Investigative agencies are trying to piece together the puzzle of yesterday’s blast to form a conclusive idea about the sources and origin of the attackers. In their pursuit to uncover what led to the explosion, agencies have compiled details of where the car involved in the blast had been in the past 24 hours. Special Cell units have examined more than 100 CCTV footage clips to track the movement of the vehicle.
White i20 Entered Delhi at 8:04 AM
According to the investigation, the i20 laden with explosives entered Delhi at 8:04 in the morning. After that, the car was spotted again in the Okhla Industrial Area at a petrol pump, where it was seen stationary for a while.
The Car Takes a Route Towards Red Fort
After about seven hours, around 3 p.m., the suspected i20 began its deadly journey toward the Red Fort. The car was seen entering the parking area near the Sunehri Masjid, where it remained parked for around three hours. The same vehicle left the parking lot at 6 p.m. and was later seen stationary near Daryaganj and Kashmiri Gate stations.
6:52 PM when The Blast took place
At around 6:52 p.m., approximately 30 minutes after leaving the parking lot, the car was driven to the location where the explosion took place. The blast caused chaos in the area. Police, fire brigade, and senior officials soon reached the site of the explosion.
Forensic Investigation Leads to the Car’s Trail
The Special Cell meticulously reviewed all CCTV footage from the area and successfully traced the vehicle’s movement in Delhi. Reports suggest that the car was stationed near the Red Fort area for over three hours before moving toward Kashmiri Gate and Subhash Marg.
The Car Was Bought from Faridabad
The Hyundai i20 that caused the blast was purchased in Faridabad from a showroom named Royal Car Zone, located in Sector 37, just a few kilometers from the Delhi border. When the police tried contacting the showroom through its registered number, the number was found switched off. Authorities are now pursuing the showroom owner and the employees who worked there.
Terror Network Spanning Multiple States
The investigation into the Lakhimpur–Gujarat network has now expanded from Delhi to Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The Gujarat ATS has arrested three suspected members of the ISKP module in Ahmedabad, one of whom is Mohammad Sohail, a resident of Jhala village under the Singhani Police Station area of Lakhimpur Kheri district.
According to Sohail’s family, he went to Jamia Darul Uloom Aziza Madarsa in Budhana town of Muzaffarnagar three years ago to study. The family is in disbelief that his name has now appeared in a terrorist investigation.
Additionally, Dr. Shaheen Shahid, a resident of Lucknow’s Lalbagh area, has also come under scrutiny. Police claim that the car was being used by a man named Dr. Muzamil, and a rifle along with live cartridges, was recovered from it. The investigation further revealed that Shaheen and Muzamil knew each other and were seen together several times. Police are now investigating whether Shaheen was aware that her car was being used for such activities.
