Thirteen people were killed and around 20 others injured in a powerful explosion in a Hyundai i20 near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening.
The cause of the blast is still under investigation, and authorities have not yet determined whether it was linked to any terror activity.
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that all possible angles are being examined as security agencies continue their probe into the incident.
Investigation has been handed over to the anti-terror organisation NIA.
Investigators have invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), suspecting a possible terror link.
Security has been heightened across major cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, following the blast.
Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting at 9:30 am today to review the situation after the Red Fort blast. Senior officials, including the Home Secretary, IB Chief, and Delhi Police Commissioner, are expected to attend.
The European Union's Ambassador to India, along with the envoy of France and the Egyptian Embassy, offered condolences on the loss of lives at the blast which took place near the Red Fort in Delhi on Monday evening.
In a post on X, EU Ambassador to India, Herve Delphin said, "Our deepest condolences to the victims of the Delhi blast. While investigations by Indian authorities proceed our first thoughts are with families who lost loved ones & with all those injured to whom we wish swift recovery. We stand by Indian people in this moment of shock & grief."
At least two men have been detained after a blast in a car near the Red Fort in Delhi killed nine people on Monday evening, November 10. These men, identified as Salman and Devender, have in the past been owners of the Hyundai i20 car that exploded. The car's detailed sales history is now being traced to get further clues, police said.
CCTV footage reveals that the white Hyundai i20 involved in the Red Fort blast, which killed nine and injured 20, was parked near the site for over three hours on Monday. The car, bearing number plate HR 26CE7674, entered the parking lot at 3:19 pm and left around 6:30 pm.
Images show the driver, wearing a blue and black t-shirt, at the wheel with his hand on the window.
Expressing condolences over the deadly explosion near the Red Fort in Delhi, the US said it continues to closely monitor the situation.
"Our hearts are with those affected by the terrible explosion in New Delhi. We continue to closely monitor the situation. Our sincere condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in a post on X Monday.
A fresh pic has emerged, showing a masked man driving the Hyundai i20 car minutes before an explosion ripped through the vehicle.
The new visuals are from a parking lot and show a man wearing a black mask driving Hyundai i20 with number plate HR26CE7674.
Following the deadly blast near Delhi's iconic Red Fort, investigators and forensic experts arrived at the site on Tuesday morning. DCP North Raja Banthia said that while the probe is underway, the forensic team is lifting the traces of explosives. “We are examining the scene of the crime,” he told.
A high alert has been issued in Maharashtra following a blast in a car near the Red Fort metro station in New Delhi, and security has been stepped up at vital installations in Mumbai and major railway stations, police said.
A "precautionary alert" has been issued for Mumbai, a senior police official said.
Police were maintaining a strong vigil and stepped up security at important places and vital installations in the state and Mumbai, the official said.
Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have intensified patrolling at major railway stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Dadar, Thane, and Kalyan, another official said.
Dog squads and bomb detection and disposal teams have also been pressed into service to identify suspicious objects at railway stations.
The Archaeological Survey of India has announced that the Red Fort will remain shut for the next three days, following the eadly car blast near the Red Fort on Monday evening.
This decision comes to reduce public gatherings near the monument as the probe into the car blast continues.
Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR under the The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Explosives Act in connection with the blast near Red Fort. Raids are being conducted at multiple locations by Delhi Police.
According to a senior police officer, an FIR has been registered at Kotwali police station under the The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosives Act and sections of the BNS. The FIR has been registered under Sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA, which deal with punishment and conspiracy for a terror attack.
Delhi Police traced the Hyundai i20 involved in the Red Fort blast by scanning over 100 CCTV cameras.
The car entered Delhi from the Badarpur toll booth via Faridabad Road around 8:13 am on Monday.
Investigators have identified a 34-year-old Pulwama resident who purchased the car on October 29 and are collecting evidence before revealing his identity.
The man driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort allegedly also had links to the Faridabad terror module where huge cache of explosive material was seized, Delhi Police sources said on Tuesday.
According to sources, Umar Mohammad, a Pulwama resident and a doctor, was allegedly driving the Hyundai i20 car that was used in the explosion near the parking area of the Red Fort Metro Station.
