The sister-in-law of Dr. Umar Un Nabi, the man suspected to be behind the Red Fort blast, said she cannot believe he could be involved in any terror-related activities.
Dr. Umar Un Nabi, who worked as a doctor at Al-Falah Medical College in Faridabad, is believed to have been driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort on Monday evening, killing at least 13 people and injuring more than twenty others.
A resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, Nabi is suspected to have played a crucial role in planning the attack and transporting the explosives to Delhi, where he reportedly died in the explosion.
“They (security forces) have picked up my husband, brother-in-law, and mother-in-law. They asked us about the whereabouts of Umar. We said he is in Delhi. Then they took the three away for questioning. We last spoke to Umar last Friday… He (Umar) wasn’t that kind of man. We faced a lot of struggles to get him educated,” Muzamila, Nabi’s sister-in-law, told ANI.
She said Nabi had always been an introvert, someone who kept to himself and focused on his studies and career.
“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,” Muzamila said.
She added that Nabi had last visited home two months ago and was recently engaged.
“We worked hard so that he could stand on his own two feet and take care of us. I cannot believe all this. He was engaged, but he was not married yet. He had not been home for the last two months… He didn’t have many friends. He only used to study,” she added.
Investigators have said that Nabi was in the vehicle at the time of the explosion, which occurred near Sunehri Masjid around 6:52 pm. CCTV footage showed the car parked in the same spot for nearly three hours before the blast.
According to Delhi Police’s preliminary findings, Dr. Nabi may have transported the explosives to Delhi in the days leading up to the attack.
Police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and are investigating possible terror links. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that those responsible for the attack will face justice.
Authorities said ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators were likely used in the blast, linking it to the Faridabad terror module where 2,900 kilograms of explosive materials were seized earlier. The case has now been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Police also suspect that Nabi worked closely with Adeel Ahmad Rather, a former senior resident at Government Medical College in Anantnag, who was arrested last week.
