An unseen video of Dr Umar Un Nabi, whom investigators claim was driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded near Red Fort on November 10, has surfaced online- adding a fresh twist to the investigation of the blast that killed 11 people.
As per the report by the Hindustan Times, the video, believed to have been recorded days or weeks before the blast, shows Umar delivering a detailed monologue on what he termed the largely "misunderstood" idea of suicide bombings.
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'Misunderstood concept,' says Umar in video
In the video, Umar claims the term "suicide bombing" is a misnomer and prefers the term "martyrdom operations." In this video clip, he is seen sitting in a room alone, speaking of such missions as tasks carried out with the acceptance that certain death will ensue.
“One of the very misunderstood concept is what has been labelled as concept of suicide bombing. It is a martyrdom operation.” He continues to explain, “There are multiple arguments and contradictions that have been brought against it. Martyrdom operation is when a person presumes that he is going for sure die at a particular place, at a particular time, he goes against the presumption that a particular person is going to die. He is going to die in a particular situation.”
NIA arrests another alleged co-conspirator
The video surfaced a day after the National Investigation Agency arrested Jasir Bilal Wani, an active co-conspirator as described by officials. As reported earlier, investigators said Wani was “brainwashed” by Umar and had been collaborating with him on plans to conduct coordinated suicide missions across India for over one year.
On Sunday, the NIA for the first time termed Umar as a “suicide bomber” while announcing the arrest of another accused, a Kashmiri plumber who owned the i20 that exploded. The agency also officially described the incident as involving a “vehicle-borne IED.”
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Forensic confirmation and parallel probe
As per a report by the Hindustan Times, according to investigators, a slow-moving car that had changed many hands and also got fitted with a CNG tank, exploded at a stop light on November 10 at 6.52 pm. Tests by forensic scientists concluded Umar was at the wheel during the explosion. The Special Cell of Delhi Police has filed a separate case to investigate the broader conspiracy, including the procurement of explosives and vehicles by the group to attempt a suicide attack similar to the 2019 Pulwama bombing.
