CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive, night stay, zigzag routes before deadly Red Fort blast — these findings from the Delhi Police have revealed a chilling and calculated journey undertaken by Dr. Umar Nabi before the catastrophic explosion near Red Fort that killed 13 people. What initially appeared like a hurried escape has now been reconstructed as a meticulously planned route marked by deliberate detours, multiple halts, quiet observation, slow driving, and calculated evasion of surveillance.
CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive A Carefully Orchestrated Journey
CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive According to investigators, Umar’s movements were pieced together using footage from over 50 CCTV cameras, toll plaza recordings, GPS traces, and mobile tower dumps. The reconstruction shows that the accused was neither panicked nor hasty. Instead, he appeared composed as he travelled from Haryana to Delhi, ensuring he left minimal digital and physical footprints.
The CCTV trail starts early Monday morning when Umar was first spotted leaving Faridabad, driving a white Hyundai i20 — the very car that would later explode near Red Fort.
Stops for Food, Prayers, and Rest
CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive Police sources revealed that Umar made several stops on the way, an indication that he was following a predetermined plan rather than fleeing impulsively.
His first major halt was at a roadside dhaba along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. He ordered food, ate calmly, and even rested inside his vehicle overnight — a detail that surprised investigators.
Another halt was recorded at a mosque, where Umar offered prayers. These actions painted a picture of someone unhurried, unafraid, and entirely focused on a larger mission.
Investigators later confirmed that he also travelled to Firozpur Jhirka in Haryana as part of his movement before returning toward Delhi.
Slow Drive Toward Delhi
CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive The CCTV trail shows Umar reappearing on cameras positioned along the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. His car was seen moving slowly, stopping twice — once for tea and once to check his mobile phone. His lack of haste reinforces investigators’ belief that he was trained, prepared, and mentally aligned with the mission ahead.
Re-entering Delhi and Taking Complex Routes
Umar re-entered Delhi through the Badarpur border on Monday morning. He crossed the Badarpur toll plaza at 8:13 am, confirming the timing of his return to the national capital.
What followed next was the most perplexing part of the reconstruction: Umar drove across Delhi for nearly seven hours, looping around multiple districts, avoiding major highways, and cutting through densely populated zones.
His route included:
- Faridabad
- Badarpur
- Okhla industrial belt
- Connaught Place
- East Delhi
- Central Delhi along Ring Road
- Northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar
Police believe these patterns were intentional attempts to deceive surveillance teams or study crowd movement before selecting the final route toward Red Fort.
A Meal and Three-Hour Halt Before the Blast
Around midday, Umar parked near a roadside eatery in Ashok Vihar. CCTV footage shows him stepping out, ordering food, and appearing extremely calm. He stayed there for a while before continuing in the direction of central Delhi.
Later, he visited a mosque near Asaf Ali Road, close to Ramlila Maidan. Here, he spent almost three hours in the parking area. This prolonged halt is now a focal point of the investigation. Police are scrutinizing Umar’s mobile phone activity during this time amid suspicions that he may have received instructions from handlers.
The Final Hours
CCTV trail shows Umar’s calm drive At 3:19 pm, Umar’s white Hyundai i20 was recorded entering the parking area near the Red Fort complex, close to the Sunehri Masjid. The vehicle remained parked discreetly among other cars.
Around 6:22 pm, the car exited the parking bay and slowly approached the Red Fort Metro Station area.
Barely half an hour later, at 6:52 pm, the vehicle erupted into a massive fireball.
Traffic surveillance footage shows the car moving normally in a line of vehicles before exploding violently, sending debris flying across the road. The blast killed 13 people and injured more than two dozen, throwing the busy evening area into chaos.
DNA Confirms Umar Was the Driver
Police collected multiple body fragments and remains from the blast site. DNA samples from Umar’s mother were taken for verification. The results, analysed alongside the remains, confirmed that Dr. Umar Nabi was indeed the person driving the explosive-laden vehicle at the time of the blast.
A Radicalised Mind Behind the Wheel
Despite being academically accomplished, Umar allegedly became radicalised over the last two years. Investigators say he joined several questionable online groups, strengthened ties with extremist handlers, and increasingly withdrew from his earlier academic environment.
His final journey — calm, calculated, and terrifyingly deliberate — is now being studied as a blueprint for how deeply planned the Red Fort blast was.
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