Delhi Red Fort Explosion: DNA Confirms Dr Umar Mohammad as Driver in Deadly Blast That Killed Nine

Dr Umar Mohammad was identified as the driver of the i20 car that exploded near Red Fort, resulting in nine fatalities and twenty injuries on Monday evening, according to sources who spoke to NDTV, citing DNA test results.

The explosion occurred at 6:52 pm on Monday, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has since taken over the investigation.

Dr Mohammad was employed as a senior doctor at Al Falah University in Faridabad. Sources indicated that his DNA sample matched 100 percent with samples from his mother and brother. The DNA was matched with Umar's bones, teeth, and clothing fragments found in the i20 after the explosion.

Previously, Umar's mother was detained in Pulwama for DNA testing. "We have taken the mother of the suspect to collect DNA samples in order to match them with the parts found at the scene of the blast," a police official informed PTI news agency.

Additionally, Umar's mother and two brothers were detained for questioning on Monday night following the explosion.

The blast occurred hours after Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from two residential buildings in Faridabad, Haryana. Police arrested Dr Muzammil Shakeel, who emerged as a key figure in a "white-collar" terrorist network involving radicalized professionals.

Shakeel was also employed at Al Falah Medical College. His arrest followed that of Dr Adil Rather, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur, who was detained for displaying posters supporting the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.

Umar Mohammad, the owner of the i20, reportedly panicked after the arrests of Shakeel and Rather and detonated the explosion near Red Fort. Both Shakeel and Rather have been connected to Monday's blast.

Hours before the explosion, CCTV footage showed Umar visiting a mosque near the Red Fort.

He parked the i20 at the Sunehri Masjid parking lot at approximately 3:19 pm Monday, a police officer told PTI. Prior to this, he visited a mosque on Asaf Ali Road, near Ram Leela Maidan, where he allegedly remained for three hours and performed namaz.

"He stayed there (at the mosque) for three hours before leaving and heading towards the Red Fort. We are probing the matter from all angles," the officer stated.