Red Fort suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi posed as ‘Rahul Bhat’, used common salt to manufacture explosives: NIA

NEW DELHI: An NIA investigation into the Nov 10, 2025, car bomb blast near Red Fort that claimed 11 lives and left several others injured has revealed that the suicide bomber, Umar Un Nabi, was operating under the fake identity of Rahul Bhat to purchase chemicals and equipment to set up a makeshift bomb-making lab, sources said.

Operating from his flat near Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Umar used online and offline resources, including an e-commerce platform, to gather information and source highly specific equipment like a mixed metal oxide-coated titanium anode from a trader in Mumbai, the sources said.

Umar was attempting to procure 10 more anodes before the module was busted by J&K Police, prompting him to abscond.

“Using electrolysis, Umar converted a common salt solution into explosive chlorates and perchlorates in his flat. Umar, who was driving the explosives-laden vehicle and was killed in the blast, had paid Rs 25,000 via PhonePe for the materials, which were couriered to him,” said an investigator.

The probe further revealed that he and co-accused Muzammil Shakeel had travelled to Ahmedabad to procure additional chemicals, and bomb making guides and radical jihadist literature were found on their phones.