Delhi Police have tightened security measures in and around the national capital following the explosion near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening that claimed at least 12 lives and injured more than 25. As part of the security measure, the Lal Quila metro station will remain closed, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said on Tuesday.
"Lal Qila Metro Station is closed due to security reasons. All other stations are functional as normal," DMRC posted on X.
Police teams have cordoned off the area and launched an investigation into the incident.
Probe reveals involvement of two people from J-K
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police's investigation into the case has revealed the involvement of two individuals from Jammu and Kashmir, identified as Tariq and Umar Mohammad. According to officials, the car in question was sold to a man named Tariq, and further investigation is underway to trace his links and determine the purpose behind the vehicle's use.
The i20 car in which the explosion took place near the Red Fort in Delhi belonged to a man named Salman, who has been detained by the police. The car bore a Haryana number plate. During the questioning, Salman revealed that he sold the car to another person named Devendra, who is a resident of Delhi's Okhla.
Devendra had later sold the car to another person from Haryana's Ambala. Meanwhile, Salman has handed all the documents of the car to the police, which is now working with the Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials to identify the car's actual owner.
According to the police, the explosion took place inside the i20, which had a number HR 26 7624, while it was moving. At that time, three people were sitting inside it. The police further said that no crater was formed after the explosion took place. "We have not found any pellet or puncture in the body of the injured, which is unusual in a bomb blast," said a senior police official, as quoted by news agency PTI.
According to a fire department official, six cars, two e-rickshaws and one autorickshaw were gutted in the fire. The blast was so powerful that it shattered the window panes of vehicles parked several metres away, and the sound was heard at ITO, a few kilometres from the site.
Delhi Police registers case under UAPA, Explosives Act
Delhi Police have registered a case under various Sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
"A case has been registered under sections 16, 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Explosives Act and the BNS at the Kotwali Police Station," Delhi Police said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said a detailed analysis of the blast near the Red Fort on Monday evening will be conducted with top security officers on Tuesday. "We will hold a detailed analysis of the blast with senior officers at the home ministry," Shah told reporters after meeting those injured in the blast at the LNJP Hospital.
Shah said top investigating agencies are probing the incident, and will go in-depth into the blast which took place in a Hyundai i20 car.
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