Delhi blast | Key members of terror module planned to target Red Fort on R-Day, travelled to Turkiye

New Delhi: Key members of a "white-collar" terror module had plans to target the Red Fort on Republic Day this year as part of their larger conspiracy to hit important installations in the national capital and conducted multiple reconnaissances of the area around the monument, officials said on Wednesday.

During investigation, it was found that key suspects, Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near Red Fort on Monday, and Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who was arrested after police busted the terror module centred in Faridabad, had travelled to Turkiye where their handlers are suspected to be based.

These handlers were reportedly in contact with Nabi and other members of the "doctor module", the officials said.

The passports of Nabi and Ganaie show travel to the country shortly after they joined certain Telegram groups. A handler instructed the doctor module to disperse across India, with target locations selected after the Turkiye visit, the officials said.

During investigation, it has emerged that they also wanted to target crowded areas during Diwali but couldn't do the same.

Investigators have traced the radicalisation of a "doctors' module" through two Telegram groups, including one run by Jaish-e-Mohammad operative Umar bin Khattab in Pakistan, police said.

Investigators believed that the suspects wanted to carry out an attack similar to the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008.

Meanwhile, police have seized a red Ford EcoSport car, which was registered in the name of Nabi, in Faridabad. The registered address of the car in Delhi's New Seelampur was found to be "fake", a police official said, adding that forged documents might have been used to purchase the car.

Police officials said Nabi, an assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, had visited a mosque near the Ramleela Maidan before the blast that claimed 12 lives and injured 30 people.

He had parked the vehicle at the Sunehri Masjid parking lot around 3.19 pm, the officer said. Before that, Nabi had gone to a mosque on Asaf Ali Road, close to Ramleela Maidan, where he allegedly stayed for nearly three hours and offered namaz.

"He stayed there for around three hours before heading towards the Red Fort. We are probing the matter from all angles, including a suspected fidayeen attack," a senior police officer told PTI.

Hours after police busted the terror module with links to proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, and arrested eight people including three doctors, the high-intensity blast ripped through a slow-moving car near Delhi's Red Fort area on Monday evening.

Around 3,000 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur were seized after police busted the terror module, which spanned across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday visited the LNJP Hospital and met the survivors, saying the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

"Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone's quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!" Modi said in a post on X.

Later in the evening, the government termed the car explosion as a "heinous terror incident" and directed investigating agencies to deal with the case with "utmost urgency and professionalism" to bring those behind it and their sponsors to justice without delay.

Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams, which collected over 40 samples from the blast site, said preliminary analysis suggests that one of the explosive samples is likely to be ammonium nitrate.

A senior police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that analysis of the dump data showed Ganaie's repeated presence in and around the Red Fort area in the first week of January.

The agencies are also analysing mobile dump data from the Red Fort area between 3 pm and 6.30 pm on the day of the blast to track Nabi's movement and communication.

Ganaie visited the Red Fort multiple times to study the security arrangements and crowd density patterns along with Nabi. Their movements were corroborated through tower location data and CCTV footage collected from nearby areas, the officials said.

"These visits were part of a detailed reconnaissance ahead of a planned attack on January 26," the officer said.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police has detained a Faridabad-based car dealer and directed all second-hand car dealers across Delhi and adjoining states to verify and share details of recent vehicle sales, the officials said.

Under the scanner after the blast, Al-Falah University on Wednesday said it has only a professional association with the two of its doctors arrested in connection with the Red Fort blast and is anguished by the unfortunate developments.

While distancing itself from the terror-linked doctors, the university in a statement asserted that it is a responsible institution and stands in solidarity with the nation.

During the investigation on Monday, 360 kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from Faridabad, where Dr Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Sayeed, both connected to Al-Falah University, were arrested.

According to the officials, the forensics team found the cartridges while inspecting the spot. Further investigation is underway to determine the nature of the explosives and how they were used in the blast.

Meanwhile, CCTV footage that captured the exact moment of the powerful explosion near Delhi's Red Fort surfaced on Wednesday.

The visual, which was recorded by a surveillance camera installed at the Red Fort crossing, showed busy traffic movements before a sudden fireball engulfed the screen.

The blast, which occurred around 6.50 pm on Monday, appeared like a red balloon bursting, followed by chaos and panic as people ran for cover.