Red Fort blast: Shah reviews security as Delhi Police invokes UAPA; toll hits 12
Police suspect Pulwama doctor Umar Mohammad drove the blast car; links to Faridabad terror module under probe
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairing high-level meeting with top security officials on Red Fort blast (Photo: IANS)
New Delhi, Nov 11: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Tuesday, reviewed the security situation in the national capital and other parts of the country following the blast near the Red Fort that has so far claimed 12 lives.
The high-level meeting was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and NIA Director General Sadanand Vasant Date.
DGP of Jammu and Kashmir, Nalin Prabhat joined the meeting virtually. Top officials made detailed presentations on the situation in the aftermath of the explosion.
According to sources, Shah directed investigating agencies to carry out an in-depth probe into the incident.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the Red Fort blast rose to 12 after three more people succumbed to injuries on Tuesday.
The explosion, which occurred on Monday evening, ripped through a slow-moving hatchback car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station, gutting several vehicles and injuring over 20 people, police said.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police, on Tuesday, registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act in connection with the incident.
Raids were carried out at multiple locations across the city as the NCR was placed on high alert, with enhanced security at airports, railway stations, and bus terminals.
Preliminary investigations have indicated a possible terror link. Police sources said the car was allegedly driven by Umar Mohammad, a resident of Pulwama and a doctor by profession, who is suspected to have connections with a terror module in Faridabad.
CCTV footage from the vicinity of the Red Fort reportedly shows a masked man driving the vehicle moments before the blast.
Police teams are scanning footage from nearby cameras to trace his movements and possible accomplices.
The blast comes within hours after authorities recovered 2,900 kg of explosives and inflammable material from two rented rooms belonging to a Kashmiri doctor in Faridabad.
On Tuesday, extensive search and combing operations were being carried out across parts of the district.
According to sources, the explosive material used in the Red Fort blast likely included ammonium nitrate, fuel oil, and detonators, components similar to those recovered from the Faridabad module, where 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized.
However, officials added “final forensic reports are awaited.”
PTI