NIA steps in, combs blast site for clues, traces Umar's route
New Delhi, Nov. 13 -- The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday formally visited the Red Fort blast site, combing through debris and CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events that led to Monday's deadly explosion, officials familiar with the matter said. The visit marks the agency's first official step since taking over the probe from the Delhi Police.
Separate NIA teams coordinated with police in Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to collate intelligence on the alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) module. Officials said NIA will soon take custody of several suspects already detained by state police forces.
In Faridabad, a team of NIA officers visited Al-Falah Medical College and Hospital, where the suspected bomber, Dr Umar un-Nabi, had worked. Investigators questioned staff about Umar and his arrested associates - Dr Muzammil Ganaie and Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather - to trace their movements and interactions in recent years, said one of the people cited above.
Working closely with the Intelligence Bureau, NIA investigators are reconstructing Umar's final journey in the white Hyundai i20 from Faridabad to Delhi.
Officials confirmed that Umar entered Delhi through the Badarpur border around 8am on Monday, spending nearly 10 hours in the Capital before the blast occurred at 6.52pm outside Red Fort's Gate No. 1. Investigators are trying to decode why he parked the car in the Sunheri Masjid parking lot for over three hours. "Hundreds of CCTV camera footage from Badarpur to Old Delhi are being analysed day and night," the officer said.
NIA is also analysing all recent JeM-related arrests and detentions. A final forensic report, which "may take a few days," will confirm the exact explosives used....
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