Father of Delhi blast accused detained in J-K's Pulwama

Police in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, have detained the father of Umar Nabi, the man suspected to have been driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort in Delhi, for questioning, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday. Ghulam Nabi Bhat was picked up from his residence in Koil, Pulwama, on Tuesday, just hours after his wife was taken for a DNA test to help identify her son, who is believed to have perished in the blast.

Umar Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama, is believed to have been the driver of the Hyundai i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people. CCTV footage from the area shows a "masked man" driving the car before it exploded. 

The investigation into the Delhi blast has raised serious concerns about a possible terror network operating within India. Police in Jammu and Kashmir are working closely with Delhi Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to piece together the connections between the blast and a broader terror plot that spans across multiple states.

Police sources told the news agency that Umar Nabi had been involved with a terror module in Faridabad, which was uncovered hours before the blast when authorities arrested eight individuals, including three doctors, and seized 2,900 kg of explosives. Investigators believe that Umar, fearing imminent arrest, may have carried out the attack as a last resort.

A DNA test was conducted on his mother on Tuesday to confirm his identity, with officials stating that samples will be compared to body parts found at the scene of the blast. The investigation has intensified as security agencies probe possible interstate and transnational connections, with potential links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, groups involved in cross-border terrorism.

In the wake of the blast, Delhi Police have stepped up security, with heightened vehicle checks at border points and restrictions imposed around the Red Fort area. Police are also reviewing footage from nearby parking lots, where the car was reportedly stationed for several hours before the explosion.

As the investigation progresses, authorities are uncovering a disturbing trend of "white-collar" professionals, including doctors, being linked to terror networks, suggesting that these groups are evolving in their methods of operation. Police are also looking into the role of a man named Tariq, from Pulwama, who allegedly provided the car to Umar Nabi.

The Delhi blast has raised alarms about the ongoing internal and cross-border security threats, with the NIA now taking charge of the case after a review meeting chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah.

(With inputs from PTI)