- Two foreign handlers linked to the Delhi blast suspects have been identified by investigators
- The handlers communicated with Dr Umar and his associates via encrypted messaging apps
- Dr Umar, confirmed as the bomber through DNA, was connected to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad
The names of two foreign handlers have emerged in the probe into the blast that ripped through Delhi, sources said. The handlers had been in touch with the terrorist who blew up his car near Red Fort on Monday and his associates who were arrested with alleged links to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror group, they added.
At least 13 people died after a Hyundai i20 exploded in slow-moving traffic on November 10. Dr Umar Mohammad, alias Dr Umar un-Nabi, has been confirmed as the i20 driver through DNA matching.
Besides Dr Umar, his associates Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Saeed were in touch with the handlers, the sources said. The two doctors are now in police custody.
The handlers behind the terror suspects were code-named Dr Okasa and Dr Hashim alias Arif Nisar, sources said. The agencies believe that Nisar was the Pakistani handler of the terror suspects, while Okasa was the Turkish handler.
Sources suggest that the two handlers could also be the same person. The suspects communicated with the handlers using the Session, Telegram, Signal, and other apps, they added.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing the blast case. A multi-agency probe has also been launched into other aspects linked to the terror incident.
