Red Fort Blast: A powerful blast shook the national capital on Monday evening when a high-intensity explosion tore through a moving Hyundai i20 near the bustling Red Fort Metro area, killing eight people at the time of the blast. Delhi Police say preliminary investigation into the car explosion near Red Fort Metro Station indicates the blast could have been a “Fidayeen” (suicide) attack.
At least four suspects have been taken into custody, and police released CCTV footage showing a masked man in a parking area. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level security review in the wake of the blast, which has put Delhi and neighboring states on high alert.
Delhi Police reported that the explosion took place around 6:52 pm on Monday at the Subhash Marg traffic signal, near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort (Lal Qila) Metro Station. The blast destroyed several vehicles and left at least 13 people dead. While it is not yet confirmed whether a bomb caused the explosion, forensic teams are investigating, and a report from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is expected on Tuesday.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Top police sources in Jammu and Kashmir have told media that the explosion appears to have been carried out by the same “terror" module that was busted by the police in Faridabad a day earlier.
In the days leading up to the blast, J&K Police had arrested two doctors from Haryana’s Faridabad and Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur for alleged links to the terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH). Ganai’s Faridabad home contained 358 kg of explosives, including suspected ammonium nitrate.
Police are also searching for Umar Nabi of Pulwama and have detained five others, including Amir Rashid, the car’s alleged owner. Sources say the Jaish module included four doctors and a woman from Lucknow. The module was uncovered after Jaish posters appeared on Srinagar’s outskirts, prompting the investigation and arrests. More details are awaited.