Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that investigating agencies were probing all angles and not ruling out any possibility in connection with the devastating car explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort on Monday evening, which ripped through the crowded streets, killing eight people and leaving at least 20 others injured.
At the time of this article going live, some significant breakthroughs have emerged. Authorities reportedly have traced the blast vehicle’s ownership — a Hyundai i20 — and linked it to a terror module from Pulwama.
Security has also been beefed up across the country even as investigations into the explosion have intensified, with Amit Shah calling for a high-level meeting. “We are investigating from all angles. It is difficult to say what caused the incident. Till the samples recovered from the site are analysed by the Forensic Sciences Laboratory (FSL) and the National Security Guard (NSG), it is difficult to say anything. We do not rule out anything,” he was quoted as saying.
People were returning from work when the explosion took place near a metro station in the usually bustling Old Delhi quarter. Eyewitnesses told media outlets that they heard a loud sound. Suddenly, they saw taxis up in flames. The blast occurred amid heavy traffic that caused vehicles to move slowly. Soon, ambulances streamed into a nearby public hospital carrying the wounded.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told the media that a “slow-moving vehicle around 6:52 pm stopped at the red light outside Red Fort.” “An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged. All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here…some people have died, and some have been injured in the incident. We will update you with the exact figures shortly. The situation is being monitored,” he was quoted as saying.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG) and the Delhi Police arrived to search for evidence from the wreckage. The investigations at this point are in the preliminary stage.
However, according to reports, initial investigations indicate that an improvised explosive device (IED) was planted in the slow-moving car that exploded.
Delhi Police sources told media outlets that there was no crater or flat spot at the site. They believe the car was moving slowly when the explosion occurred. Investigators found no pellet injuries on the victims, though several suffered burn wounds.
Forensic teams are also examining the vehicle to find the exact cause and source of the blast. Officials noted that conventional explosives usually cause shrapnel injuries, none of which were seen in the victims so far.
It has also emerged that ammonium nitrate was found at the site, the same chemical seized earlier in Faridabad, suggesting a possible link between the two incidents.
The mysterious Hyundai i20
Meanwhile, more details have surfaced about the car, a Hyundai i20, in question. The vehicle with number plate HR 26CE7674 was seen at a parking lot for over three hours. The car entered at 3:19 pm and left around 6:30 pm, claimed reports.
Reports added that an image shows the car entering the parking lot with the driver’s hand on the window. In another picture, the driver appears to be wearing a blue and black T-shirt. The car was reportedly seen in Delhi’s Darya Ganj, Red Fort area, Kashmere Gate, and near Sunehri Masjid.
It had multiple traffic challans, mostly from the Delhi-NCR region. Records indicate that all the challans were paid. Officials involved in the case have said that a resident of Pulwama bought the vehicle on October 29. The police questioned a Gurugram resident who had previously owned the car. He said he had sold it to someone else. Investigators believe the car changed hands several times before reaching the Pulwama resident.
He is reportedly a doctor, identified as Dr Umar Mohammed. Investigators told media houses that he was part of the terror module busted earlier in Faridabad.
Reports have emerged of Mohammed panicking. He allegedly triggered the blast near the Red Fort after investigators arrested some people linked to the module, identified as Dr Mujammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather. Investigators also seized 2,900 kg of suspected explosives in Faridabad.
High alert
Meanwhile, Haryana, UP, Uttarakhand, Mumbai, Pune, and Jammu have been put on high alert. Security checks, surveillance, and patrols have been intensified. Bomb squads and sniffer dogs have been deployed. At airports, passengers are facing stricter screening. There could be flight delays on account of tightened safety measures.
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