The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday took over the investigation into the explosion near the Red Fort in the national capital, even as the death toll in the incident rose to 13.
Police sources claimed it was a ‘fidayeen attack’ and was planned by those associated with the Jaish-e-Mohammed. They said the car was driven by Dr Umar Mohammad, who planned the attack along with two of his associates.
The case was officially handed over to the federal anti-terror agency at the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
“The death toll in the incident has risen to 13,” a Delhi Police official said.
“The development follows the emergence of links between the Delhi blast and a recently busted terror module in Faridabad on November 9. The investigation had so far been a joint effort by the Delhi Police Special Cell, district police, and the Jammu and Kashmir police,” an investigation official said on condition of anonymity.
The probe was intensified after the Delhi Police registered an FIR invoking stringent sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act related to terrorist acts and their punishment, along with the Explosive Substances Act. Charges of murder and attempt to murder have also been included.
“A case has been registered under Sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA, along with various sections of the Explosives Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Kotwali Police Station.
“A significant part of the probe has focused on tracing the movements of the suspects through the city’s CCTV network. Nearly 200 police personnel examined footage from multiple routes, including from the Badarpur Border to the Sunehri Masjid near Red Fort, and from Outer Ring Road to Kashmere Gate. This digital dragnet has led investigators to question approximately 13 individuals who have come under suspicion,” another official said.
Meanwhile, sources claimed Umar planned the attack in panic after the arrests made in Faridabad by the J&K Police. Along with his associates, he placed a detonator in the car and carried out this terror act. ANFO (Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil) was used in the attack.
“The investigators have examined more than 4,000 CCTV cameras, as well as the dump data of cell phones which were active in areas to identify the suspects,” they said.
According to police sources, the investigation has revealed a chain of ownership for the car, which was initially sold by a man named Salman to another individual, Devender, in March 2025. The car then changed hands from Devender to a person named Aamir on October 29. It was subsequently passed on to Dr. Umar Mohammad, with a man called Tariq also being privy to this exchange.
Both Aamir and Tariq are currently being questioned by the Delhi Police team as the probe continues.
A senior official of the Delhi Police said the driver of the i20 car, seen in a video captured shortly before the explosion, wearing a mask, is suspected to be Dr Mohammed Umar, a key member of a terror module who was already known to be absconding.
A DNA test of the family members of Umar will be conducted to confirm whether he was indeed Umar. Investigators are also working to identify the other suspects who were believed to be in the car at the moment of the blast, he added.
On Tuesday, the family of Umar was detained by the J&K Police for questioning.
The investigation has revealed that the I-20 car was parked near the Red Fort parking lot until three hours before the blast. An analysis of CCTV footage showed that the car was parked at 3:19 PM and exited the parking area three hours later at 6:48 PM. The vehicle left at a time when the area was particularly crowded.