A powerful explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort left at least 8 people dead and 20 injured on Monday evening.
The blast occurred inside a Hyundai i20 car near the Red Fort metro station at 6.52 pm.
Reports say that the white car was parked in the Red Fort area for over three hours before it was driven out.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha told reporters that the vehicle was moving slowly and eventually stopped at the traffic signal near Gate No.1 of Red Fort Metro Station. Moments later, an explosion took place. He added that two to three people were in the car.
Car linked to Gurgaon resident
The vehicle was tracked to a Gurgaon resident, who reportedly told the police during questioning that he sold the car to someone else.
As of now, there was no official confirmation on what caused the blast, or whether it was a deliberate act.
But the police have filed an FIR under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. UAPA sections were imposed after forensic evidence and intelligence inputs pointed to possible terror links.
The blast came hours after Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered nearly 3,000 kg of explosives from two residential buildings in Faridabad in Haryana. The seizure was made after the arrest of a Kashmiri doctor, Adil Rather.
States on high alert
Following the Red Fort explosion, several states have been put on high alert, including poll-bound Bihar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will convene a high-level meeting with the Intelligence Bureau chief and the Home Secretary on Tuesday to take stock of the investigation.
