Red fort blast linked to terror plot! Jaish-e-Mohammed module behind attack to avenge Operation Sindoor, says report

The FIR has been registered under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Initial probe reports suggest the blast was carried out by a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) module to avenge the extensive damage caused on its Bahawalpur headquarters during Operation Sindoor. 

A massive explosion near Delhi’s iconic Red Fort on Monday evening left at least nine people dead and over twenty injured, after a Hyundai i20 car carrying three passengers suddenly exploded near Gate No. 1 of Lal Qila Metro Station, close to the Gauri Shankar and Jain temples.

Forensic teams have collected over 40 samples from the site, including cartridges (live ammunition) and two different types of explosives. One of the explosives preliminarily appears to be ammonium nitrate; the other is believed to be more powerful. 

The blast occurred around 6:52 pm, shaking the high-security area and sending panic across Old Delhi. Nine people were killed and several others injured in the blast.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe from local police, signalling that the authorities are treating it as a major terror-linked incident.  

According to Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha, the car—bearing a Haryana registration number—was moving slowly toward a red light when it came to a halt and exploded moments later.

A CCTV video has emerged showing the suspect driving the Hyundai i20 car, which exploded near the iconic Red Fort on Monday.

According to media reports, the footage showed suspected terrorist Dr. Mohammad Umar, who was at large.

Sources told India Today that Umar was in the car and is believed to have planned the attack along with two of his associates.

Soon after the explosion, the car’s registered owner, identified as Salman, was detained by Delhi Police.

During interrogation, he revealed that he had already sold the vehicle to another person.

Further investigation uncovered that the car had reportedly been sold to Tariq, a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, raising suspicions of the terror link.

Two of Umar’s associates, Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Shahid from Al-Falah University in Faridabad, were arrested earlier for possessing huge quantities of explosives, arms, and ammunition.