The explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, also injured 24 people. Police, who are probing a possible terror angle, have identified the vehicle involved as a Hyundai i20 bearing a Haryana registration number.
Red Fort blast investigation. (File pic)
The Delhi Police is examining CCTV footage and mobile phone data while conducting extensive raids across the National Capital Region (NCR) as part of a massive investigation into the high-intensity blast near the Red Fort, which has now claimed ten lives.
The explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, also injured 24 people. Police, who are probing a possible terror angle, have identified the vehicle involved as a Hyundai i20 bearing a Haryana registration number.
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A significant breakthrough has been achieved with the identification of the car’s registered owner. According to sources, the vehicle is registered in the name of Nadeem Khan.
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This revelation has intensified the large-scale manhunt. The Delhi Police is coordinating closely with the Haryana Police, and a Special Cell team has already left for Haryana to pursue this lead.
The Special Cell and Crime Branch are conducting simultaneous raids at multiple locations in Delhi and the NCR to apprehend the suspects. Multiple teams have been deployed for the operation.
To reconstruct the sequence of events, investigators are meticulously analysing video footage from all available cameras and have collected dump data of mobile phones that were active in the vicinity at the time of the blast. Officials are also recording statements from eyewitnesses.
The explosion took place in a slow-moving Hyundai i20 near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station at around 6:52 PM. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha stated, “A slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light. An explosion occurred inside the vehicle, and due to the blast, nearby vehicles were also damaged.”
The explosion set multiple vehicles ablaze and shattered nearby windowpanes, with its high intensity causing widespread panic in the area.
According to Dr BL Chaudhary, Medical Superintendent of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, eight victims were brought dead, while six of the injured remain in critical condition. The death toll has since risen to ten.
Teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) are assisting the local police in the probe. A high alert remains in force across the capital and neighbouring states, with additional police forces deployed throughout the Red Fort area.
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