The first photograph of Dr Umar Mohammad, the man suspected to be behind the deadly car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, has surfaced.

The explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, claimed at least nine lives and left over 20 injured. Investigators have confirmed that Umar, a medical doctor from Al Falah Medical College, owned the white Hyundai i20 that was used in the attack.

Born in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, on 24 February 1989, Dr Umar Mohammad was employed as a doctor at Al Falah Medical College in Haryana. Sources reveal that he had close ties with two other doctors, Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather and Dr Mujammil Shakil, both of whom were arrested on Monday for their involvement in what police are calling a “white-collar terror module”.

Umar reportedly went into hiding after learning that key members of the module had been detained and 2,900 kg of suspected explosives recovered from Faridabad. According to investigators, he panicked upon the arrests and decided to carry out the suicide blast using his vehicle.

CCTV footage obtained by Delhi Police shows the white Hyundai i20 entering the city from the Badarpur border before travelling through the Outer Ring Road and reaching Old Delhi. The vehicle, bearing registration number HR 26CE 7674, was parked near the Red Fort for over three hours—from 3:19 pm to 6:30 pm—before the explosion occurred.

Sources said the car contained a mixture of Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) with a detonator device, indicating deliberate preparation for a high-impact blast. Umar remained seated inside the vehicle throughout, strongly suggesting a coordinated suicide attack.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the white Hyundai i20 changed multiple hands in recent months. Originally owned by a man named Salman, the car was sold to Devender in March 2025. It was later purchased by Aamir on 29 October and then passed on to Tariq and Umar shortly before the incident.

Aamir, who is confirmed to be Umar’s brother, is now under police interrogation along with Tariq. Investigators have obtained a photograph showing Aamir holding the car keys, believed to have been taken soon after the purchase from Devender.

The blast has opened a wider probe into a network of medical professionals allegedly involved in terror-related activities across multiple states.

Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, a physician from Government Medical College, Anantnag, was arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, after CCTV footage surfaced showing him putting up posters praising the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit. During a subsequent search of his locker at GMC Anantnag, police recovered an AK-47 rifle and ammunition. He has been booked under provisions of the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Further investigations led authorities to Dr Mujammil Shakeel, who was arrested in Faridabad on 10 November, and Dr Shaheen Shahid, a woman doctor associated with the same terror module. A rifle and live cartridges were seized from Shahid’s car at the time of her arrest.

In a related operation, Gujarat ATS detained Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed for allegedly plotting a ricin-based terror attack. Saiyed, police say, conducted reconnaissance of an RSS office in Lucknow and several crowded market areas in northern India, indicating possible plans for chemical or biological strikes.

The Delhi blast marks a chilling escalation in the trend of radicalisation among educated professionals. The discovery of an organised network of doctors connected by ideology, logistics, and covert coordination across multiple states has alarmed central intelligence agencies.

Authorities are now mapping digital communication between the suspects, examining hospital lab resources, and tracing the funding channels used to acquire explosives.

Forensic teams have been deployed to examine the blast site for residues of ANFO and metallic fragments to determine the exact nature and power of the explosive device.

As the probe intensifies, security has been strengthened across major Delhi landmarks and hospitals linked to the suspects.

Intelligence inputs suggest that further arrests may follow as investigators unravel the penetrating reach of the “white-collar” terror network that struck near one of India’s most protected monuments.

Agencies