Investigators in Delhi have uncovered new details about the deadly blast that struck the Red Fort last week. Delhi was the first city the Jaish‑e‑Mohammad‑run Faridabad module targeted to show security agencies that it can strike the capital.
The terror network wanted to make a big statement and prove it could hit a high‑profile location. Such attacks boost a group’s reputation and help pull in new recruits, officials say. While eight people died, the attackers did not intend for the bomb to detonate so early.
Rumors that the driver was told to crash the car into the Red Fort are false. When Delhi’s security forces closed in on the Faridabad cell, the bomber, Umar Nabi, panicked and detonated his vehicle in traffic instead.
The plot was planned over the previous four to five months, investigators reveal. The radicalisation team has long recruited people from Uttar Pradesh rather than the heavily monitored Jammu and Kashmir, making it harder for agencies to spot them. Many of the conspirators are educated professionals, including doctors, who offer a low‑profile cover.
Dr. Shaheen Saeed, a key member, traveled to Jammu and Kashmir repeatedly to meet a local extremist, Maulvi Irfan Ahmed. Through her, the group gathered more recruits. Her medical credentials let her slip past scrutiny while she helped coordinate the plot.
Ther e is a clear pattern: the Faridabad cell focused on major cities. Delhi was chosen first because an attack there would send shockwaves nationwide. Investigators are now searching for other cars purchased by the conspirators, likely intended for vehicle‑laden blasts elsewhere.
The cell originally planned a bomb attack during Diwali, but the heightened security over the festival forced them to abandon that idea. After the plan failed, they shifted to target the Red Fort on independence day, 26 January. Yet the bomber’s premature explosion preserved some time for investigators to uncover the plot.
The inquiry continues as authorities comb through seized vehicles and contact lists, hoping to dismantle the broader network before it can strike again.
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