Red Fort blast probe: Delhi Police trace vehicles, question drivers

Investigators probing the Red Fort blast case have traced several vehicles that were parked close to the exploded Hyundai i20 and are interrogating the drivers in a bid to reconstruct the events and to ascertain whether there was anyone else with the driver, Umar Nabi, an official said on Saturday (November 15).

Detailed list of vehicles

According to police, the investigators have prepared a detailed log of every vehicle that had entered the Sunehri Masjid parking area, where the blast took place, during the three hours the exploded car remained there. The log includes registration numbers, entry timing, exit timing and ownership details.

Also Read: Who is Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan, sacked by J&K LG, now under lens in Red Fort blast probe?

A Delhi Police team, assisted by a bomb detection squad, has been camping at the parking area, inspecting all vehicles that remained there since the blast. Officials said that they are first checking cars found present at the spot at the time of the explosion, adding that once cleared, they are being returned to their owners.

"Every driver who was present in the parking area around that time is being contacted and questioned. We are verifying whether they saw the Haryana-registered HR-26 Hyundai i20, whether anyone accompanied the driver Umar Nabi, and whether they noticed anyone entering or exiting the car," reported PTI, quoting a source.

Separate FIR lodged

In a bid to determine whether Umar was alone or if another person interacted with him during the three hours he stayed in the parking lot, police are showing his photograph to drivers and vehicle owners.

Officials said the exercise is crucial to determine whether the explosive was planted inside the car at the parking facility.

Also Read: Two Al Falah University doctors detained in Red Fort blast probe

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police Special Cell has registered a separate FIR under sections related to criminal conspiracy to probe the larger plot behind the blast. The initial FIR registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) has already been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

According to a PTI report, several vehicles were parked near the exploded car when Umar arrived and left it at the site. Police believe that the movements of those vehicle owners — and what they may have seen — could be key to understanding the timeline and identifying possible accomplices.

Wider network of doctors?

Investigators are also examining whether the arrested doctor, Dr Muzammil Ganaie, had regular contact with a wider network of doctors linked to Al Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad district.

According to media reports, around 15 doctors known to be in touch with Muzammil have gone untraceable.

Also Read: Delhi blast: 15 doctors at Al Falah University are missing, say investigators

"Call detail records indicate multiple conversations between Muzammil and several doctors. When teams tried contacting them, their phones were switched off. A team sent to Al Falah University found many of these individuals missing from campus," reported PTI, quoting a source.

Agencies are also looking into whether these missing doctors played any role in planning or facilitating the alleged terror module.

Central agencies had busted what they described as a 'white-collar terror module' operating across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, recovering 2,900 kg of explosive material and arresting eight people, including three doctors, on November 10. Within hours, the high-intensity blast ripped through the slow-moving car near the Red Fort metro station.

(With agency inputs)