Delhi Red Fort blast: First visual of suspect surfaces; link from Pulwama to Faridabad being investigated

A car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening (Nov 10) killed at least 8 people and set nearby vehicles ablaze. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation. The Home Minister also visited the spot and met the injured at the LNJP Hospital in Delhi. Delhi Police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) invoking terrorism and the Explosives Act. The FIR includes Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deal with terrorist acts and the punishment for supporting terrorism, a Delhi Police spokesperson said. Meanwhile, CCTV footage has surfaced in which the suspect is seen. According to news agency ANI, a lone suspect is seen entering and exiting the car parking area. The Delhi Police are examining over 100 CCTV clips.

First visual of suspect surfaces

A footage shows the I-20 driver wearing a black mask moments before the blast. Another footage shows him inside the car the car entering the parking lot with the driver’s hand resting on the window, while another image shows him wearing a blue-and-black T-shirt. The owner of the car, identified as Mohd Salman, has been detained by the police. Salman reportedly sold to vehicle to a person in Okhla, who then sold it to a resident of Ambala. The car was then sold to an individual from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. The police have detained two individuals in Pulwama for questioning in the matter.

Earlier on Nov 10, Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the situation and said, “This evening, around 7 pm, a blast occurred in a Hyundai i20 car at the Subhash Marg traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi. The blast injured some pedestrians and damaged some vehicles. Preliminary reports indicate that some people have lost their lives. Within 10 minutes of receiving the information of the blast, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch arrived at the spot.” Shah also said that investigative agencies are “exploring all possibilities and will conduct a thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account.” “All options will be investigated immediately and we will present the results to the public,” he said. Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, several states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat have been put on high alert.