Investigators probing the deadly Red Fort car blast have uncovered a detailed timeline of the Hyundai i20’s movements across Delhi before the explosion. According to Delhi Police, the car entered the capital through the Badarpur Toll Booth at 8:04 AM on November 10. It was next spotted around 8:20 AM at a petrol pump near Okhla Industrial Area, where CCTV footage shows the vehicle refuelling.
By 3:19 PM, the car was seen entering the parking area near the Red Fort, and later, around 6:00 PM, CCTV captured it exiting the same parking zone. Subsequent footage showed the car moving through Daryaganj, Kashmere Gate, and Sunehri Masjid areas, moments before the fatal explosion took place near the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening.
Blast kills 12, injures 29
The explosion occurred inside the moving Hyundai i20, bearing registration number HR 26 7674, killing 12 people and injuring 29 others. Several nearby vehicles were destroyed in the resulting fire. Emergency responders rushed the injured to LNJP Hospital, while teams from Delhi Police, NIA, NSG, and SFL launched immediate forensic and on-ground investigations.
The national capital was placed on high alert following the incident, with heightened security at airports, railway stations, and border checkpoints.
Car ownership changed multiple times
Investigations have revealed that the Hyundai i20 had changed hands multiple times, often through the use of fake IDs, raising suspicions among investigators. Delhi Police officials said that such methods are commonly used in terror plots involving suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs).
One of the IDs linked to the car traces back to a resident of Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, deepening suspicions of a terror link. Police officials also stated that no shrapnel or crater was found at the blast site — an unusual feature that has led investigators to re-examine the method and type of explosives used.
Owner detained in Gurugram
The Delhi Police have detained Md Salman, the registered owner of the car, from Gurugram, Haryana. According to a senior officer, Salman told investigators he had sold the vehicle to a man named Devendra in Okhla, who later sold it to another buyer in Ambala.
“Delhi Police, along with Gurugram Police, detained Salman and are tracing the complete chain of buyers. Each transfer of ownership is being verified,” the officer said.
Agencies probe possible terror angle
Delhi Police, along with NIA and NSG, are investigating whether the explosion was a terrorist attack or a suicide bombing. Forensic experts are analysing residue samples to determine the type of explosive used and how it was placed inside the car.
More than 100 CCTV clips from nearby areas and toll plazas are being scrutinised to map the car’s full route across Delhi. Teams also conducted overnight raids in hotels across Paharganj, Daryaganj, and central Delhi, detaining four individuals for questioning.
Home Ministry reviews security
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level security meeting at his residence on Tuesday morning, attended by Home Secretary Govind Mohan, IB Director Tapan Deka, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, and NIA DG Sadanand Date. The Jammu and Kashmir DGP, Nalin Prabhat, joined the meeting virtually.
Shah assured the nation that “no angle will be left unexplored,” and that the culprits will be brought to justice.
