Delhi Police on Tuesday registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Explosives Act in connection with the blast near Red Fort that claimed 12 lives, officials said.
Raids are being conducted at multiple locations by Delhi Police. The national capital has been placed on high alert with strict vigil being maintained at the airport, railway stations and bus terminals.
According to a senior police officer, an FIR has been registered at Kotwali police station under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the 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.
At least 12 people were killed and many others injured near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening when a slow-moving Haryana-registered Hyundai i20 hatchback exploded at a traffic signal, scattering bodies, setting several vehicles on fire, and blanketing the area in smoke.
Police investigating nature of explosion
The explosion took place around 7pm near Gate No. 1 of the Lal Quila Metro station — about 300 metres from the historic monument — at a time when the area was crowded with evening commuters and tourists.
Police refrained from immediately calling it a terror attack, saying the “nature of the high-intensity explosion” was still being investigated in the absence of any claim of responsibility till late night.
A senior Delhi Police officer said: “The nature of the blast has not yet been determined. The investigation is being conducted from every angle, and the terror angle is not ruled out.”
Eyewitnesses recall horror at the scene
Eyewitnesses described horrifying scenes of “bodies flying out of the CNG-run Hyundai” (bearing registration number HR26 CE 7674, according to some media reports) and people running in panic as flames lit up the area.
Amit Mudgal, 36, told PTI: “While I was standing and talking to someone, a body part... a hand, with the man’s shirt still on it, fell right behind me.”
Zeeshan, an auto driver injured in the blast, told reporters: “The car in front of me was about two feet away. I don’t know whether there was a bomb in it or something else, but it exploded. It was a Swift Dzire.”
Irfan said: “Handcart pullers and taxi drivers were caught in the blast; some of them didn’t survive.”
Abdul Wahid, who was shopping nearby, recalled: “I saw people on the road… with injuries to their legs, hands and other parts of the body. I was horrified to see body parts flying out of the car. There was total chaos.”
Car owner detained; sale chain under probe
According to police, the car had three occupants at the time of the blast. “We haven’t found any pellet or puncture in the bodies of the injured, which is unusual in a bomb blast. We are investigating all angles,” a senior police officer told PTI.
The Delhi Police have detained the car’s owner, identified as Md Salman, in Gurgaon, Haryana. “He had sold it to a person in Okhla named Devendra. Later, the vehicle was again sold to someone in Ambala. The police are tracing these people,” a senior officer said.
Videos capture aftermath
A video shared by the Chandni Chowk Traders’ Association showed a body lying on a vehicle, while another showed a body on the road. A fire department official confirmed that six cars, two e-rickshaws and an auto-rickshaw had been burnt down. The blast shattered vehicle windows several metres away, and the sound was reportedly heard as far as ITO.
Terror module bust
Earlier in the day, security agencies had claimed to have busted a “white-collar” terror module involving Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind in a 15-day operation across Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. However, officials said no link had yet been established between that module and the Red Fort explosion.
Speculation over timing ahead of Bihar polls
The blast occurred on the eve of the second phase of the Bihar Assembly elections, covering 122 seats including the Muslim-majority Seemanchal region, triggering speculation that it could polarise voters along communal lines.
Experts say probe likely to take time
A former Intelligence Bureau (IB) official told The Telegraph: “The police usually recover clues while examining samples and evidence from a blast site within three to four hours. In this instance, the investigators are maintaining a studied silence. It seems they are taking more time as nobody has yet claimed responsibility.”
Delhi and neighbouring states on high alert
Security has been ramped up across the National Capital Region. Sources said all district police units — including the special cell and crime branch — had been put on alert and directed to conduct random vehicle checks, especially near the Delhi-Haryana border.
“Surveillance has been enhanced at all border points connecting Delhi with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Security has been ramped up in sensitive zones, including railway stations and Metro premises,” an officer said.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has also issued a high alert for installations across the country, including airports, the Delhi Metro, heritage sites and key government buildings.