Overview
- At least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured on Monday evening when a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Red Fort’s Lal Qila Metro area.
- Investigators traced the i20 through multiple owners to Dr Umar Un Nabi of Pulwama, reviewed CCTV showing a masked driver and hours parked near the site, and collected his mother’s DNA to confirm whether he was among the dead.
- The case was transferred to the NIA after a high-level review, with Delhi Police registering an FIR under the UAPA and the Explosives Act as the capital remains on heightened security.
- Probe teams are linking the blast to a recently busted Faridabad network that yielded roughly 2,500–2,900 kg of suspected IED materials, including about 360 kg of ammonium nitrate, with arrests of medical professionals tied to Al-Falah University.
- Authorities are examining whether the detonation was a suicide attack or an accidental blast following the Faridabad crackdown, with preliminary forensics indicating ammonium nitrate, fuel oil and detonators and the alleged car supplier Tariq in custody.