Were Connaught Place, Mayur Vihar First Targets Before Red Fort Explosion? Police Sources Say...
The car, bearing registration number HR 26CE 7674, entered the Sunehri Masjid parking lot in Chandni Chowk at 3:19 pm on November 10 and exited around 6:30 pm.
The white Hyundai i20 that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening killing 12 people was spotted at two of the capital’s busiest locations, Connaught Place and Mayur Vihar, hours before the blast, according to Delhi Police sources.
The car, bearing registration number HR 26CE 7674, entered the Sunehri Masjid parking lot in Chandni Chowk at 3:19 pm on November 10 and exited around 6:30 pm, shortly before the deadly explosion at 6:52 pm near the Red Fort Metro Station’s Gate No. 1.
Police have identified the suspected suicide bomber as Umar Nabi, believed to be part of a larger terror module.
Sources revealed that the vehicle had been parked for nearly two weeks, from October 29 to November 10, on the Al-Falah University campus in Haryana. It was found parked next to a Swift Dzire owned by Dr Muzammil Shakeel, who was recently arrested after a large cache of explosives was seized in Faridabad. Notably, the i20 was registered under the name of Dr Shaheen Saeed, from whose car investigators recovered assault rifles and ammunition.
Military Explosives Used In Red Fort Blast
Preliminary forensic analysis suggests that, in addition to ammonium nitrate, high-grade military explosives were used in the Red Fort blast.
Investigators suspect the explosion may have been triggered accidentally. The absence of a blast crater and lack of metal projectiles at the site indicate the improvised explosive device (IED) may have been improperly assembled. Intelligence sources told NDTV that the suspect might have panicked following the arrests of Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather, two key operatives of the module, earlier in the day.
Officials said the suicide bomber possibly detonated the IED prematurely as police tightened their net. Another theory being explored is that the explosion occurred while the suspects were attempting to relocate or dispose of the explosives.
Investigating agencies are now examining potential foreign links, as preliminary inputs suggest the module’s handler was operating from abroad.
Top Headlines
