NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have identified a Pulwama-based doctor as the masked driver of the Hyundai i20 car that detonated in a massive blast near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, killing nine people and injuring 20 others. 

Dr Umar Mohammad from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir is suspected to be the suicide bomber who was behind the wheels of the white Hyundai i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday evening. His mother and brothers have been detained for questioning in Jammu and Kashmir.

Preliminary investigations point to a direct connection with the "white-collar" terror module dismantled in neighboring Faridabad just hours earlier on Monday, where authorities seized a staggering 2,900 kg of explosives and arrested eight suspects, including three fellow doctors. Sources revealed Dr Umar was part of the same Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)-linked network busted in Faridabad, where three doctors, including Dr. Muzammil Shakeel and Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, were among the eight arrested on Monday. 

The haul in Faridabad's Dhoj sector included 2,900 kg of bomb-making materials like ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and sulphur, plus arms such as an AK-47 rifle, a pistol, and ammunition. "Umar Mohammad was another doctor in the Faridabad module," the sources added, alleging his ties to JeM ran deep.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered early Tuesday under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and Explosives Act, invoking sections on terror attack punishment and conspiracy. Multiple raids are underway across the national capital, with Delhi Police's Special Cell leading the charge alongside the NIA and National Security Guard (NSG). Forensic teams, combing the charred wreckage, have preliminarily identified ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil and detonators as the likely explosive cocktail—a signature of improvised devices (IEDs) used in past attacks. 

"Initial findings suggest a possible link between the Delhi blast and the Faridabad terror module where 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized. Final reports are awaited," a senior police officer told reporters, urging caution until lab results confirm the composition.

Police source say, with his accomplices in custody, Umar allegedly commandeered the Haryana-registered Hyundai i20—handed over by another arrested suspect, Tariq from Pulwama—parked it in a nearby lot for three hours, and triggered the blast to evade capture. 

"After his fellow doctors who were allegedly part of the terror module were arrested, Umar Mohammad allegedly carried out this terror attack fearing that he too might be caught," sources in the police have disclosed according to some media reports. Meanwhile investigators are probing whether it was a suicide bombing or the prelude to a larger plot targeting Delhi landmarks, with the ammonium nitrate's similarity to the Faridabad cache fueling suspicions of coordination.

The explosion, which ripped through the vehicle at a traffic signal adjacent to Gate No. 1 around 6:52 PM on November 10, unleashed a fireball that gutted several vehicles and shattered windows in the crowded Chandni Chowk area. Eyewitnesses described a scene of pandemonium as flames spread to nearby motorcycles and e-rickshaws, with debris raining down on terrified commuters and tourists. "It was like a thunderclap from hell—the car just vanished in a wall of fire," said one local vendor, who helped rush victims to safety.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, responding swiftly to the tragedy, chaired a high-level security review meeting at the Ministry of Home Affairs at 11 AM today, attended by top brass including Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, and National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General Sadanand Vasant Date. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat joined virtually. 

Speaking to reporters after visiting the injured at LNJP Hospital last night, Shah vowed a no-holds-barred probe: "Tomorrow morning, we will have a detailed analysis of the blast at the home ministry with senior officers.