Delhi blast: Pulwama police detain father of key suspect for questioning

Police in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, have detained the father of Delhi blast suspect Umar Nabi for questioning. The move follows the detention of his wife for DNA tests as investigators probe possible links to the Faridabad terror module

Srinagar: 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.

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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.