Delhi car blast: Bomber had lab at home to test explosives; tested bomb making techniques shared by Pakistan handlers

NEW DELHI: Dr Umer Un Nabi, the bomber behind the Nov 10 blast near Red Fort, had set up a laboratory at his house near the Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where he would test various kinds of explosives and try out the bomb-making techniques shared with him by his Pakistani handlers via Telegram.

Sources close to the investigation told TOI that he possibly put together the "loosely assembled" improvised explosive device (IED) responsible for the Red Fort car blast at this home laboratory.




The laboratory with all the testing equipment and traces of various kinds of explosives was unearthed during the raid on Umer's house. The information on Dr Umer's house as well as the IED testing and bomb making laboratory installed there is said to have come during the questioning of the arrested doctors of the Faridabad-based Jaish module, most likely Muzammil Ganaie.

As reported by TOI on Friday, Dr Umer and two other doctors accused in the ‘white collar' terror case – Dr Muzammil and Dr Adeel Rather – were directly in touch with three Pakistani Jaish handlers Faisal, Hashim and Ukasha via encrypted messaging platform, Telegram.

The handlers were passing on instructions, radicalisation videos and bomb-making DIY videos to the trio via Telegram chat. Agencies believe that Dr Umer was the bomb-making expert among the three, which is why he had set up a laboratory at his home.

He would work there, mostly alone, to put together the IEDs as per instructions in the DIY videos and also test the chemicals to be employed as explosives and the triggering mechanisms to maximise the potency of the bomb being assembled.

Two major batches of explosives, weighing 358 kg and 2,563 kg each, were recovered from two separate houses in Faridabad during raids between Nov 8 and 10. Indicating that the bombs were yet to be assembled, the explosives were found packed in suitcases and bags, with no metal pieces, usually used as shrapnel to maximise injury, being found.

Sources said a possible link between the Delhi car blast, which agencies believe was triggered by accident, and the "accidental" explosion at Nowg-am police station on Friday night, may be examined.

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