Preliminary findings by police suggest ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and detonators may have been used in the blast near the Red Fort that killed at least nine people, police sources said.
A police source said initial findings suggest a possible link between the Delhi blast to the Faridabad terror module where 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized.
“Final reports are awaited,” the source added.
The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory regarding restrictions and diversions have been put in place in both the carriageways and service roads, Netaji Subhash Marg from Chatta Rail Cut to Subhash Marg Cut.
The traffic police advised commuters to avoid these routes from 6 am till further order and use alternative roads for a hassle-free journey.
"No vehicles shall be allowed on Netaji Subhash Marg from Chatta Rail Cut to Subhash Marg Cut and vice versa," read the advisory.
Security has been increased at all major stations in the wake of the blast near the Red Fort in Delhi.
Taking to X, union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has police presence and security arrangements have been increased across all railway stations in Delhi NCR.
"Deeply saddened by the tragic blast in Delhi. Heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the recovery of the injured," Vaishnaw posted on X late Monday night.
"All major railway stations are on high alert with special security arrangements," he added further.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah called a high-level security review meeting at 11 am on Tuesday to take updates on the probe progress and the arrests and detentions made so far.
Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Director General of the National Investigation Agency, and Delhi Police Commissioner are present in the meeting.
The DGP of Jammu and Kashmir also joined the meeting virtually. The review comes in the wake of Monday evening’s blast in Delhi, which left eight people dead and several others injured.
The death toll in the blast near Red Fort rose to 12, with three more people succumbing to injuries, police said on Tuesday.
Till last night, nine people were confirmed to have died in the blast and 20 others were injured, officials said.
Police said three more people succumbed to injuries taking the toll to 12.
A day after 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable material was recovered from two rented rooms of a Kashmiri doctor in Faridabad, an extensive combing and search operation was being conducted in parts of the district on Tuesday.
Police on Tuesday said a team is camping at the Al Falah University, where the Kashmiri doctor lived for the past three-and-a-half years, and are questioning staff and doctors at the varsity here, a senior police office said.
The family of Dr Muzammil Ganaie, who was arrested after 360 kilogram of explosives was recovered from his rented room in Faridabad on Tuesday claimed that there was no indication of the medico's involvement in terror activities.
"It is being alleged that he is big terrorist.We have no knowledge of it. For the past five decades, there has been no case against anyone from our family," Azad Shakil, brother of Muzammil, told PTI at his Pulwama residence.
Shakil said his family, who are farmers by occupation, have been targeted by stone-pelters in the past for being nationalists.
"We are completely Indians and we have taken stones for India. You can verify it from anyone in the village," he said. Asked about his brother who has been arrested, Shakil said he was a "good person".
"You can ask around about him. There are allegations about his involvement in terror activities but we have not been allowed to meet him so far," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday vowed that the conspirators behind the Delhi blast that killed 12 people near Red Fort would not be spared.
PM Modi, who is in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu for a two-day state visit, said that everyone responsible for the explosion would be brought to justice.
He said, “Today, I come here with a very heavy heart. The horrific incident that took place in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. The entire nation stands with them today.”
“I was in touch with all the agencies investigating this incident throughout last night. Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice,” he added.
Police on Tuesday took the mother of the man who was suspected to be driving the car that exploded near the Red Fort was called for a DNA test in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said here.
"We have taken the mother of the suspect to collect DNA samples in order to match with the parts found at the scene of the blast," an official said.
The investigative agencies probing the Delhi blast have reportedly uncovered a chain of evidence allegedly connecting the explosion to a larger cross-border conspiracy led by wanted terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar.
Police suspect that Dr Umar Mohammad, an accused in the Faridabad terror module case, along with two other members, fled in a white Hyundai i20, crossed the Badarpur border and entered Delhi.
The investigative agencies are probing whether it was a planned suicide attack or if the blast happened when was taking the car to different location to carry out the strike, and eventually panicked seeing a police post near the traffic light.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during a meeting held at his residence, took stock of progress made in probe of Delhi blast.
Shah issued strict instructions to officials to 'get to the bottom of the conspiracy'.
