A blast in a car near the Red Fort in Delhi on Monday evening killed at least 12 people and injured several others. Eight people have been arrested in connection with the case so far, though several unanswered questions remain.
The chain of events leads back to several days ago when the Jammu and Kashmir police started a probe on posters that had appeared in Srinagar in support of the Pakistani-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad.
From all indications so far, that is what the investigators suspect.
Here is a timeline:
Early November:
Jammu and Kashmir police begin probing posters in Srinagar expressing support for Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Following days:
A joint operation by J&K police, Intelligence Bureau and Haryana police leads them to the residence of Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, a Pulwama native and faculty member at Al-Falah Medical College in Dhauj, Faridabad.
Adeel Ahmed Rather of Kulgam, employed at a private health facility in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, is arrested soon after.
Monday (November 10):
Around 2,900 kg of explosive material, including 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate, is seized from Ganai’s rented home in Faridabad along with an assault rifle, ammunition, batteries, remotes, and timers.
A rifle and some ammunition are recovered from a sedan owned by a female doctor from the same medical college.
Several arrests are made in connection with the terror module, all allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Evening (around 6.52–7.00 pm):
A Hyundai i20 (HR26 CE 7674) explodes at a traffic signal near Gate No. 1 of Lal Qila Metro Station, roughly 300 metres from the Red Fort.
Eyewitnesses report three people, including the driver, inside the car. The blast kills 12 and injures several others.
The explosion leaves nearby vehicles gutted but no shrapnel or pellets are found at the site.
CCTV footage captures a masked man driving the vehicle.
Overnight
The car is traced through registration records: owner Md Salman of Gurgaon is detained, followed by Devendra of Delhi’s Okhla, and subsequently another buyer from Ambala.
The driver is identified as Umar Mohammad alias Umar Nabi, a doctor from Pulwama.
Union home minister Amit Shah visits the blast injured at LNJP Hospital and announces a detailed review meeting with top security officials the next morning.
Delhi police conduct raids across the capital, place the city on high alert, and intensify checking at airports, railway stations, bus terminals, and border points.
Security teams search hotels and guest houses in Daryaganj and Paharganj, verifying registers and questioning staff.
CCTV footage from multiple parking lots shows the Hyundai car was parked for three hours before the blast.
All police stations are instructed to maintain heightened vigilance at markets, metro stations, and transit points.
Tuesday morning
Police register an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act, citing conspiracy to carry out a terror attack.
Police sources suspect Tariq, another Pulwama resident arrested earlier, had provided the vehicle to Umar.
Preliminary investigations point to suspicion that the blast may have involved ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators, per police sources.
Delhi Metro announces closure of Lal Qila station for security reasons; traffic restrictions are imposed around Netaji Subhash Marg.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs convenes a meeting, attended by Shah, Union home secretary Govind Mohan, IB Director Tapan Deka, Delhi police commissioner Satish Golcha, and NIA director Sadanand Vasant Date. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat joins virtually.
Umar’s mother is taken for a DNA test in Pulwama to confirm his identity.
In Bhutan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi states that “all those responsible for the Delhi blast will be brought to justice.”
He also says the security agencies will get to the bottom of the "conspiracy", further boosting speculation that the blast was linked to terrorist activities.
MHA hands over probe into blast near Delhi's Red Fort to National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Home Minister Amit Shah calls another security review meeting at 3 pm in wake of Delhi blast.