#JustIn: Investigators Seize Fourth Vehicle in Connection With Red Fort Terror Module

Investigators probing the deadly car bomb explosion near Delhi's iconic Red Fort on November 10, 2025, seized a fourth vehicle—a silver Maruti Brezza—on November 13, intensifying efforts to dismantle a suspected terror module's logistics network spanning Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and the national capital. The blast, which claimed at least 13 lives and injured over 20 when a white Hyundai i20 detonated at a traffic signal on Netaji Subhash Marg, has been linked to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The newly impounded Brezza (HR87 U 9988), registered on September 25, 2025, to Dr Shaheen Shahid at Al-Falah University's Dhauj campus in Faridabad, joins three other cars under scrutiny: the explosive-laden i20 (HR26 CE 7674) driven by suicide bomber Dr Umar Un-Nabi, a red Ford EcoSport (DL10 CK 0458), and a Maruti Swift Dzire owned by Shahid. Officials suspect these vehicles facilitated the covert transport of firearms from Kashmir and ammonium nitrate explosives across Delhi-NCR, evading detection through small-batch movements coordinated via encrypted apps like Signal.

The Brezza, discovered parked within Al-Falah University's premises—where Un-Nabi and fellow accused Dr Muzammil Ghanaie worked as doctors—was registered at the institution's address in Flat No. 32, Block 15, with purchase records tracing to Saluja Complex in Faridabad's NIT area. Dr Shahid, who no longer resides locally, has raised red flags about the car's usage, prompting a sweep of over 30 vehicles on campus for document verification and forensic traces. Faridabad Police spokesperson Yashpal Singh confirmed the Brezza's handover to central agencies alongside the EcoSport, recovered from Khandawali village. NIA and J&K Police teams are dissecting whether the Brezza, like its counterparts, shuttled explosives or supported reconnaissance, with CCTV from the campus and surrounding roads under analysis. This haul underscores the module's reliance on seemingly innocuous university-linked assets to mask operations, echoing tactics in prior JeM plots like the 2019 Pulwama attack.

The red EcoSport, registered to Un-Nabi, emerged as a key link after compounder Wasid Khan—brother of a local garage owner—allegedly drove it from his sibling's workshop to his brother-in-law Mohammad Faheem's home in Khandawali on Un-Nabi's instructions. Abandoned outside Faheem's residence during intensified searches post-blast, the vehicle yielded traces of ammonium nitrate, now undergoing lab scrutiny. Both Khan and Faheem, detained since November 12, face grilling over timelines and a mysterious woman spotted with Khan during the drop-off, potentially a courier or accomplice. Surveillance footage captured the EcoSport traversing Dhauj and Al-Falah before its rural hideout, suggesting it rotated with the i20 and Dzire to distribute materials incrementally. Delhi Police's Special Cell, aiding NIA, revealed Un-Nabi juggled five SIMs across mobiles, each unlocking digital breadcrumbs on vehicle paths and handler communications with Ukasha, a suspected JeM operative.

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Emerging threads point to a year-long supply chain, with the module procuring vehicles under proxies like Shahid for the Dzire (arms haul in Lucknow) and accomplice Amir Rashid for the i20. Rifles and ammunition allegedly ferried from Srinagar and Anantnag in multiple runs via the EcoSport and others, bought with Ukasha's aid, highlight a sophisticated evasion strategy. The Dzire, tied to Ghanaie's explosive runs in Faridabad, further cements Al-Falah as an operational hub, where the Kashmiri doctors blended into faculty life.

Forensic teams report consistent nitrate residues across impounded cars, validating the rotation theory to dodge checkpoints. As digital forensics sift university servers for access logs and parking data, the probe expands to Nuh's border villages, where minority networks may have provided cover.

Raids loom in Faridabad, Khandawali, and Kashmir over the next 72 hours, with heightened security in Dhauj clamping down on suspicious movements. Khan and Faheem's interrogations could bridge Un-Nabi's local ops to the blast's execution, potentially unmasking more module members. This vehicular web not only maps the plot's geography but also exposes institutional blind spots in sensitive border districts. For Delhi, reeling from its worst terror strike since 2008, the seizures signal progress in preempting copycats, yet underscore the persistent JeM threat fuelled by cross-border handlers. As NIA coordinates with J&K Police for upstream busts, the Red Fort case reaffirms the need for vigilant counter-terror grids in India's heartland, where everyday vehicles can conceal deadly intent.

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