Timeline Revealed: Dr. Umar Nabi's Final 48 Hours Before Deadly Delhi Red Fort Explosion

According to intelligence sources, Dr. Umar Nabi was initially observed departing from Faridabad in the early hours of Monday.

New Delhi:

The Delhi Police, working alongside central investigating agencies, have meticulously reconstructed the final 48 hours of Dr. Umar Nabi's movements leading up to the catastrophic explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday evening—a terrorist attack that claimed 13 lives and left more than two dozen people wounded.

Investigators have traced Umar's journey across Haryana and Delhi by analyzing over 50 CCTV recordings, toll gate logs, and mobile data.

A Night On The Highway

Intelligence sources reveal that Umar, a 35-year-old physician previously affiliated with Al Falah University in Faridabad, was first detected leaving Faridabad early Monday morning. Surveillance footage captured him driving a white Hyundai i20, which he had acquired just two weeks earlier from a secondhand car dealer in the city.

Sources indicated that Umar had been experiencing considerable stress following the apprehension of two colleagues—Dr. Mujammil Shakeel and Dr. Adil Rather—after authorities discovered nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosives in Faridabad. Investigators believe this seizure compelled Umar to execute his plan prematurely.

According to PTI news agency sources, his vehicle was monitored on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, where he made at least two stops—one at a roadside dhaba for a meal, and another at a mosque in Firozpur Jhirka, Mewat district, where he was observed performing prayers. Subsequently, he parked his car near another eating establishment, reclined in the driver's seat, and spent the night there.

A Morning Return To Delhi

At 8:13 am on Monday, the white i20 passed through the Badarpur toll plaza into Delhi. From that point forward, the car's trajectory formed a zigzag pattern across the city, documented by surveillance cameras.

He was initially spotted near Okhla, then at Connaught Place, before traversing through East and Central Delhi. Later, cameras recorded him entering Ashok Vihar in North West Delhi, where he paused at a small roadside restaurant around midday. "He appeared composed, ordered food, and remained for some time before resuming his journey," PTI reported, citing an inside source.

Around 1:00 pm, Umar's vehicle was observed heading back toward central Delhi. He briefly stopped at a mosque near Asaf Ali Road, in proximity to Ramlila Maidan. There, he remained in the parking area for approximately three hours, seemingly resting and periodically checking his mobile phone. Police are currently examining his call and message records from that timeframe, suspecting he may have received instructions before beginning his final approach toward the Red Fort area.

The Final Hours

At 3:19 pm, Umar's car entered the Sunehri Masjid parking lot adjacent to the Red Fort complex. For nearly three hours, the vehicle remained immobile among rows of other parked cars. Surveillance footage reveals no activity—no individuals approaching or exiting the car.

At 6:22 pm, the vehicle departed from the parking area and proceeded toward the Red Fort Metro Station. Thirty minutes later, at 6:52 pm, the car exploded at a crowded intersection, propelling fire and debris across the road and injuring numerous commuters and tourists. The blast, recorded by a traffic camera, shows a slow-moving vehicle engulfed in flames seconds before chaos erupted.

The explosion tore through rush-hour traffic, damaging multiple nearby vehicles and shattering windows of adjacent shops. Forensic teams subsequently confirmed that the Hyundai contained high-grade explosives combined with ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. Officials believe Umar himself prematurely triggered the blast.

DNA samples collected from the explosion site have definitively matched those of Umar Nabi. His mother's DNA was utilized for verification, confirming he was inside the vehicle at the moment of detonation.