Delhi Bomber Turned Campus Room Into Secret IED Factory, Say Investigators

New Delhi: Investigators unraveling the Nov. 10 bombing near Red Fort — which left 15 dead and dozens injured — have exposed the chilling double life of the alleged mastermind, a university doctor who turned academia into a façade for terror.

The Academic Who Led a Secret Life

The accused, Umar Un Nabi of Al-Falah University in Faridabad, projected the image of a calm scholar and educator by day. But interrogators say that by night he transformed a quiet campus room into a covert chemistry hub, testing volatile reactions and preparing explosive ingredients.

Suitcase That Carried Death

Investigators report that Umar rarely travelled without a large suitcase — not filled with clothes, but chemicals, containers and tools. Described as his “mobile workstation,” it allowed him to assemble components of explosive devices wherever he went.

How the Bomb Was Built

Sources say the bomb-making process relied on commonly available substances:

• urea from the Nuh-Mewat region
• acetone from everyday cosmetic use
• powdered sugar
• and other reagents

These were mixed on campus and later partially assembled inside the car that would become the final weapon. CCTV footage shows a white Hyundai i20 parked for hours near Sunehri Masjid — believed to be the window during which the bomb’s final assembly took place.

Self-Declared “Emir”

Those arrested describe Umar as the self-styled “emir” of a professional-class radical cell — recruiting doctors and educated youth into what investigators call a “white-collar terror module.” His linguistic fluency and intellectual air reportedly gave him unusual influence over members.

Plotters’ Changing Plans

The cell initially planned to move large quantities of explosives to Jammu & Kashmir for a major attack. When that plan faltered, Umar allegedly shifted to a direct strike on Delhi, choosing a crowded Old Delhi zone to maximise impact, claiming ideological justification for the assault.

University Under the Scanner

Al-Falah University has become part of the investigation itself, with Umar’s campus room yielding bomb-making materials and evidence matching witness accounts. The revelation that a higher-education institution was repurposed into a terror workshop has shocked both authorities and the public.