their suspected roles in the network.
Raids have been carried out across south Kashmir, including at homes of Jamaat-e-Islami activists, following the arrest of Maulvi Irfan, said to have radicalised the doctor trio.
A Quiet Man Turned Radical
In Pulwama’s Koil village, relatives described Dr Umar as a quiet, introverted man who kept to himself and spent hours reading. “He rarely went out or socialised,” said one family member.
However, police sources said Umar’s behaviour had changed in recent months. He began travelling frequently between Faridabad and Delhi, visiting mosques near Ramleela Maidan and Sunehri Masjid.
CCTV footage from the day of the blast shows him parking near the mosque around 3 p.m. before driving toward Red Fort. “He stayed there for around three hours before heading towards the Red Fort,” a senior officer said.
A red Ford EcoSport car registered in Umar’s name was also seized in Faridabad. Police found the Delhi address listed on its documents to be fake.
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