Red Fort Blast: First picture of prime suspect Dr. Umar emerges from CCTV footage

In the heart of Delhi's chaotic evening rush, a Hyundai i20 car turned into a rolling inferno near the iconic Red Fort with a blast that claimed nine lives and left 20 others battling for survival. The explosion ripped through Subhash Marg traffic signal adjacent to Lal Qila Metro Station Gate No 1 at 6:52 pm yesterday, igniting a chain reaction that engulfed several adjacent cars and motorcycles, rickshaws in flames and debris. Eyewitnesses described a deafening roar that shattered windows half a kilometer away at as well, while the acrid smoke choked the air in one of the capital's busiest corridors.

The vehicle, registered as HR 26CE 7674 and traced back to a Gurugram resident before being sold to a Pulwama man named Tariq, had idled suspiciously in a nearby parking lot for over two hours before detonating at the signal. As fire crews from seven tenders battled the blaze for two grueling hours, authorities swiftly invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act, hinting at a chilling terror link to a foiled explosives seizure in Faridabad just hours earlier.Chilling CCTV footage has now pierced the fog of panic, offering the first clear visuals of the suspect—a man in a blue-and-black T-shirt, casually resting his hand on the window as he maneuvered the death trap into the parking lot earlier that day.

Investigators zero in on Umar tied to the Faridabad plot, poring over more than 100 clips from toll plazas and streets leading to Daryaganj to map his deadly path. Delhi Police, flanked by the National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Forensic teams, swarmed the site within minutes, their grim task compounded by the peak-hour gridlock that amplified the tragedy. The casualties were high because the road has bumper-to-bumper traffic at that hour, underscoring how everyday commuters became unwitting victims in what could mark Delhi's first major terror strike since the 2011 Delhi High Court bombing. With no claims of responsibility yet, the probe delves deeper into shadowy networks, but one thing is stark—the suspect's brazen drive into history's shadow now haunts a city forever scarred. In the days ahead, Delhi braces for answers, even as the Red Fort stands sentinel, a poignant reminder that terror's shadow can strike anywhere, anytime.