The Delhi Police on Thursday said DNA testing has confirmed that the man, who executed the blast in the white Hyundai i20 car outside Red Fort on Monday evening, was Umar Un Nabi, the 35-year-old doctor from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, who worked in Haryana’s Faridabad.
The DNA samples were taken from a severed leg stuck between the car’s accelerator and steering. Officials at a forensic science laboratory (FSL) verbally informed police about the finding, even as the complete DNA report was awaited. The DNA sample of Nabi’s mother was collected in Pulwama and brought to Delhi.
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“We had recovered multiple body parts from the car and the blast site, apart from the premises of the nearby post, religious structures, and shops. One severed charred leg was found stuck between the steering and accelerator of the car. The FSL has confirmed that the DNA sample taken from that leg has matched the sample of Nabi’s mother, who was taken into custody in Kashmir. Her sample was collected there, flown to Delhi, and handed over to the FSL for testing,” said a police officer, who asked not to be named.
Officials called the DNA matching a crucial piece of evidence in the blast probe, as it will help investigators link Nabi’s direct role to the explosion and also establish it as a “heinous terror incident”.
Nabi worked as an assistant professor at Al Falah University in Faridabad. The Delhi Police on Tuesday said he was linked to Dr Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie and Dr Adeel Rather, who were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir last week and were accused of storing over 2,900 kgs of ammonium nitrate, detonators, timers, and assault rifles in Faridabad.
Police said that Nabi bought the i20 car 11 days before the blast from a dealer in Faridabad. He was seen with the dealer and his associate, Amir Rashid. On October 30, after Ganaie’s arrest, Nabi allegedly went into hiding. Police said that when the huge cache of explosive material was found on Sunday night, Nabi “panicked” and fled to Delhi with a detonator and other material.
Another officer said CCTV footage showed Nabi travelling around Badarpur Border, Connaught Place, Turkman Gate, Sunehri Masjid area, and finally the Red Fort. “However, we could not surely say he had died because out of the 10 bodies, only eight could be identified, and two were just body parts. We detained Nabi’s mother and her two brothers for questioning. They were also taken for DNA testing.” The officer said Nabi was alone inside the car at the time of the blast.
On Wednesday, Nabi’s other car, a Red Ecosport, was found in Faridabad. Police said their probe showed it was used to carry ammonium nitrate. Nabi is suspected of having helped Ganaie by taking explosive material from his rented accommodation near the university and storing it.
www.hindustantimes.com
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