News Desk – Investigators probing Monday’s deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort have traced the explosives to Basai Meo village in Haryana’s Nuh district, and nearby areas in Faridabad, Gurugram and Saharanpur.
According to officials, the suspects including Dr Umar Un Nabi and his associates spent the last three to four months buying large amounts of fertilizer and ammonium nitrate by posing as farmhouse owners.
How the Chemicals Were Collected
Sources say the group managed to gather:
Over 26 quintals of NPK fertilizer
More than 1,000 kg of ammonium nitrate
Total spending: ₹20 lakh, contributed by all module members
Police said the group also bought rifles and cartridges from Srinagar with support from handlers, including one identified as “Ukasha.”
Frequent Visits to Nuh
Police say Dr Muzammil Shakeel, another accused doctor from Al-Falah University, visited these fertilizer shops several times. Later, he brought Dr Umar along to the same sellers.
The chemicals were not purchased at once they were collected slowly, in small quantities, to avoid suspicion.
Link to Illegal Mining Belt
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with Delhi and Haryana Police, discovered that Nuh’s illegal mining belt was a major source of ammonium nitrate. The chemical is commonly used for blasting hills in the region.
Search teams recovered stockpiles of ammonium nitrate from:
Basai Meo
Tauru
Ferozepur Jhirka
Forensic experts collected samples to match them with residue found in the Hyundai i20 and red Ford EcoSport recovered earlier in the probe.
Doctors Pretended to Be Mining Investors
During field visits, locals confirmed that Dr Umar had toured mining areas recently. He reportedly told them he wanted to start a mining business in Kashmir and was learning how blasting chemicals are purchased and used.
Officials now believe this was a cover story to understand the supply chain and move explosives without attracting attention.
Vehicles Under Examination
Forensic teams are also checking cars belonging to the accused and their associates to determine whether they were used to transport chemicals across state borders.
Investigators are also searching possible locations where leftover chemical waste may have been dumped after the Red Fort blast.
Probe Widens, More Arrests Expected
Joint teams from Delhi Police, Haryana Police and the NIA have questioned more than 50 people, including:
Mine operators
Transporters
Fertilizer dealers
The investigation is ongoing, and officials say more arrests may follow as they piece together the full network.
