Lal Mandir On Target? NIA Chargesheet Reveals Red Fort Bomber’s Last-Minute Move

News india Lal Mandir On Target? NIA Chargesheet Reveals Red Fort Bomber’s Last-Minute Move

Last Updated:September 10, 2026, 14:37 IST

As per the chargesheet, Umar-un-Nabi, who was driving an explosives-laden Hyundai i20, attempted to park the vehicle near Lal Mandir shortly before the blast.

Delhi Red Fort Blast: The Digambar Jain Lal Mandir in Delhii’s Chandni Chowk was probably the initial target of the suicide bomber who carried out the Red Fort car blast in the national capital last year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) revealed in its chargesheet.

During the court proceedings for chargesheet copy distribution, key details regarding the accused’s final movements were formally submitted in the blast case.

As per the chargesheet, the suicide bomber, Umar-un-Nabi, who was driving an explosives-laden Hyundai i20, attempted to park the vehicle near Lal Mandir shortly before the blast. However, heavy traffic and the presence of police personnel forced him to move away from the spot, after which he headed towards the Red Fort, the agency has alleged.

The NIA had mapped his movements as part of its probe to unearth the wider conspiracy behind the deadly blast. Nabi, it said, walked out of the Sunhari Masjid parking lot around 6:37 pm. He drove his car and tried to park near Lal Mandir, the chargesheet said. CCTV footage also showed Nabi attempting to park the car near the temple.

However, due to traffic and police presence, Nabi took a U-turn and drove towards the Red Fort. At around 6:50 pm, the explosives-laden vehicle exploded near Gate No 4 of the Red Fort, according to the investigation.

The NIA has not conclusively established that Lal Mandir was the intended target, particularly since Nabi died in the blast. However, his attempt to park near the temple and subsequent movement towards the Red Fort have led investigators to suspect that the temple may have been his initial target.

The blast killed 11 people and injured 29, according to the chargesheet.

Umar Nabi Named Mastermind

The probe agency has named Nabi as the alleged mastermind and operational in-charge of a revived terror module.

The chargesheet provided extensive details of the planning and execution of the first-ever vehicle-borne IED (VBIED) attack reported in the national capital. NIA has said the VBIED was detonated through a remote ‘command mechanism’ fitted in one of the shoes of the bomber. A metal piece attached to the heel of one shoe was found adjacent to the i20 used by Umar, and it tested positive for triacetone triperoxide (TATP), potassium and ammonium nitrate.

The chargesheet alleged that Nabi, also known as Pinda and Rahul Bhat, had been working since early 2022 to revive the dormant module and build a network of radicalised persons for carrying out terrorist activities against the Indian State.

According to the NIA, Nabi was the “operational in-charge" of AGuH Interim, described in the investigation as a revived manifestation of Al-Qaida in the Indian Sub-continent.

The agency has alleged that he radicalised recruits, glorified acts of “Shahadat" or martyrdom, arranged clandestine meetings, facilitated terror training and managed the logistics required by the module.

The chargesheet also referred to Nabi’s alleged plan to travel to Afghanistan for “Hijrat", amid his growing association with the extremist ideology allegedly propagated by the group.

The NIA has said that Nabi and other members of the module possessed and circulated extremist literature advocating armed struggle and violence.

Probe Into Bomb-Making

The chargesheet also detailed the alleged preparations carried out by Nabi while staying in Nuh, Haryana. Investigators have alleged that he used material related to urea-based explosives, with documents recovered from pen drives containing references to extracting urea from urine.

The NIA has also cited witness accounts about a foul smell coming from Nabi’s rented room, where he allegedly stored urine in a polythene bag.

About the Author

Manoj Gupta

Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18

Read More