The Red Fort may not have been the initial location targeted in the November 2025 car blast, according to findings cited by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its chargesheet. The agency has alleged that Umar Un Nabi, the accused suicide bomber, first attempted to park his explosives-laden car near Lal Mandir, a Jain temple in central Delhi. Traffic and police presence reportedly forced him to change course before he reached the Red Fort, where the blast occurred.

According to the chargesheet, Nabi left the Sunhari Masjid parking area at around 6:37 pm and drove towards Lal Mandir. However, he allegedly took a U-turn after encountering traffic and police presence in the area. He subsequently drove towards the Red Fort, where the explosion took place around 6:50 pm. The blast on November 10, 2025, killed 11 people and injured dozens, prompting a wider investigation into the alleged conspiracy.

The NIA has also traced Nabi's activities during an earlier stay in Nuh, where he lived in a rented room for about 11 days until shortly before the blast. Witness statements and forensic material collected by the agency have been used to examine his movements, communications and alleged preparations. The chargesheet also records that Nabi purchased several items of clothing with an associate's relative, paying for them in cash, as investigators continued to reconstruct his activities before the attack.

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Investigators have further examined digital and documentary material allegedly recovered from devices linked to Nabi and another accused, Shaheen Saeed. The NIA has said these materials contained information related to explosive preparation and that forensic evidence and witness accounts formed part of its investigation. The agency is using these findings to establish the broader conspiracy and determine the roles allegedly played by Nabi and his associates.

The NIA had earlier found that Nabi visited the Red Fort 12 times between 2023 and 2025, with his final recorded visit taking place on May 1, about six months before the blast. Investigators suspect the visits were connected to reconnaissance rather than tourism. The agency has also alleged that Nabi and his associates sometimes switched off their mobile phones during such visits, potentially limiting the digital trail of their movements. The latest findings indicate that investigators are examining both the suspected planning and the sequence of events that preceded the attack.

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