On Thursday, DNA tests confirmed that one of the charred bodies found at the explosion site belonged to Dr Umar Nabi Bhat, the Pulwama-based doctor who allegedly drove the Hyundai i20 that blew up near the Red Fort on Monday evening, killing nine and injuring several others.
The Indian Express reported that the DNA samples collected from Bhat’s mother in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, were brought to Delhi and matched with tissue samples from one of the unrecognised bodies kept at Lok Nayak Hospital.
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Dr Bhat allegedly steered ‘white-collar’ group, police reveal
Sources at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, confirmed that the DNA of Bhat and his mother have been found to match, and more information will be determined in the future.
Investigators said they rely on DNA profiling in such cases to identify bodies when physical recognition becomes impossible.
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Bhat, who hailed from Koil village in Pulwama, was employed at the School of Medical Sciences and Research Centre at Al Falah University in Faridabad’s Dhauj.
Police sources said Bhat was likely the leader of a “white-collar group” of doctors who formed the brain of a larger terror module. “He is suspected to have been steering and motivating the rest of the flock,” an officer said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police had earlier announced the busting of an “inter-state and transnational” terror network allegedly connected to Pakistan-based outfits Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH).
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Reportedly, at least seven members were arrested just hours before the Red Fort explosion on Monday.
Notably, investigators in Haryana discovered a red Ford EcoSport linked to Bhat at a farmhouse in Khandawali village. Forensic and ballistic teams scoured the vehicle after seizing it.
Officials noted the farmhouse belongs to one of Bhat’s close friends, who has been detained for questioning.
