Delhi Police has launched a multi-state operation in search of a red Ford EcoSport (DL10CK0458) suspected in the deadly car blast at Red Fort. The death toll in this explosion has increased to 13 and more than 20 people have been injured. Two days after the blast that rocked the historic heart of the Indian capital on November 10, investigators have linked the vehicle to the prime suspect, Dr. Omar Un Nabi. Pulwama resident Dr Umar Un Nabi is believed to have activated the ammonium nitrate-powered device in a white Hyundai i20.

The blast, which occurred at 6:52 pm near Gate 1 of the Red Fort metro station, tore through the crowd during the evening rush hour, setting a dozen vehicles on fire and shattering windows hundreds of meters away. Eyewitnesses said a “strong ball of fire” erupted, knocking out a 22-year-old taxi driver and a bus conductor returning home. Forensic teams have recovered 42 pieces of evidence, including detonators and gas fragments, pointing to a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module, which was uncovered in an earlier raid in Faridabad that recovered 2,900 kg of explosives and weapons.

Five special teams from Delhi, with the help of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Police, are combing the borders and checkpoints in search of the fake registered EcoSport in Rajouri Garden as they suspect it may contain evidence or further danger. “All Lal EcoSports are being investigated; immediate action should be taken if any information is received,” a senior official urged. Over 1,000 CCTV clips, social media scans and mobile dumps from Paharganj to Daryaganj are providing clues, including Nabi’s panicked move after the arrest of his associates Dr Muzammil Ganai and Dr Adil Rather.

After the case was handed over on Tuesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has deployed a ten-member team, including an IG, two DIGs, three SPs and a DSP, led by DG Vijay Sakhare to dismantle the “white collar” network of Jaish-e-Mohammed and investigate the recruitment of Pakistani handlers and women through Dr Shaheen Saeed. The detention of nine suspects in Kanpur and a dozen people in Delhi indicates the expanding scope of the net.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned from Bhutan, visited LNJP hospital on Wednesday and consoled victims like e-rickshaw driver Mohsin and said: “The conspirators will not escape justice.” Home Minister Amit Shah has ordered DNA matching from the burnt remains, while high alert has been issued in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Mumbai and elsewhere – security at malls, temples and transport hubs has been increased.

While the Red Fort is closed and the markets of Old Delhi are in mourning, this “premature” attack exposes a foiled major conspiracy reminiscent of the 2008 Mumbai massacre. The NIA’s forensic investigation and global sensitivities—from Biden to Bhutan—underscore this resolve: No room for shadows in India’s vigilant dawn.