The arrest comes amid revelations linking the attack to a sleeper cell of doctors and explosive-laden vehicles, with Home Minister Amit Shah vowing that "the culprits will face the full wrath of agencies."
The explosion, which ripped through the bustling area near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station at 6:52 PM on November 10, has claimed 12 lives, including two women, with 20 others still under treatment at LNJP Hospital. Among the identified victims is 22-year-old Pankaj Sahni, a cab driver from Bihar's Samastipur, who was ferrying a relative when the blast struck. Two bodies have been positively identified, while DNA testing is underway for the rest. Eyewitness accounts describe utter chaos: shattered vehicles, screaming crowds, and a thick pall of smoke engulfing the historic site.
The Suspect: Dr. Mohammad Umar Nabi's Final Hours
CCTV footage released Tuesday captures a chilling prelude to the carnage. A white Hyundai i20, parked suspiciously for over two and a half hours, shows a masked man—identified as Dr. Mohammad Umar Nabi, a Pulwama resident and former lecturer at Al-Falah University in Faridabad—sitting motionless inside. Sources say Umar, who blew himself up in the suicide attack, arrived around 4:22 PM and never exited the vehicle, even as crowds gathered nearby.
Preliminary forensics point to a potent mix of ammonium nitrate, fuel, and detonators fueling the blast—unusual for its lack of shrapnel like nails or blades, yet devastating enough to pulverize cars without leaving a crater. "This was no ordinary IED; it was engineered for maximum impact in a crowded urban zone," a senior NIA officer told reporters.
Umar's family in Pulwama paints a picture of a reclusive academic. His sister-in-law, Muzamila Akhter, recounted to PTI how security forces detained Umar's parents, two brothers, and her husband for questioning. "Umar was devoted to his studies and cricket; he adored our kids. We scraped by to educate him. I can't fathom him doing this," she said, her voice breaking. Umar, engaged but unmarried, hadn't visited home in two months and had few friends outside his professional circle.
In a parallel sweep, Kashmir Police arrested Dr. Sajjad, Umar's close friend from Pulwama, who had tied the knot just a day before the blast. Sources describe Sajjad as a key link in the network, with his detention aimed at unraveling communication trails.
Unmasking the Sleeper Cell: From Faridabad to Lucknow Links
The probe, handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by the Ministry of Home Affairs just 20 hours post-blast, is zeroing in on a shadowy terror module disguised among medical professionals. Delhi Police is pursuing three critical angles:
1. Umar's Movements: Between 3:19 PM and 6:22 PM, investigators are scouring for stops, meetings, or reconnaissance near the i20's route from Faridabad's Al-Falah University to the Sunheri Masjid area—an 11-hour trail mapped via GPS and toll records.
2. University Network: At Al-Falah, where Umar taught for three-and-a-half years, over 52 students, faculty, and staff—including the principal—have been grilled. Three staffers are in custody, alongside probes into doctors like Mujammil and Adil, suspected of sleeper cell ties. "We're mapping active and dormant members; this isn't isolated," a police source revealed.
3. Blast Mechanics: The absence of typical shrapnel has forensics teams baffled, prompting deeper analysis of the explosives' sophistication.
The arrest of Dr. Shaheen Shahid has sent shockwaves through medical circles. Once a prominent spokesperson at Kanpur's Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Medical College (GSVM), the Lucknow native allegedly led JeM's female recruitment arm in India. Her father, Syed Ahmed Ansari, defended her credentials: "Shaheen earned her MBBS and MD from Allahabad Medical College—reputable institutions. I have three children; this is devastating." Her brother, Parvez Saeed Ansari, is also under scrutiny. Faridabad Police has detained six more in connection, including university associates.
Former Jammu & Kashmir DGP S.P. Vaid called it an "ISI-orchestrated Jaish plot," suggesting Umar turned suicide bomber after the module's exposure in recent explosives seizures.
High-Level Response: Alerts, Condolences, and Vows of Retribution
Home Minister Amit Shah, who rushed to LNJP Hospital and the blast site, addressed a presser declaring a multi-angle investigation. "No stone will be unturned; the perpetrators will feel the full force of our agencies," he asserted. A high-level meeting at his residence, attended by IB, NIA, and J&K Police brass, wrapped up after 90 minutes, followed by another at Kartavya Bhavan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, midway through a Bhutan visit, condemned the attack and briefed Shah telephonically. President Droupadi Murmu, from Angola, also reviewed the situation with the Home Minister. High alerts blanket Delhi and ripple across Mumbai, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and beyond—Noida malls, Patna airport, Dehradun ISBT, and Gurugram hotspots under intensified checks.
International condolences poured in: Japan's PM, China's foreign ministry, and Israel's MHA expressed solidarity. Domestically, Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav and AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj visited victims, with Bharadwaj slamming the government's response: "Sympathy means nothing without basics like ambulances for grieving families." Congress veteran M. Veerappa Moily decried security lapses: "A doctor drives unchecked from Faridabad to Red Fort? Terror modules thrive in plain sight."
Amid the grief, families like that of missing e-rickshaw driver Jumman, 32, plead for answers. His uncle, Idrish, shared: "His GPS pinged near the gate at 6 PM. Witnesses saw him, but hospitals have no record."
As NIA teams, NSG commandos, and CRPF units comb the site—led by IG Rajesh Agrawal—the nation mourns and braces. Forensic walkthroughs continue, with visuals of mangled metal and bloodied streets a stark reminder of vulnerability in the capital's heart.
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