The driver of the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort earlier this week allegedly received Rs 20 lakh through illegal financial channels as funding, investigations into the terror attack that claimed 13 lives so far has revealed.
According to sources, the accused – Umar Mohammad alias Umar Nabi – also procured large quantities of fertilizers after paying in cash from a market in Haryana’s Nuh.
Several hawala dealers have been detained for interrogation, the sources said.
On Monday evening, a white Hyundai i20 exploded at a parking lot near Red Fort, injuring 20 people. The impact of the blast was so intense that several nearby vehicles were damaged. The area was immediately thrown into chaos as people scrambled to help the injured.
Also Read | Explosives Seized From Doctor In Faridabad Go Off At J&K Police Station, 9 Dead
The blast occurred hours after eight people, including three doctors, were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized with the uncovering of a “white collar” terror module involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
In a bid to piece together the precise sequence of events before the blast near Red Fort, the investigators have prepared a detailed list of each vehicle that entered the nearby parking area where the exploded car was stationed for three hours, the sources said earlier.
Born in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama in 1989, Mohammad was a doctor at the Al Falah University in Faridabad, which is also under investigation.
Investigators have also obtained CCTV footage from inside the Red Fort Metro station that captures the moments immediately before and after the explosion at the traffic signal outside. They are also showing Mohammad’s photograph to drivers and vehicle owners to verify whether he met or interacted with anyone while the car was parked.
Also Read | 3 Delhi Blast Terror Suspects Were In Touch With 2 Foreign Handlers: Sources
Besides Mohammad, Muzammil Ganaie and Shaheen Sayeed – former doctors who are also linked to Al Falah University – have been arrested. Three hundred and sixty kilograms of ammonium nitrate was recovered from the college.
The Crime Branch has lodged two First Information Reports (FIRs) against the varsity under charges of cheating and forgery following regulatory violations reported by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
Also Read | Delhi Blast Suspects Used Encrypted Swiss App To Share Maps, Plans
The action was taken after both statutory bodies highlighted “major irregularities” in the university’s functioning.