Three days after a car bomb killed eight people near the historic Red Fort in New Delhi, investigators are exploring a possible connection to the recent arrests of seven men in Indian-administered Kashmir. A source within the investigation told the BBC that they are also looking into whether the blast is linked to a large seizure of explosives from a suburb of the capital.
The powerful explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, has been labeled “a heinous terror incident, perpetrated by anti-national forces” in a resolution issued by the federal cabinet on Wednesday. This strong language echoes earlier comments from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who called the blast a “conspiracy” and vowed that “the conspirators will not be spared” and “all those responsible will be brought to justice.”
A High-Profile Investigation Underway
Similar statements were made by top government officials, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah. Mr. Shah, who is responsible for the country’s internal security, said he has ordered officials “to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident.”
Police have confirmed that they have filed cases under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), India’s primary anti-terror law, in addition to charges under the Explosives Act and the criminal code. The investigation has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the country’s top counter-terrorism agency.
So far, neither the police nor the NIA have held a press conference or released a formal statement about the progress of the investigation. In the absence of official information, Indian media has been filled with source-based reports and unverified claims, leading to many unanswered questions. The most significant of these is whether the explosion is connected to the recent arrests in Kashmir and the seizure of 2,900kg of bomb-making materials from Faridabad, a city near Delhi.
Connecting the Dots to Recent Arrests
Just a few hours before the blast on Monday, police in the federal territory of Jammu and Kashmir had released a statement. It named seven arrested men, including two doctors, from Kashmir and the states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The police said they had also seized weapons, including two automatic rifles, and the large quantity of explosives from Faridabad.
The statement from the Kashmir police mentioned a “white collar terror ecosystem” and said they were working to “trace and apprehend” more individuals whose names had come up during their investigation.
When contacted by the BBC, the NIA said that they have just taken over the Delhi blast case and are currently reviewing “voluminous documents.” They stated that they are unable to provide many details at this early stage. However, they did confirm that they are investigating every possible angle. This includes looking into any links between the recent arrests and a man who has appeared in a viral photo. This man is being described in the Indian media as the alleged driver of the car that exploded.
Media reports have claimed that this man drove around the city for hours and was parked in a nearby lot for three hours before the blast occurred. Neither the NIA nor the police have confirmed any of these details.
The Scene of the Explosion
The explosion on Monday evening happened at 6:52 p.m. local time. A slow-moving vehicle had stopped at a busy traffic light when it suddenly erupted in a ball of fire. Video footage from the scene showed the charred remains of a white car and several other vehicles, including an autorickshaw and cycle rickshaws, that were destroyed in the fire.
Within hours of the blast, Home Minister Shah confirmed that the explosion had originated in a white Hyundai i20. However, there has been no official information released about who owned the car or what caused it to blow up. As the investigation continues, the iconic Red Fort, which is located near the blast site, remains closed to the public.
