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# Red Fort Was Plan B? NIA Probe Points to Historic Jain Temple as Original Target
- URL: https://www.theglobalvoice.com/red-fort-was-plan-b-nia-probe-points-to-historic-jain-temple-as-original-target/
- Published: 2026-09-11T09:16:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-11T09:16:11.000Z
- Description: The NIA has named Umer Un Nabi as the alleged mastermind of the Delhi terror conspiracy. Its chargesheet also suggests the Red Fort may not have been his original target: investigators believe he first tried to stop near the historic Jain Lal Mandir but was forced away by traffic.
- Author: TGV Desk
- Tags: India, that is Bharat, The Day So Far

The National Investigation Agency has named Umer Un Nabi as the alleged mastermind behind the terror conspiracy that culminated in the deadly car bombing near Delhi's Red Fort last year, revealing what investigators describe as a multi-year effort to rebuild an al-Qaeda-linked network inside India.

But one of the most disturbing revelations to emerge from the investigation concerns where the attack may originally have been intended to take place.

According to the NIA chargesheet, the Red Fort may not have been Nabi's first target. Investigators believe he initially attempted to position his explosives-laden Hyundai i20 near Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir, the historic Jain temple standing directly opposite the Red Fort in Chandni Chowk.

CCTV footage examined by investigators reportedly shows Nabi leaving the Sunehri Masjid parking area at around 6:37 pm on November 10, 2025, before attempting to stop near Lal Mandir. Heavy traffic and police presence apparently prevented him from parking there. He then took a U-turn and drove towards the Red Fort. Around 13 minutes later, at approximately 6:50 pm, the vehicle exploded near the monument, killing 11 people and injuring dozens.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9b/c5/9bc51e60-58a6-4a20-a6fd-f93758107131/content/images/2026/09/Umar-un-Nabi.-2-1.png)

Red fort blast mastermind Umar un Nabi

The finding changes the understanding of what happened that evening. Lal Mandir is one of Delhi's oldest and most prominent Jain temples, with its origins dating to the Mughal period. If the NIA's assessment is correct, a combination of traffic and security presence may have forced a last-minute change in the location of the attack.

At the centre of the investigation is Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama who had worked as an assistant professor of medicine at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. He died inside the vehicle during the explosion and was subsequently identified through forensic evidence.

The NIA alleges that Nabi had been working since 2022 to revive the dormant Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind network, an organisation linked to al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent. Its chargesheet describes him as the “operational in-charge” of what investigators call AGuH Interim. He allegedly helped radicalise recruits, organise clandestine meetings, arrange funds, procure weapons and establish locations for the network.

> 🚨The November 2025 blast outside Delhi's Red Fort was a suicide bombing, as accused terrorist Umar Un Nabi had activated the IED while he was inside the car.   
>  
> \- Confirms NIA [pic.twitter.com/vBImZCoqXP](https://t.co/vBImZCoqXP?ref=theglobalvoice.com)
> 
> — Radio India 🇮🇳 (@Radio\_India\_) [September 10, 2026](https://x.com/Radio%5FIndia%5F/status/2097997296030114262?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=theglobalvoice.com)

Investigators have also reconstructed Nabi's movements before the bombing. The NIA says he visited the Red Fort 12 times between 2023 and 2025, with his final visit taking place on May 1, around six months before the attack. Investigators suspect these trips were reconnaissance rather than ordinary visits and say Nabi and his associates sometimes switched off their phones to avoid leaving digital records of their movements.

The investigation has also produced unusual evidence about the preparation of the explosive. The chargesheet says documents recovered from pen drives belonging to Nabi and another accused contained information about producing explosives using urea nitrate. Investigators are examining evidence suggesting Nabi may even have attempted to extract urea from urine while preparing explosive material during an 11-day stay in a rented room in Nuh.

The NIA's case extends well beyond one man. The agency has accused multiple individuals of helping with weapons, shelter, logistics, financing and other aspects of the alleged conspiracy. In February, it said two arrested suspects were overground workers associated with Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and had supplied weapons to members of the network.

The chargesheet remains the prosecution's case, and its allegations will ultimately have to withstand scrutiny in court. But the investigation paints a picture considerably larger than that of a single attacker driving an explosive-filled car through Delhi.

It describes a network allegedly rebuilt over several years, reconnaissance conducted long before the bombing and an attacker moving through one of the most crowded parts of the capital looking for somewhere to position his vehicle.

Perhaps the most chilling detail is also the simplest: investigators say Delhi’s traffic may have determined whether the blast happened near the Red Fort or the centuries-old Jain temple.