At least nine peopel where killed and around 30 injured – several critically – in an explosion in a moving car in the Old Delhi area of India’s national capital on Monday evening.
There has been no official confirmation so far on what caused the blast. Home Minister Amit Shah said investigating agencies were probing “all angles” and not ruling out any possibility.”As of tuesday morning, no terror group has claimed duty for the explosion,” a senior Delhi Police official told The Diplomat.However, “the needle of suspicion points in the direction of terror groups,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Early on Tuesday, Delhi Police registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act. Sections 16 and 18 of the UAPA address terrorist acts and the penalties for such acts.
Monday’s explosion happened close to the entrance of a metro station serving the red fort, a 350-year-old Mughal-era historical site. Old Delhi is home to several heritage sites.”If the explosion was a purposeful act, then it was meant to create maximum mayhem,” the police official said. “It happened at 6:52 p.m., rush hour on a working day, when thousands of office goers are taking the metro to head back home.” The explosion happened near Chandni Chowk, “a busy and bustling shopping area, and the Jama Masjid.” He added that the area is “communally sensitive.”
According to reports in the Indian media, the car had been parked in the Red Fort area for over three hours before it was driven out. It was moving slowly and then stopped at a traffic signal, where it exploded.
“We heard a very loud noise… Initially we thought it was a cylinder blast as there are so many eateries in the area. As we ran out, we saw car parts strewn around and then we saw flesh and body parts,” an eyewitness told The Indian Express.
The explosion engulfed several surrounding vehicles. At least six cars, four motorcycles and three e-rickshaws caught fire.
The vehicle, identified as a Hyundai i20, changed hands several times. The last owner has been identified as a resident of Pulwama in J&K.The explosion happened a day after the J&K Police recovered nearly 350 kilograms of explosives from two houses in Faridabad in Haryana. Earlier on Monday, security agencies claimed they had busted white-collar terror networks in the region.