Police personnel at the cordoned off area in view of the blast that occurred near Red Fort Metro Station on Monday, killing 12 people and gutting several vehicles, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Investigators in the Delhi Police on Wednesday were looking for a red Ford EcoSport car registered in the name of Dr Umar Un Nabi, who is allegedly linked to the Red Fort blast case, following information that it is being used by his associates, officials said.
The development came as investigators claimed that Dr Muzammil Ganaie, a doctor who was arrested from Faridabad in connection with the seizure of huge quantity of explosives, and Dr Umar, allegedly recced the Red Fort area several times in January, citing an analysis of data retrieved from his seized mobile phone.
Muzammil is an associate of Umar Nabi, who was allegedly driving the explosive-laden car that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening. Officials also claimed that forensic experts have collected at least 40 samples from the blast site and one of the explosive samples is likely to be ammonium nitrate.
With the information about the red car emerging, police has sounded an alert across all the capital - all police stations, posts, and border checkpoints - to trace it. The police move came as investigations indicated that other suspects of the "white collar terror module" were using the red car registered in the name of Dr Umar, who is believed to have been killed in the i20 Hyundai car blast on Monday.
The alert was issued after the investigation revealed that other suspects, already connected to the Hyundai i20 used in the explosion, were also in possession of another red-coloured car, the police source said. The red car is suspected to have been used by Dr Umar and Dr Muzammil for reconnaissance of the Red Fort.
Investigators claimed that Muzammil along with Dr Umar had been near Red Fort several times in the first week of January this year with an aim to study the security system put in place in and around the Red Fort. They claimed their movement was corroborated with the tower location of their mobiles and the reconnaissance was part of the preparations to strike in the national capital.
However, officials indicated that the Monday's blast may not be planned and could be accidental while a hastily assembled explosive device was being transported following the action against the "white collar module" in Faridabad. However, investigators have not ruled out other angles and are probing all options to find conclusive evidence.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe on Tuesday, has already formed a special team for probing the Delhi blast and inspected the spot. It has been on the ground assisting Delhi Police since the blast on Monday evening before officially taking over the case.
Forensics teams, which collected at least 40 samples, have also recovered cartridges from the spot. Officials said ammonium nitrate was detected in samples besides another explosive. The second explosive, whose details were not immediately shared, appears to be more powerful than ammonium nitrate, they said.
In a linked development, a preacher, Maulvi Ishtiyaq, who was staying in a rented house within the Al Falah University complex in Faridabad, was taken into custody by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. It was from his home that police allegedly recovered more than 2,900 kg of explosives.
A car dealer was also detained by Delhi Police's Special Cell soon after the Delhi blast. Identified as Amit, the owner of Royal Car Plaza, he was taken into custody from Faridabad Sector 37 where he has an office. Amit allegedly helped facilitate the sale of the i20 Hyundai car, allegedly driven by Umar Nabi that exploded.
(With inputs from PTI)