The investigation into the deadly car bomb explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on November 10, 2025, which claimed 13 lives and injured over 20 others, has unveiled a sophisticated "white-collar" terror module involving radicalised professionals, primarily Kashmiri doctors affiliated with Pakistan-based outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). The probe, now led by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with support from Delhi Police, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and Haryana's Faridabad Police, traces its origins to mid-October when proscribed JeM posters surfaced in Srinagar's Nowgam area, threatening security forces and prompting a multi-agency crackdown.
This network, dubbed "white-collar" due to its recruitment of educated elites like physicians from Al-Falah University in Faridabad, allegedly stockpiled nearly 3,000 kg of ammonium nitrate-based explosives for coordinated attacks planned around December 6—the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition. The blast itself emerged as a desperate act by key suspect Dr Umar Mohammad, who panicked after his associates' arrests and triggered the device in a white Hyundai i20, marking a pivotal escalation in the unfolding conspiracy.
The timeline of the probe reveals a rapid unravelling of the module, beginning October 19 with the Srinagar posters that led to the arrest of Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, for disseminating JeM propaganda—a breakthrough that exposed encrypted Telegram and Signal communications linking him to Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Shahid, both from Al-Falah University.
By October 30, Ganaie was detained in Faridabad after raids uncovered initial explosive caches, prompting Dr Umar—already on the run since October 7—to flee with bomb-making materials in the i20, acquired through a chain of sales from Salman to Devender, Aamir, and Tariq in late October.
Intensified operations on November 8-10 yielded massive hauls: 2,563 kg from Imam Hafeez Mohammad Ishtiyaq's residence in Mewat and 358 kg from adjacent sites, alongside detonators and timers, confirming the module's intent for vehicle-borne IEDs across six Delhi locations. Hours later, at 6:52 pm on November 10, Umar detonated near Red Fort's Gate 1, a site he and Ganaie had scouted in January, possibly as a suicide mission to destroy evidence amid the crackdown.
Post-blast scrutiny accelerated with forensic teams and NSG combing the site, where CCTV traced Umar's zigzag route from Faridabad via Badarpur, including a 10-minute stop at an Old Delhi mosque near Ram Lila Maidan—raising questions about potential last-minute instructions. On November 11, DNA from a charred leg fragment matched Umar's via his mother's sample, confirming his role, while interrogations of Shahid (tasked with JeM's women's wing) and others revealed a Turkey-based handler, "Ukasa", directing via Threema.
November 12 saw Union Cabinet condemnation as a "terrorist incident", Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hospital visit, and NIA's formal takeover, alongside the demolition of Umar's Pulwama home on November 14 using IEDs—a deterrent amid no public backlash in Kashmir. Further seizures included a red EcoSport (DL 10 CK 0458) from Khandawali village and Shahid's silver Brezza from Al-Falah, with audits ordered on the university for radicalisation ties; nine more detentions followed, including Dr Mohammad Arif Mir in Kanpur and two from Nuh, exposing Dubai links and prior arms cases.
Also Read: Delhi 10/11 Blast Update: House of Red Fort Suicide Bomber Demolished in Pulwama
As the probe enters its second week, agencies hunt a third vehicle—a Maruti Brezza—while Interpol issues Red Corner notices for fugitives like Dr Muzaffar Rather, underscoring the module's transnational reach from Pulwama to Dubai and Turkey. The case highlights vulnerabilities in radicalising professionals, with Al-Falah students recounting Umar's "Taliban-style" classroom segregation, and diaries from the campus revealing IED blueprints for 32 vehicles.
Home Minister Amit Shah's meetings with NSA Ajit Doval signal high-level oversight, promising swift justice amid international solidarity from nations like Singapore and China. This "lone wolf" evolution, blending online self-radicalisation with handler directives, demands enhanced surveillance on educational hubs as India fortifies against such hybrid threats in a post-26/11 security paradigm.
Also Read: Who Was Dr Umar Mohammad, The Doctor Turned Suspected Delhi Suicide Bomber?