Delhi blast: Umar Nabi was 'introvert, did not have many friends' — know the suspect behind Hyundai i20 wheels

PULWAMA-based doctor Mohammad Umar Nabi, who his family described as an introvert who kept few friends and focused on his studies, is suspected to have been behind the wheel of the Hyundai i20 car, which was involved in the blast that took place near Red Fort in Delhi on 10 November.

Senior security sources told PTI that Umar Nabi was driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort on Monday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring 20 others.

"Based on CCTV camera footage, it can be almost conclusively established that the car in which the explosion took place was being driven by Dr Umar," sources said.

Who was Umar Nabi?

Umar Nabi was an assistant professor at Al-Falah University in Haryana's Faridabad district. He was allegedly part of the terror module busted with the recovery of explosives mainly from Faridabad.

Umar hailed from the Koil village in Lethpora in Pulwama district. Officials say he carried explosives, possibly ammonium nitrate, in the car, which exploded near the Red Fort on 10 November, officials said.

Officials said a man named Tariq from Pulwama district had given the i20 to Umar and is now under arrest.

Sources reported that security agencies conducting operations at multiple locations in Kashmir and Faridabad since 19 October found that Dr Umar had changed his location due to continuous pressure from the agencies.

Umar Nabi was an 'introvert'

Umar Nabi's sister-in-law, Muzamil, told PTI that Umar was an introvert from childhood, did not have many friends, and focused on his studies and work. She said the family cannot believe that he could be involved in terrorist activities.

"He was working as a faculty member at a college in Faridabad. He called on Friday, saying he is busy with examinations and will return home after three days. He was a reserved kind of person right from childhood," Muzamil said.

She insisted that Umar was not the kind of person to get involved in terrorist activities.

"We struggled a lot to ensure he gets educated so that he is able to take care of himself and the family. This is unbelievable," she added.

Umar had last visited Kashmir two months ago, Muzamil said.

'Umar may have panicked'

Officials involved in investigations said they did not rule out the possibility of the explosives in the car detonating accidentally, as Umar may have panicked.

Sources said Umar fled as he was panicked by the successful crackdown of security forces in Faridabad, and his anxiety and desperation likely led to the Red Fort explosion.

"Flustered by the agencies' successful action, Umar fled, and whether his panic, anxiety, and lack of options led to the blast or it was pre-planned/accidental will be known later," the source was quoted as saying.

Investigations reportedly revealed that Umar waited in the Sunehri Masjid parking lot near the Red Fort for nearly three hours while scouring the internet for updates regarding his associates' arrest in Faridabad.

The investigators have also managed to establish an 11-hour trail of Umar's vehicle.

There was no clarity yet on how many people were in the car during the blast. While initially there were claims that there were three people, another account said only Umar, who was on the run after the busting of the Faridabad terror module, was the lone occupant.

The blast took place just hours after Jammu and Kashmir Police seized nearly 3,000 kilograms of explosives in Faridabad.

Is Dr Umar Nabi alive?

Officials had said earlier Dr Umar Nabi was driving the i20 car that exploded on Monday evening and is believed to be one of the 13 people killed. He is believed to have died in the blast.

The Jammu and Kashmir police took a DNA sample from his mother to establish the connection.