Red Fort bomber posed as 'Rahul Bhat' to buy chemicals
What's the story
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has revealed new details about the November 2025 Red Fort car bomb blast. The blast, which was caused by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (IED), killed 11 people. According to the agency, the suicide bomber, Dr. Umar Un Nabi, used a fake identity "Rahul Bhat" to buy chemicals and equipment for his makeshift bomb-making lab, which he secretly set up in his rented flat near Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana.
Bomb-making knowledge
Months spent on researching bomb-making techniques
The NIA investigation found that Dr. Nabi had spent months researching bomb-making techniques from both online and offline sources. He conducted experiments in his flat to prepare explosive materials, aiming to create a working prototype of an explosive device. A key piece of evidence was a delivery challan dated September 25, 2024, from a trader in Mumbai. This document showed the purchase of a mixed metal oxide-coated titanium anode for electrolysis processes.
Identity fraud
Fake identity to buy chemicals, equipment
Under "Rahul Bhat," he opened an account on IndiaMART and expressed interest in products like fertilizer bags, acetone solvent, chemicals, and specialized electrodes. In August 2024, he transferred nearly ₹25,000 through PhonePe to a Mumbai shopkeeper who sent the materials by courier to an address near Al Falah University, where he collected them in person.
Unfinished transaction
Transaction halted due to security agencies' crackdown
Dr. Nabi later tried to buy 10 more anodes using the same fake identity, but the transaction was halted as security agencies had already begun cracking down on the suspected terror network. The NIA's chargesheet, filed on May 14, runs to around 7,500 pages and names 10 accused. The agency has linked the module to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Radical literature
Radical literature, documents recovered from mobile phones
The investigation also found that Dr. Nabi and co-accused Dr. Muzammil Shakeel had visited Ahmedabad on April 12 last year to procure chemicals for making explosives. They returned to Al Falah the next day after offering prayers at a local mosque. During searches, officers recovered radical jihadist literature and bomb-making documents from the accused's mobile phones. These materials are believed to have motivated their activities.