The family of Dr. Mohammad Umar, the main suspect in the Red Fort blast case, is in complete shock after learning about his alleged involvement in the terror attack. Speaking to India Today, Umar’s sister-in-law said the family could not believe that someone as quiet and studious as him could be linked to such an incident.

Dr. Umar, a doctor at Al-Falah University and Hospital in Faridabad, was reportedly part of a terror module that was busted last week. He is believed to have been inside the white Hyundai i20 car that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening, killing nine people and injuring more than 20 others. The same night, police detained his two brothers, Ashiq Ahmed and Zahoor Ahmed, along with his mother, for questioning.

His sister-in-law described Dr. Umar was a “kitab ka keeda”, a bookworm who spent most of his time studying. “I spoke to him just last Friday. He told me his exams were going on and that he was studying in the library. He always encouraged us to focus on studies. We are shocked,” she said emotionally.

She added that Umar’s mother worked very hard to raise her sons and ensure they got a good education. The family, originally from Koil village in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, had limited means, and Dr. Umar was considered their only hope to lift them out of poverty. His alleged role in the blast has left the entire family heartbroken.

The Red Fort blast, carried out in a fidayeen-style attack (a suicide mission), came just hours after police recovered a large cache of arms and explosives from Faridabad. The joint operation by Jammu and Kashmir Police and other security agencies uncovered 2,900 kg of IED-making materials, weapons, and ammunition.

During the raids, another doctor from Al-Falah University, Dr. Muzammil Shakeel, was arrested. According to sources, Umar became fearful after Dr. Shakeel’s arrest and decided to trigger the explosion. Police believe he used Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO), a powerful explosive commonly used in mining and construction, to carry out the blast. Investigations are still ongoing, and police are trying to trace how a seemingly brilliant and hardworking young doctor like Umar became involved in a terror network.