Delhi 10/11 Blast: Owner Of Car Linked To Faridabad Terror Network, Say Sources

In a stunning revelation, a link has emerged between the blast near Delhi's iconic Red Fort that killed nine people and the "white collar" terror module that was busted by the police teams of Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana. The car in which the explosion took place was owned by a doctor - from south Kashmir's Pulwama - who was a part of the module, top sources confirmed early Tuesday morning.

The blast is now being probed as a terror attack, with the Delhi Police invoking sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), covering acts of terrorism and related punishment. They have also added sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, along with charges of murder and attempt to murder.

Dr Umar Mohammad, who owned the car, reportedly panicked and triggered the blast near the Red Fort after investigators arrested two key members of the module - Dr Mujammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather - and seized 2,900 kg of suspected explosives in Haryana's Faridabad over the past few days, the sources said.

Sources have indicated that the target could have been anywhere in central Delhi, as the car was seen moving from the Red Fort toward the city center. Police and intelligence agencies believe that a large quantity of ammonium nitrate was used in the Red Fort terror attack. The substance recovered in the raids is also suspected to be ammonium nitrate - widely used in fertilisers but can also be used to make bombs.

The blast occurred hours after the Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Police teams recovered thousands of kilos of suspected explosives and a cache of arms and ammunition from two houses in Faridabad. Both the houses were rented by Dr Mujammil Shakeel.

Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters that "a slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light, an explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged."

The area around Red Fort, which is also home to the bustling Chandni Chowk market, is one of the busiest and crowded in the city.

Visuals showed mangled bodies on the ground and pools of blood splattered across the road. The blaze engulfed at least six cars and several motorised rickshaw taxis.

A large multi-agency investigation is now underway, led jointly by the Delhi Police, J&K Police, NIA, NSG, Intelligence Bureau, UP ATS, Haryana Police, Gujarat Police, and forensic teams. The J&K Police has detained a man named Tariq in Pulwama; initial questioning indicates that the vehicle used in the attack changed hands multiple times. According to early statements, the car was first sold to an individual named Aamir, then passed to Tariq, and finally to Umar. Officials expect clearer details to emerge by Tuesday afternoon as interrogation continues.

The J&K Police had been investigating and chasing the Jaish-e-Muhammad module for the last 26 days.

Home Minister Amit Shah had on Monday night stated that “no possibility is being ruled out” and all angles - including terror links and cross-border involvement - are being examined. As Delhi remains on high alert, key suspects from the Faridabad module are being questioned for potential connections to the blast that has shaken the nation.

White Collar Terror Module

The "white collar" terror module, which included radicalised professionals, was busted by police and intelligence agencies during raids at locations across J&K (Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal, and Shopian) and Faridabad over the past few days. 

On Sunday, the officials recovered 350 kgs of explosives, 20 timers, assault rifles, handguns and ammunition from a room that Shakeel had been renting in Dhoj for the past three and a half years. The second raid took place 4 kilometres away in Fatehpur Taga village, where investigators seized 2,563 kg of suspected explosives. This house was also rented by Shakeel. The joint operation by the Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir Police, which has been ongoing over the last 15 days, resulted in the recovery of more than 2,900 kg of bomb-making material.

The professionals who are part of the terror module are operated by handlers based in Pakistan and other countries, and are involved in a range of terrorist activities, including pasting posters in support of terrorist groups.