A white Hyundai i20 exploded on Netaji Subhash Marg in Delhi, near the historic Red Fort, sending a calm Monday evening in the capital into chaos. The blast, whose cause is still under probe, claimed 13 lives, including all three occupants of the doomed vehicle. Investigators now say the car had been parked for almost two hours at the Sunehri Masjid parking lot before the explosion.
Investigators tracking the car’s final movements, who asked not to be identified, said they pieced together crucial leads using CCTV footage from the area.
According to the footage, the Hyundai i20 with three occupants was seen driving from Daryaganj Market towards the Sunehri Masjid parking lot near the Red Fort at around 4 pm. Follow Red Fort blast live updates
Nearly two hours later, the car was spotted exiting the lot, taking a U-turn near Old Delhi Railway Station, and heading towards Lower Subhash Marg, moments before it exploded.
The footage then shows the i20 slowing down at a traffic signal on the Chhata Rail Chowk stretch before the explosion occurred. “The footage shows the car slowing down at a signal when the explosion occurred,” said an officer aware of the investigation.
Car had changed hands multiple times
Investigators said the vehicle bore a Haryana registration number, HR26CE7674, and had a complicated ownership trail. It was first registered in 2014 to a Gurugram resident, Mohd Salman, but had since been sold several times.
“Salman sold it to a man named Devender, who then sold it to someone in Ambala,” said another investigator. “The registered owner has been detained in Delhi, but the car was resold two to three times. We’re still tracing the current owner.”
A copy of the registration certificate (RC) accessed by HT confirms the initial ownership details. Meanwhile, Ambala Police have launched a parallel inquiry, with Gurugram Police assisting the Delhi investigators.
Multi-agency probe underway
Addressing the media after the tragic blast, Union home minister Amit Shah said that multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit, were probing the case from “all possible angles.”
“A comprehensive probe is underway, taking all angles into account. The findings will be shared with the public,” Shah added.
Following the explosion, security was ramped up across the Capital. Additional police and CISF personnel were deployed at sensitive spots, including government buildings, metro stations, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The blast site was located not far from Gates 1 and 4 of the Lal Qila Metro Station on the Violet Line, both of which were temporarily shut down.