Hyundai i20 Used In Delhi Blast Was Bought For Rs 1.70 Lakh Through OLX

The Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort was purchased from a Haryana-based car dealer for Rs 1.70 lakh, for Dr Umar Mohammad to carry out the terror attack earlier this week.

According to sources, the car, which was sold five times in a span of 11 years, was brought by Aamir Rashid, who handed it over to Mohammad. Aamir, who worked in the Jammu & Kashmir power development department in Pulwama, has been accused of helping Mohammad and is arrested. 

Aamir brought the car from Haryana-based dealer Sonu through OLX on October 29, after paying him a commission of Rs 10,000, the sources said. Sonu was given a deadline of  nearly a month to complete the registration certificate (RC) transfer but the car exploded before the deadline.

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The commission was to avoid the registration transfer procedure, which ideally takes around 20 to 25 days for completion. 

Aamir provided documents showing a Pulwama address to purchase the vehicle. It was then handed over to Mohammad, who parked it near the Red Fort Metro Station in the Capital before it exploded, killing 13 people. 

THE 5 OWNERS OF THE CAR

The car, with registration number HR26CE7674 was manufactured in 2013. The first buyer was Nadeem, who purchased it on March 18, 2014 at a Gurugram showroom. 

It was then sold to and registered in the name of Salman, a resident of Gurugram, in 2014, and the registration certificate states he was the second owner of the car. 

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When police contacted Salman after the blast, he said he had sold off the car to Devendra, a resident of Okhla. Devendra said he sold it to a man named Amit Patel in Faridabad, who later sold it to Aamir on October 29.

From Aamir, the car went into the hands of Mohammad, who worked at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. DNA testing confirmed that Umar was at the wheel of the car when the blast took place, sources said. 

The pollution certificate had expired, prompting the accused to visit a petrol pump to obtain a fresh document in Faridabad. 

Also Read | DNA Test Confirms Dr Umar Drove i20 That Exploded Near Red Fort: Sources

Despite the car changing so many hands and moving from one state to another, it remained registered in the name of Salman. Those in the know say this is not uncommon in the second-hand car industry and that vehicles are often bought and sold without re-registration to bypass documentation costs.

Criminal elements often look for vehicles without documentation, in a bid to avoid being traced. Used car dealers, looking to save up some money, don't bother with the registration process either. The result is that any crime involving the vehicle often leads investigators to the original owner on paper.