When forensic and anti-terror experts reached the site of the car blast near the Red Fort on Monday evening, they noticed there were no craters, metal pieces, or pellets. This surprised the investigators at first. Later, some experts suggested that the reason could be that the car was moving when the explosion happened, which might have prevented a crater from forming.
White i-20 Car and the ‘Pulwama’ Link
The initial probe on the car that exploded led police to a man named Salman from Gurgaon, who allegedly owned the ‘HR 26 7674’ i20 car involved in the blast. He told police that he had sold the car to someone named Devendra in March. Police then contacted the RTO to fetch further details of the sellers.
According to a report by The Times of India, fake IDs were used in the car’s sale, and one of them belonged to a resident of Pulwama, a police officer said. The multiple changes in the vehicle’s ownership have raised suspicion, as this is a common method used by terrorist groups when selecting vehicles for SVB-IED (suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device) attacks.
At least three people were in the car
Police believe that there were at least three people in the car. They suspect the possibility of the car being hired/rented for possible suicide attacks, which usually involve one or two persons. Home Minister Amit Shah also pointed out the analysis of footage from over 230 CCTV cameras. The visuals from these cameras are crucial.
Accused Detained
One person has been taken into custody for questioning about the car, and police are investigating possible links to a terror group believed to be connected with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH). Earlier on Monday, authorities had busted this module and seized 2,900 kilograms of explosives.
A high alert has been declared across Delhi. Security has also been increased in neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Delhi Fire Service said that at least 20 fire trucks were sent to the blast site, and police sealed off the area to ensure safety. The Chandni Chowk market will stay closed on Tuesday, but the Delhi government has not announced any school closures for November 11. Security has been strengthened at airports, metro stations, heritage sites, and important government buildings.
