New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The initial investigation revealed that the driver of the Hyundai i20 involved in the explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station was Dr Mohammed Umar, a resident of Koil village in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.

The CCTV footage from the area confirmed that Umar was driving the car.

The blast occurred on Monday evening when a Haryana-registered car, a Hyundai i20, parked near Gate No.1 of the Red Fort Metro Station exploded, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens. High alerts have been issued in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Mumbai, with security around crowded public places and religious sites enhanced.

This incident also came just hours after police busted a terror module linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfits in Faridabad and seized 2,900 kg of explosives and a huge cache of arms and ammunition.

According to the sources, after the terror module in Faridabad was exposed, Umar panicked with the fear of getting caught and hence decided to run away.

Agencies are suspecting that either Umar deliberately caused the blast or the explosion might have occurred suddenly near the Metro Station, sources added.

Investigating agencies are now trying to find out why Umar had come to the Red Fort area.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested his two brothers and mother for questioning, while his father is reportedly mentally challenged.

Umar did his MBBS from the prestigious Government Medical College (GMC) in Srinagar. He secured a seat in the prestigious medical college on merit.

Neighbours said that although he was a hard and studious child, Umar had a deep, fundamental Islamist influence right from his childhood.

Another doctor arrested in the terror-busting operation is Dr Muzammil, who also belongs to the Koil village of Pulwama.

Even after the arrest of Adil and Muzammil, Dr Mohd Umar was absconding. It is believed that the arrest of his accomplices completely unnerved Umar, and he carried out the Red Fort blast in panic.

Meanwhile, as part of the heightened security measures, the Delhi Police have closed Gate Nos. 1 and 4 of the Lal Qila Metro Station for public movement due to ongoing security operations in the area.

The Delhi Police are continuing to piece together the sequence of events leading up to the blast, emphasising that all possible angles are being examined.

–IANS

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