Delhi blast: ‘Umar knew agencies were looking for him’, CCTV footage shows suspect entering national capital | Watch

Delhi Police on Thursday said that newly obtained CCTV footage from the day of the Red Fort blast shows the prime suspect, Dr Umar Nabi, entering Delhi through the Badarpur border toll plaza.

The footage also captures him later walking near a mosque close to the Ramlila Maidan.

In the footage from the Badarpur toll plaza, Umar can be seen driving a white Hyundai i20 car and stopping at the toll gate around 8.02 am on 10 November, the day of the explosion. The car pauses briefly as Umar takes out cash and hands it to the toll operator before proceeding, PTI reported.

Watch the video here:

Investigators said Umar, who was wearing a mask, repeatedly looked toward the CCTV camera — apparently aware that security agencies were on his trail.

"A large bag can also be seen placed on the back seat of the car, believed to have contained explosives," a senior police officer said, as reported by PTI.

“His repeated glances toward the CCTV camera suggest that he knew the agencies were looking for him, and he was consciously monitoring his surroundings,” the officer added, as reported by PTI.

Later that day, another CCTV clip from a lane near a mosque close to the Ramlila Maidan shows Umar walking along a narrow stretch before briefly turning his head — the moment his face is clearly captured on camera. Police suspect that he visited the mosque to offer prayers before proceeding toward Red Fort.

A powerful explosion shook the national capital on Monday evening when the same Hyundai i20 car detonated near the Red Fort at 6:52 PM, killing 13 people and injuring several others. The blast’s impact damaged multiple nearby vehicles and scattered debris across the road.

Officials stated that Umar was captured on several CCTV recordings from across Delhi on the day of the incident, including footage from the Sunehri Masjid parking lot near the Red Fort. He reportedly arrived there at 3:19 PM and left at 6:28 PM, just 24 minutes before the explosion.

Forensic teams have collected over 40 samples from the blast site, including mangled remains of the vehicle and human body parts, while a special team of experts has been constituted to analyse the material and determine the type of explosives used, PTI reported.

Police said efforts are underway to trace Umar’s possible handlers and reconstruct his movements throughout the day to determine whether he had any accomplices.

(With inputs from agencies)