A devastating explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday evening has resulted in nine fatalities and left 24 individuals injured, causing widespread panic and destruction in the vicinity. The blast, which occurred around 6:52 pm, involved a Hyundai i20 and has led investigators to explore potential terror links, with initial findings pointing towards a connection to a Pulwama resident.
The investigation has revealed that the Hyundai i20, bearing registration number HR26 CE 7674, was the epicenter of the explosion. The original owner of the vehicle, identified as Mohd Salman from Gurgaon, Haryana, has been detained and questioned. Salman stated that he sold the car to a man named Tariq from Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir. It remains unclear whether Tariq subsequently sold the vehicle to a third party.
Authorities are meticulously tracing the ownership trail of the vehicle, examining multiple handovers from Gurgaon to Okhla, and then to Ambala. Investigators are working with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) and coordinating with police across states to locate the current possessor of the car and determine who had control of the vehicle at the time of the explosion. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras last recorded the car in Southeast Delhi's Badarpur in June.
Preliminary investigations and eyewitness accounts suggest the car was rigged with explosives before being driven into the crowded area near the Red Fort. The explosion triggered a fire that engulfed nearby vehicles, causing extensive damage. Eyewitnesses reported that the blast was powerful, causing street lights to go off and flames to leap several feet high.
Top intelligence sources suggest the incident may have been a "fidayeen-style" terror attack carried out by Dr Mohammad Umar, a key member of a Faridabad-based terror module. Umar is suspected to have deliberately detonated the explosives-laden Hyundai i20 near Gate no. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. According to sources, Umar panicked after the arrest of his associate, Dr Muzammil Shakeel, the main accused in the Faridabad module, and chose to carry out the attack rather than face arrest. CCTV footage reportedly shows Umar in the car in the hours leading up to the explosion. A DNA test will be conducted on the charred body recovered from the car to confirm if it was indeed Umar.
The blast has prompted a high alert across Delhi, with tightened security at all border points and intensified vehicle checks. Investigators are exploring all possibilities and conducting a thorough investigation, with CCTV footage from the area expected to be crucial. They are also probing potential links between the Red Fort blast and the recovery of nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from residential buildings in Faridabad a day prior. The use of a highly inflammable chemical, possibly a mix of ammonium nitrate and RDX or ANFO (ammonium nitrate fuel oil), is suspected.
The Red Fort, a 17th-century monument located six kilometers from Parliament, is a major tourist attraction and the site of the annual Independence Day speech by the Prime Minister. The incident has raised concerns about security in the area and prompted a comprehensive review of security protocols.
