Hours before the car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that has now claimed 12 lives, a post on Reddit eerily described an unusually heavy deployment of police, paramilitary, and media personnel across central Delhi.
The post, made by a user claiming to be a school student, read, "I just came back from my school (12 student) and not lying — everywhere there was just police and army and media, like on the Red Fort, on metro, everywhere. Not even kidding, when I was traveling in the metro, I saw more army than ever. Is something going on, like what’s up today?"
The message, shared on Monday afternoon on the r/Delhi subreddit, has since gone viral as users drew links to the deadly blast that ripped through the area hours later.
Delhi Red Fort Blast
According to Delhi Police, the explosion occurred around 6:52 pm near Lal Qila Metro Station’s Gate No. 1, just a few hundred metres from the Red Fort. The blast engulfed multiple vehicles in flames, leaving 12 dead and over 30 injured. Officials confirmed that the car used in the explosion was registered to a Pulwama-based doctor linked to a recently busted “white-collar terror module” operating across Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana.
Investigators believe that ammonium nitrate, commonly used in fertilisers but also an explosive component, was used in the bombing. Following the explosion, police teams raided several hotels in Paharganj and Daryaganj, detaining at least four individuals for questioning.
A multi-agency probe is now underway involving the Delhi Police Special Cell, NIA, NSG, and Intelligence Bureau, along with state police forces from Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana. The area around the Red Fort has been sealed for three days as forensic teams continue to comb the site for evidence.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that “no possibility is being ruled out,” while Delhi Police urged citizens to refrain from circulating unverified claims on social media.
The Reddit post, which initially appeared to be an innocent observation, is now being examined by investigators to determine whether it reflects advanced security inputs or a random coincidence.