'Blast previously planned for December 6'; Dr Umar Nabi waited three hours inside car, prayed at mosque

NEW DELHI: The central government confirmed that the car blast near the Red Fort was a terrorist attack.

The investigation team received indications that the plan was to carry out blasts in Delhi and neighbouring cities on the anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, on the model of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts.

The targets were the Red Fort, India Gate, Constitution Club, Gauri Shankar Temple in Chandni Chowk, Gurugram, and Faridabad. The aim was to create communal unrest in the country by carrying out blasts in public places and places of worship. For this, more than 200 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were also planned to be made. Meanwhile, the arrests of those associated with Umar Nabi took place in Faridabad.

Why did Dr Umar Nabi wait in the car for three hours in the parking area near the Red Fort? He did not get out of the car. Was he waiting for someone's instructions? CCTV cameras show that the car had reached near the Akshardham Temple and Connaught Place before reaching the Red Fort area. It was also found that he had prayed at the mosque near the city's Ramlila Maidan. He had spent about three hours there, too. A probe is ongoing.