Delhi blast update: Security forces demolish Pulwama house of Dr Umar who drove explosive-laden car near Red Fort

Delhi blast update: Security forces demolished Pulwama house of Dr Umar who drove explosive-laden car near Red Fort on Monday, according to officials, PTI reported. The demolition took place during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, they added.

The car explosion near Red Fort on November 10 night killed 13 people and injured numerous others.

Umar was driving a Hyundai i20 loaded with explosives. His identity was verified when DNA samples from the blast site matched those of his mother. Once recognised as a highly accomplished professional, Umar is believed to have become radicalised over the past two years. Investigators mentioned that he had joined multiple extremist messaging groups on social media.

The suspects, namely Dr. Umar Un Nabi, Dr. Muzammil Ganaie and Dr. Shaheen Shahid, are believed to have used the app to plan and coordinate activities linked to the terror plot.

The three doctors associated with Faridabad’s Al Falah University, currently under investigation for the deadly car explosion near the Red Fort on Monday evening, were in frequent contact via the Swiss encrypted messaging app, Threema, according to police on Thursday.

Authorities also suspect that Umar, who was driving the car that detonated on Monday, and his associates used a red EcoSport, now seized in Faridabad, to transport and store ammonium nitrate over time. Sources described Umar as the most radicalized member of the group and the central link between the doctors, according to PTI. After the arrests of Muzammil and others involved in the conspiracy, he reportedly switched off his phones and cut off digital contacts.

A source mentioned, “Unlike conventional messaging platforms, Threema does not require a phone number or email ID for registration, making it extremely difficult to trace the users.”

A police source stated, “Detailed planning, including location sharing and task allocation, is believed to have been conducted through this private network.”

The trio reportedly used the app for encrypted text chats, exchanging documents and designs, and voice communication rather than using standard mobile networks. For additional secrecy, Threema permits messages to be deleted from both ends and does not store metadata, further complicating forensic retrieval, the source added.

Agencies believe this closed Threema network played an important role in carrying out the blast. Investigators are now working to assess whether the private server used by the group was hosted inside India or abroad, and whether other members of the module had access to it. Preliminary findings indicate the app was used to transfer restricted material and coded messages among the members of the terror module, officials stated.