The police in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday detained the father of the man suspected to be driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort for questioning, officials said.
Ghulam Nabi Bhat was picked up by the police from his residence at Koil in Pulwama, hours after his wife was taken for a DNA test, the officials said.
The police have rounded up several doctors who were working with blast suspect Umar Nabi in Faridabad, the officials said.
They said three other persons, who were linked to the sale and purchase of the car involved in the blast, have been detained for questioning.
However, no formal arrests have been made so far.
According to Delhi police sources, Umar Nabi, a Pulwama resident and a doctor, was allegedly driving the Hyundai i20 car that was used in the explosion near the parking area of the Red Fort metro station.
Police sources said the first picture of the man driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort emerged in CCTV footage of the area. He allegedly had links to the terror module in Faridabad, where a huge cache of explosive material was seized, they said.
Preliminary findings by police suggest ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and detonators may have been used in the blast near the Red Fort, police sources said.
A police source said initial findings suggest a possible link between the Delhi blast and the Faridabad terror module, where 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized. "Final reports are awaited," the source added.
Earlier on Tuesday, the police took Nabi’s mother for a DNA test in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
"We have taken the mother of the suspect to collect DNA samples in order to match with the parts found at the scene of the blast," an official said.
Two brothers of the suspect accompanied their mother, Shameema Begum, to the hospital for the test.
The officials said three persons -- who were linked to sale and purchase of the car involved in the blast -- have been detained for questioning.
Umar Nabi's sister-in-law, Muzamil, said the family cannot believe that he could be involved in terror activities.
She said her brother-in-law was an introvert right from his childhood, did not have many friends and used to focus on his studies and work.
"He was working as a faculty at a college in Faridabad. He called on Friday saying he is busy with examinations and will return home after three days. He was a reserved kind of person right from childhood," Muzamil said.
She insisted that Umar was not the kind of person to get involved in terror activities.
"We struggled a lot to ensure he gets educated so that he is able to take care of himself and the family. This is unbelievable," she added.
Umar had last visited Kashmir two months ago, Muzamil said.
© 2025