Delhi Blast: CCTV Footage Captures Suspect’s Car Movement Near Red Fort

New Delhi: A new CCTV footage has provided crucial insight into the moments leading up to Monday evening’s deadly car explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort that killed nine people and left several injured.

The footage, reviewed by the Delhi Police Special Cell, reportedly captures Dr. Mohammad Umar, a suspected terrorist linked to the Faridabad terror module, driving a white Hyundai i20 believed to have been used in the explosion.

According to police officials, the video shows the car entering the Red Fort parking area at 3:19 p.m. and exiting around 6:48 p.m., barely minutes before the explosion occurred at approximately 6:52 p.m. near the busy Sunehri Masjid traffic signal, one of the most crowded zones in central Delhi.

Initially, the footage clearly shows Umar’s face behind the wheel. However, as the car moves further out, a masked individual is seen taking the driver’s seat, prompting investigators to probe whether the vehicle changed hands just before the blast. Police sources said this detail is being treated as a key lead in determining whether Umar carried out the attack himself or if another operative took over moments before detonation.

Investigators have since retrieved over 100 CCTV recordings from nearby roads, toll plazas, and traffic intersections to reconstruct the car’s full route. The vehicle is believed to have entered Delhi through the Badarpur border, though parts of its movement remain under verification.

Intelligence inputs have further traced the car’s complex ownership history. The Hyundai i20 was first registered to Mohammad Salman, who was arrested on Monday night. It was later sold to Nadeem, then to a used-car dealer named Royal Car Zone in Faridabad’s Sector 37. All listed contact numbers for the dealership are now switched off.

The car was subsequently bought by Pulwama resident Tariq and finally came into the possession of Dr. Mohammad Umar. Tariq has been detained for questioning after the arrest of Dr. Muzamil Shakeel, from whom authorities recovered nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosive-making materials. Officials suspect both Shakeel and Tariq were part of the Faridabad module.

According to intelligence sources quoted in reports, the Red Fort blast may have been a retaliatory or panic-driven act. Investigators believe Umar might have executed a suicide-style attack following Shakeel’s arrest. Interestingly, traffic records show that the same Hyundai i20 had been fined for illegal parking in Faridabad on September 20, with Salman still listed as the registered owner.

Forensic teams are now conducting DNA tests on the remains recovered from the car to determine who was driving it at the time of the explosion.

Security across the national capital has been heightened, with police forces in Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana placed on alert. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have expressed condolences and assured that the investigation will be pursued with full rigor.

As Delhi Police continue to piece together evidence, the newly recovered CCTV footage is expected to play a decisive role in establishing the sequence of events and confirming the suspect’s identity in one of the capital’s most alarming incidents in recent years.

Also Read: Breaking: Explosion Near Red Fort in Delhi Kills Eight, Triggers Anti-Terror Probe