DNA confirms identity of Red Fort blast suspect Dr Umar Nabi Bhat

DNA profiling has confirmed that Dr Umar Nabi Bhat, a Pulwama-based medical professional, was behind the wheel of the i20 car that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on November 10 evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring several others.

According to sources, DNA samples collected from Bhat’s mother in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, matched those of an unidentified body recovered from the blast site and kept at Lok Nayak Hospital. The confirmation came after forensic experts at AIIMS Delhi completed comparative analysis early November 13.

Investigators say the 29-year-old doctor was allegedly the ringleader of a “white-collar group” of medical professionals linked to a terror module recently busted by the Jammu and Kashmir Police. “He is believed to have been steering and motivating the rest of the flock,” an investigating officer said.

The J&K Police had, just hours before the Red Fort explosion, announced the arrest of seven individuals associated with what they described as an “inter-state and transnational” network tied to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH).

On November 12, police in Haryana recovered a red Ford EcoSport believed to be owned by Bhat from a farmhouse in Khandawali village. The property, belonging to one of Bhat’s friends, has been sealed, and forensic teams have examined the vehicle for evidence. The friend has been detained for questioning.

Investigators have also traced links between Bhat and other accused doctors, including Dr Muzamil Shakeel Ganai — his colleague and fellow Pulwama native — and Dr Shaheen Shahid Ansari from Lucknow. Both were arrested days before the blast as part of the widening probe into the alleged “Doctor Terror Module.”

Dr Bhat, who taught at Al Falah University’s School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre in Faridabad, had reportedly gone missing shortly before the explosion. His confirmed death in the blast now adds a chilling twist to what investigators describe as one of the most sophisticated urban terror plots in recent years.