EXCLUSIVE | Red Fort Bomber’s Kashmir Link: Dr Umar Nabi’s October Visit to Srinagar & Awantipora Under Scanner

Srinagar/New Delhi: In a major revelation in the ongoing probe into the Delhi Red Fort blast, investigation agencies have traced a critical lead to Dr Umar Nabi’s recent visit to Kashmir in October 2025, during which he allegedly conducted reconnaissance activities and purchased a vehicle used later in the Delhi attack.

According to exclusive intelligence inputs accessed by Republic, Umar, who was killed in Monday’s Red Fort explosion, visited multiple locations in the Valley, including the Batmaloo area of Srinagar and Awantipora in South Kashmir, between October 5 and 9.

Sources said Umar’s movements were closely monitored in Awantipora, where he allegedly conducted a recce of strategic installations and held closed-door meetings with known sympathisers of Jaish-e-Mohammad. During this trip, Umar reportedly purchased a vehicle in the name of one Amir Rashid, a plumber from Pulwama, while the payment for the vehicle was made by Umar directly, raising strong suspicion of pre-planned operational intent.

Investigators believe this Kashmir visit was a prelude to the Red Fort attack, marking the final leg of coordination between the Jaish-linked Faridabad module and its handlers in the Valley. Officials are now probing whether the vehicle bought in Kashmir was part of the terror logistics chain that later extended into Delhi-NCR.

The timing of Umar’s Kashmir travel — just weeks before the Delhi blast — is being seen as a crucial piece of evidence tying together the cross-regional terror network operating under the guise of professionals. Umar, an assistant professor at Al-Falah University, Faridabad, had been under surveillance for suspected links with Pakistan-based handlers through encrypted communication channels.

A senior intelligence officer told Republic, “His October movement in Kashmir was not casual or personal. The purchase of the vehicle and recce of sensitive areas indicate operational preparation. This trip could hold the key to understanding the logistical buildup that led to the Red Fort attack.”

Agencies are now coordinating with the Jammu & Kashmir Police to trace the vehicle purchased by Umar and identify any local facilitators who may have aided him during the visit.

The revelation further strengthens the theory that the Red Fort blast and the Faridabad module bust are interlinked operations, directed and financed from across the border, with a clear attempt to establish new terror channels through educated recruits in India.

The Red Fort Blast

The high-intensity explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least 12 people and injured several others. Investigators have since identified the bomber as Dr Umar Nabi, an Assistant Professor at Al-Falah University, Faridabad, and a resident of Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir.

The explosion occurred inside an i20 car, which was later found to have been purchased in the name of Amir Rashid, a plumber from Pulwama. Sources confirmed that Umar paid for the vehicle, while Tariq, another Pulwama resident, helped procure it.

CCTV footage shows the i20 entering Delhi from Haryana via Badarpur, before being parked near the Red Fort’s Sunheri Masjid. Police believe Umar was alone in the car at the time of the explosion. More than 1,000 CCTV clips and toll plaza recordings are being analysed to trace the full movement of the vehicle.

Following the blast, the Delhi Police conducted extensive night-long searches across Paharganj, Daryaganj and central Delhi hotels. A case has been registered under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with relevant sections of the Explosives Act and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The Faridabad Connection

The Red Fort bombing has also revived focus on the Faridabad terror module — a network of radicalised professionals allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.

On Monday, the Jammu & Kashmir Police and Faridabad Police in a joint operation had seized 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, assault rifles, pistols and ammunition from a rented room in Faridabad.

The operation began after the arrest of Dr Adil Ahmad Rather, a resident of Qazigund and a doctor at Government Medical College, Anantnag, from whose locker an AK-47 rifle was earlier recovered.

His interrogation led police to other suspects, including Dr Muzammil, a senior doctor at Al-Falah Medical College, Faridabad, and Dr Shaheen Shahid, who has now been accused of playing a pivotal role in establishing the women’s wing and recruitment network of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in India.

Investigators believe Umar, who died in the Red Fort blast, was directly linked to this module, serving as a crucial bridge between Kashmir-based handlers and the Faridabad cell. The explosive material recovered from Faridabad is now being compared with the chemical traces from the Red Fort blast site, with forensic teams suggesting possible similarities in composition and sourcing.

Cross-Border Nexus Under Probe

Intelligence sources confirm that the Faridabad module and Red Fort bomber had operational links with Pakistan-based Jaish handlers and were in encrypted communication with Ansar Ghazwa-ul-Hind (AGuH), an Al-Qaeda affiliate active in South Kashmir.

The emerging picture points to a new wave of radicalisation among educated professionals, using academic and medical institutions as cover to build local terror logistics.

A senior official said, “The Red Fort blast was not an isolated act. It represents a shift in strategy, a move from infiltration to infiltration-by-intellect, where educated operatives are being turned into the new face of jihad inside India.”

ALSO READ: Unmasking Red Fort Blast Plot: Who Are the Key Conspirators in the Delhi 10/11 Terror Case?