In a new development in the investigation into the Red Fort blast, security forces razed down the house of Dr. Umar Nabi, the prime suspect in the case. A joint team of police and paramilitary forces in the wee hours in South Kashmir, where his house was situated, carried out the demolition. As per the reports and accounts of the eyewitnesses, explosives were used to bring down the structure. However, no official statements have been issued chronicling the details of the move.
Dr. Umar Nabi has been suspected as the prime name in the historic blast, which claimed the lives of at least 9 individuals and left several injured, leading to a nationwide investigation, prompting the central and state agencies working jointly to trace the people behind the attack and curb their network.
Meanwhile, family sources say Dr. Umar Nabi has been falsely targeted and he has no involvement in the case, labeling the demolition as the “collective punishment” and demanding a transparent inquiry into the matter. Some civil society groups and politicians have called it an “alarming trend” that circumvents due process.
Security officials, on condition of anonymity, said the move followed “specific intelligence inputs” indicating the property was being used for activities connected to the blast plot. They added that the demolition was part of a wider operation targeting the support networks of suspected militant groups.
How did the Blast happen?
“This evening, around 7 p.m., a blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi. The blast injured some pedestrians and damaged some vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate that fatalities have occurred,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said while talking to ANI.
“The blast took place in a slow-moving vehicle that came to a halt at the Red Fort traffic signal. There were occupants in the car. The blast damaged cars nearby,” said Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha.
Further investigation reveals that the owner of the car was identified as Mohammad Salman, in Gurugram, Haryana, who bought the vehicle in 2013 and sold the vehicle to another man, who further sold the car recently. However, the car is still registered under Salman’s name and has the nameplate of Haryana, according to the reports.
