Red Fort blast: Forensic trail links Umar to driver’s seat of exploded i20 car

Investigators probing the November 10 car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort have used a series of forensic clues — from a charred portion of a leg to a lone black sports shoe — to confirm that Umar Nabi was driving the i20 moments before it blew apart, officials familiar with the inquiry were quoted as saying.

The explosion tore the vehicle into fragments, scattering parts over more than 100 metres and hurling human remains across a radius exceeding 150 metres. Apart from the front portion of the bonnet, a tyre and a piece of the gear lever, little of the car survived the blast.

Forensic teams recovered the lower portion of a leg from the driver’s side and sent it for DNA analysis. According to officials, a sample taken from Umar’s mother produced a conclusive match during testing conducted November 12 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), establishing that the remains belonged to him.

Investigators also found a black sports shoe near the wreckage. The shoe, sources said, matched the one Umar was seen wearing in CCTV footage as he moved through different parts of Delhi on his way toward the Red Fort area that day.

The powerful explosion killed 13 people and injured more than 20. Officers said the combination of forensic and digital evidence provides the most definitive confirmation yet that Umar was behind the wheel. “These findings are significant because they provide conclusive, scientifically verified evidence that Umar was driving the i20 when it exploded, crucial for establishing his direct involvement in the incident,” a senior official said.

A broken number plate helped identify the vehicle, while fragments of clothing recovered from the site matched the colour of the shirt Umar was captured wearing on CCTV footage, officials added. All remains and material evidence have been preserved at the hospital mortuary.