Fresh digital evidence and newly obtained CCTV footage have significantly strengthened the case against Dr Umar, painting a clearer picture of his movements before the Red Fort blast and exposing the scale of his radicalisation efforts. The investigation now links him not just to the deadly explosion but to a wider attempt to build a Jaish-e-Mohammed sleeper-cell network across multiple states.
A crucial CCTV clip from Firozpur Jhirka, dated November 9, shows a Hyundai i20 — the same model that later exploded near Red Fort — parked close to an ATM where Umar allegedly withdrew money. The footage also records a second person stepping out of the vehicle. Agencies have identified and detained this individual for further questioning, marking another step in uncovering the network around Umar.
Parallel to the CCTV evidence, investigators have extracted significant data from Umar’s mobile phone backups, accounts, and digital trails. The findings indicate that he used social media extensively to approach potential recruits, build trust, and gradually radicalise them. Officials said he maintained regular communication with several individuals in Haryana, attempting to indoctrinate them and integrate them into a broader JeM-linked sleeper-cell structure. His online activity included participation in radical chat groups and the creation of private, encrypted channels for operational planning.
This discovery aligns with earlier CCTV footage obtained from a Faridabad mobile shop showing Umar on the run, visibly tense as he handled two mobile phones. Interestingly, when his body was recovered after the explosion, no mobile devices were found near him — suggesting deliberate steps to hide or destroy evidence.
Officials have already confirmed that Umar was driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort, killing 13 people and injuring more than 20. His identity was verified through DNA samples matched with his mother after the blast. The explosion triggered a massive multi-agency crackdown, leading to the detention of six individuals in Jammu and Kashmir, including three members of his family.
Investigators revealed that Umar and his associates used the encrypted Swiss-based platform Threema to coordinate their plans. He also operated a small private Signal group to manage specific operational tasks. Along with Dr Muzammil and Dr Shaheen, Umar played a key role in raising Rs 26 lakh, which was handed to him to fund the terror operation. The group allegedly spent around Rs 3 lakh of this on purchasing 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser — a key component in improvised explosive devices — from suppliers in Gurugram, Nuh, and nearby regions.
Sources told PTI that nearly eight individuals had been preparing to split into teams and execute coordinated blasts across four cities, suggesting that the Red Fort explosion was part of a larger and far more dangerous terror plot.
With the latest CCTV and digital evidence, agencies now believe they are closing in on the full network around Dr Umar. Additional detentions and wider state-level raids are expected as investigators trace his contacts and financial routes, working to dismantle the sleeper-cell infrastructure he was trying to build.
