In a major breakthrough in the car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, DNA tests have confirmed that the prime suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, was present inside the car at the time of the explosion, agency sources told
CNN-News18.
The test results establish that Umar deliberately carried out the suicide blast, killing himself and 12 others on Monday evening near Metro Gate No. 1 at Chandni Chowk, they said.
According to investigating officials, Umar’s DNA matched the samples collected from his mother, confirming his presence inside the Hyundai i20 car that exploded, sources added.
The match was established after forensic teams compared bones and teeth recovered from the vehicle with samples taken from Umar’s family, it was known.
Meanwhile, sources told news agency ANI that before the attack, Umar had stayed at a mosque on Asaf Ali Road near Ramlila Maidan. After leaving the mosque, he drove straight to the Sunehri Masjid parking lot, where CCTV footage shows him parking the i20 at nearly 3.19 pm.
His mobile phone data and signal history are now being closely examined by the investigating agencies.
#WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from the Faiz Elahi Mosque on Asaf Ali Road, where the prime suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, stayed before the Red Fort car bomb blast. https://t.co/wTN43HtNdG pic.twitter.com/pegXq8Z0au
— ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2025
According to news agency PTI, Dr Umar Nabi, a resident of Koil village in Pulwama, was working as a faculty member at a college in Faridabad.
On Tuesday, his mother, Shameema Begum, was taken for a DNA test in Pulwama, accompanied by her two sons. Three individuals connected to the sale and purchase of the i20 car have also been detained for questioning.
Umar’s sister-in-law, Muzamil, had said that the family is finding it hard to believe the revelations.
“He was a quiet, introverted person who always focused on his studies and work. It is unbelievable that he could be involved in any terror activity,” she said, adding that Umar had last visited Kashmir about two months ago.
Preliminary findings by Delhi Police suggest the use of ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators in the explosion, similar to the materials seized in Faridabad, where 2,900 kg of explosives were recovered earlier.
Police have filed a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act on charges of conspiracy and execution of a terror attack.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has since transferred the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for further probe.
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