Guwahati: Hours after a massive explosion near Delhi's historic Red Fort claimed nine lives and left several injured, India's Home Minister Amit Shah convened a high-level meeting at his residence on Tuesday morning.
The meeting also included the Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Commissioner of Delhi Police, and the Director-General of the NIA. The DG of Police from Jammu & Kashmir joined virtually.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that 358 kg of explosives were involved. Further investigation suspected it to be ammonium nitrate, which was recovered from a rented house in Dhauj village, Faridabad, linked to one of the accused. The vehicle used in the blast, a Hyundai i20 registered on October 29 by a resident of Pulwama, has been traced to the incident.
Moreover, Shah said no angle is being ruled out, and forensic, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and National Security Guard (NSG) teams have been deployed. “We have ordered the examination of all nearby CCTV cameras. A thorough investigation will be carried out, and findings will be made public soon,” he stated.
Additionally, when pressed on whether the explosion represented a terror attack, Shah said it was too early to conclude. "Until forensic analysis and NSG reports are received, we can't make any conclusions. However, we are investigating the matter from every angle," he added.
According to Delhi Police, the car was tracked outside Asian Hospital in Faridabad early morning on Monday, 7:30 a.m. It entered the national capital via the Badarpur toll booth at 8:13 a.m.
The explosion occurred outside Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. The incident triggered panic. Security is enhanced throughout the city. Amidst high tension, public safety is under high scrutiny. The authorities are racing to piece together motives, timelines, and the extent of planning behind this devastating blast.