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

New Delhi: As new details emerge from the crime scene of the Red Fort blast case, which claimed the lives of over ten people and left several others injured, the focus of investigators is on the four people suspected of having hatched the conspiracy. This plot led to one of the worst explosion cases in the national capital in recent years.

As police and multiple agencies probe different angles of the Red Fort blast case, it is important to unmask the plot hatched by the four conspirators.

Who are the Four Conspirators?

According to reports, four individuals have been identified as the key conspirators in the blast: Dr. Umar Nabi, Dr. Shaheen Shahid, Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather, and Dr. Muzammil.

1. Dr. Umar Nabi

As per the initial investigation by the Delhi Police teams and central investigative agencies, the deadly blast near the Red Fort in the national capital was a ‘Fidayeen’ (suicide) attack, believed to have been carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

Sources revealed that the suspected bomber, Dr. Umar Nabi, planned the suicide attack soon after learning that a terror module in Faridabad had been busted.

According to police sources, suspected bomber Umar Nabi decided to carry out the attack hastily once he received news that two of his associates, Dr. Muzammil and Aadil Rather, had been arrested in Haryana’s Faridabad with 360 kg of explosives and ammunition. Investigative officials are probing whether the actual target was elsewhere, since CCTV clips showed the Hyundai i20 car moving slowly before the explosion.

The prime suspect, Dr. Umar Nabi, was a resident of Koil in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, and worked as an Assistant Professor at Al-Falah University, Faridabad. He had completed his MBBS from Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, and served as a Senior Resident Doctor at GMC Anantnag before shifting to Delhi.

Sources confirmed that CCTV footage showed Umar Nabi driving the white Hyundai i20 moments before the explosion near Red Fort Metro Station. He was seen wearing a black mask and was alone in the car. A DNA test was conducted on the recovered body to confirm the identity of the suspected bomber. The vehicle, which was used to carry explosives, was purchased last month under the name of a man identified as Amir, and was paid for by Dr. Nabi himself.

According to latest reports, Dr Nabi's father has been detained by police.

2. Dr. Shaheen Shahid

In a major breakthrough, intelligence sources have revealed that Dr. Shaheen Shahid, arrested in Faridabad on Monday, played a pivotal role in establishing the women’s wing and recruitment network of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in India.

According to top intelligence officials, Dr. Shahid, also employed with Al-Falah University, was reportedly entrusted with leading Jamaat-ul-Mominat, the women’s wing of JeM, in India. The wing’s command in Pakistan is held by Sadia Azhar, sister of Jaish chief Masood Azhar. Her husband, Yusuf Azhar, was one of the masterminds behind the 1999 Kandahar hijacking.

Dr. Shahid’s arrest came after a coordinated operation by the Jammu & Kashmir Police and Faridabad Police, which busted a major Jaish terror module operating across multiple states. During a 15-day search, security forces recovered assault rifles, pistols, and 14 bags of ammonium nitrate weighing over 360 kg from a rented room in Faridabad.

A Swift car belonging to Dr. Shahid was also seized, containing a Krinkov assault rifle with three magazines and 83 rounds, a pistol with eight live rounds, two magazines and two empty shells, officials confirmed.

3. Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather

The crackdown began with the arrest of Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather, a doctor from Government Medical College, Anantnag, from whose locker an AK-47 rifle had earlier been recovered. His interrogation led investigators to other suspects, including Dr. Muzammil, a senior doctor at Al-Falah Medical College, and Dr. Shaheen Shahid.

Intelligence sources say that Dr. Adil acted as a key handler for JeM in India, maintaining contact with Pakistan’s ISI and coordinating local logistics and recruitment. The module was allegedly plotting three major terror attacks across Delhi-NCR and western India using the seized explosives and weapons.

Recovered communication devices have reportedly revealed encrypted chats with Pakistan-based handlers, establishing a link between the Jaish module and Ansar Ghazwa-ul-Hind (AGuH), an Al-Qaeda affiliate active in South Kashmir.

4. Dr. Muzammil Shakil

Dr. Muzammil Shakil was another suspect who is an alleged accomplice of suspected bomber Umar Nabi. He was a senior doctor and lecturer at Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad. He is one of the first suspects to be arrested. He is a key link in the transnational and inter-state terror module of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). He is from Pulwama.

Dr Muzammil's brother has been detained, said sources.

Investigators are probing all possible angles to establish the roles of each conspirator in carrying out the blast. 

About the Red Fort Blast

Delhi Police's initial investigation suggested that the high-intensity explosion near the Red Fort complex may have been a fidayeen attack, said sources within the Delhi Police on Tuesday.

The car blast claimed the lives of at least nine people, while several others were left injured.

According to early findings, investigators believe the suspect originally intended to carry out an explosion but, upon learning that a Faridabad module had been busted, he reportedly shifted to planning a fidayeen-style operation—apparently to maximize casualties and avoid capture, the sources added.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday reviewed the investigation into the deadly car blast in Delhi that claimed nine lives and left several others injured on Monday evening, and directed officials to hunt down every culprit involved in the incident.

All agencies have been instructed to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the nature and cause of the explosion and submit a detailed report as soon as possible.

After the conclusion of the first round of meetings, the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the investigation into the case to the NIA, considering it a possible act of terror.

Investigators are also probing if the actual target of the attack was at another location since the car was moving slowly. Investigators are looking at all possible angles.