Officials briefed the Home Minister, noting that more than 1,000 CCTV footage clips are being scanned by investigative agencies, in addition to monitoring social media activity and mobile phone dump data from several locations across Delhi.
Sources said that a team of more than 500 police and intelligence personnel has been formed to investigate the blast.
High alerts have already been issued in Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh, and poll-bound Bihar.
Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) has been conducting raids in Saharanpur, Lucknow, and Muzaffarnagar following the Delhi blast.
In Saharanpur, ATS sleuths raided the homes of three individuals reportedly close to Dr Adeel, one among the two Kashmiri doctors arrested in Haryana's Faridabad on Sunday.
All the three persons detained by UP ATS in Saharanpur were interrogated at a confidential location. The local police were not informed about the operation.
In Lucknow, UP ATS and J&K Police raided the house of Dr Parvez Ansari in Madiyaon area early Tuesday morning. The team found the house locked, broke open the door, and searched the premises for over three hours. Officials recovered important documents, digital devices, a car, and a bike.
The ATS team moved to another house in Lalbagh, where the search is still going on.
In Muzaffarnagar’s Budhana area, ATS raided the Dawood Arabia Darul Uloom madrasa. Investigators questioned the Madrasa operator about two terror suspects, Suleman and Sohel, and examined their records. Both men had been arrested two days ago by the Gujarat ATS.
At the same time, UP DGP Rajeev Krishna held a high-level meeting with ATS Chief Amitabh Yash and Intelligence Department officers.
Security checks have intensified in major cities in Western UP. Security has been ramped up at key religious and public sites including the Ram Mandir complex in Ayodhya, and Taj Mahal in Agra.
Hours after the Delhi blast on Monday night, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) received five calls about "unclaimed" vehicles and bags, all of which later turned out to be false alarms, an official told PTI on Tuesday.
According to DFS officials, the calls started pouring in soon after news of the explosion spread, reflecting heightened public anxiety across the city.
"The first call was received at 9.15 pm from Bijwasan, reporting an unclaimed bag. We rushed a fire vehicle immediately dispatched to the spot, but nothing suspicious was found," the DFS official said.
He said that calls were received at 9.27 pm from Vasant Vihar, from Dwarka at 9.34pm, another at 9.34pm from near Kashmere Gate; all concerning unattended cars.
"The final call of the night came from Signature Bridge, Khajuri Khas, at 10.01 pm, also regarding an unclaimed vehicle. All the reported objects turned out to be harmless. However, each call was attended to with full seriousness in coordination with local police," the official said.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday directed DGP Harmeet Singh to closely monitor social media users supporting the deadly Delhi blast.
“We noticed that some people either welcomed the incident or put up happy emojis on Facebook. We have been doing their background checks since last night,” Sarma told the media on the sidelines of a programme at Raha in Nagaon district.
“If people celebrate an act of terror, it means they support terrorism, directly or indirectly,” he added.
Sarma said strict action will be taken against those behind the celebratory posts, stating that terrorism cannot rear its head in Assam.
Stating that the blast in Delhi is highly condemnable, he said the people in the country would have to unite to prevent the resurgence of terrorism.
Assam Congress president and deputy leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi said all those involved in the incident of blast must be nabbed.
“We are hurt by the terror act. We want a proper investigation into the case so that those involved could be identified and arrested,” Gogoi told the media.
Meanwhile, security has been heightened in Assam.
Police personnel were seen carrying out checking at the busy Guwahati railway station on Tuesday.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced that an ex gratia amount of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the families of those who lost their lives, Rs 5 lakh to those who have been permanently disabled, and Rs 2 lakh to those who are seriously injured.
Rekha Gupta also promised proper and quality medical treatment for all the injured.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held two back-to-back high level security review meetings and took stock of the progress made in investigation.
In a statement issued after concluding the review meeting at Kartavya Bhavan, Shah said, “Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with senior officials and instructed them to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies.”
Meanwhile, President Droupadi Murmu spoke to the Home Minister over the phone from Angola on Tuesday and enquired about a blast that took place near the Red Fort here.
The President conveyed “heartfelt condolences” to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the incident, officials said.