Delhi Red Fort blast: Dr Umar Nabi had planned a strike on THIS date due to…

Delhi Red Fort blast: Dr Umar Nabi, the Kashmiri doctor who allegedly drove the explosives-laden car that blew up near the Red Fort, killing 13 people, had not planned to blow up the vehicle on November 10, but on December 6, on the occasion of the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary.

Why Umar Nabi’s terror plan failed?

According to officials, Umar was likely assembling a vehicle-based improvised explosive device (VBIED) after taking lessons on its construction and detonation circuit from open sources on the internet. He had reportedly informed his co-conspirators about the December terror plan and began prepping for it by placing explosives in the Hyundai i20 he was driving on that fateful November 10, they said.

However, his plan fell apart when Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib, who taught at Faridabad’s Al Falah university, was arrested, and 360 kg of ammonium nitrate seized from his rented room.

Officials believe Umar may have panicked on November 10 when a top police officer appeared on television announcing that a terror module had been busted with the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives, including 360 kg of inflammable material, in Faridabad.

The 28-year-old took drove to Delhi, sought refuge in a mosque in the walled city where he stayed for three hours on Monday evening before driving out, they said, adding that the November 10 blast may have been “accidental” as Umar had yet to assemble shrapnel in the VBIED.

Who was Dr Umar Nabi?

Umar Nabi, a 28-year-old doctor from Pulwama district in southern Kashmir, reportedly carried out the deadly Delhi Red Fort Blast on November 10 that killed 13 people. Umar, who was driving the explosive-laden i20 car, is also believed to have been killed in the attack.

Officials citing family and friends of the doctor-turned-terrorist have described Umar Nabi as a loner and a bookworm with an impeccable academic record, and its believed that a trip to Turkey in 2021 with co-conspirator Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, led to his dramatic radicalisation.

How Umar Nabi was radicalised?

According to officials, during his 2021 Turkey trip, Dr Umar Nabi met two overground workers of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror group, which radicalised him to the point where he allegedly designed an elaborate terror plot to carry out a major bombing in national capital New Delhi on December 6, the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition.

After returning from Turkey, Umar, along with Ganaie, began to set his terror plan into motion, and started accumulating explosives, including ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur, which they stored in and around the Al Falah campus where he was pursuing higher studies.

Umar had reportedly revealed his December terror plan to the others and began prepping for it by placing explosives in the Hyundai i20 he was driving on that fateful November 10. But the VBIED was incomplete when the car blew up near the Red Fort on November 10, killing 13 people, including Umar.

“A premature explosion took place. The VBIED was also incomplete, as shrapnel had yet to be assembled. It is likely that he was assembling a vehicle-based improvised explosive device (VBIED) after taking lessons on its construction and detonation circuit from open sources available on the internet,” officials said.

How Srinagar Police uncovered terror plot?

As per officials, the insidious terror plot was uncovered after a meticulous investigation by the Srinagar police in a case related to putting up posters supporting the JeM in Srinagar led to the arrest of Ganaie. The posters were pasted on walls of the city on October 19.

The investigation led to the  unravelling of the inter-state terror network spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. after CCTV footage showed Ganaie along with some others involved in the act.

Of the eight people arrested, seven are from Kashmir. They are Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid from Nowgam in Srinagar; Maulvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger alias Mutlasha from Wakura area of Ganderbal; Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib from Koil area of Pulwama, and Dr Adeel from Wanpora area of Kulgam. Dr Shaheen Sayeed is from Lucknow.

On October 26, Umar travelled to Kashmir and spent some time with his friends and relatives before starting his return journey to Faridabad, and during his Kashmir trip, told his close relatives and friends that he would not be available for next three months.

The statement was corroborated by many of his friends, relatives questioned and other co-accused to the police, officials said, adding that he likely planned to plant the VBIED and then go underground for sometime.

(With PTI inputs)