Indian police are investigating a deadly car explosion near Delhi’s historic Red Fort under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the country’s main anti-terrorism law, authorities said Tuesday. Forensic teams continue to examine the scene to determine the cause of the blast, the first of its kind in the city in over a decade.
The explosion on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, triggering heightened security across several states and key facilities in the densely populated capital of over 30 million residents.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Banthia confirmed that Delhi police registered cases under the anti-terrorism law, the Explosives Act, and other criminal statutes. “The investigation is at a preliminary stage, and any comment would be premature,” he said.
The blast occurred when a slow-moving car stopped at a traffic signal just before 7 p.m. (1330 GMT), severely damaging nearby vehicles and leaving mangled bodies in the congested streets of the old city near Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort Metro Station. Police are tracing the car’s owner, as the occupants are presumed dead.
Forensic experts have been scouring the sealed blast site, and traffic restrictions remain in place. Relatives of victims gathered at the nearby Lok Nayak hospital to identify the bodies, many still anxious about the fate of missing loved ones.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah said all investigative angles are being pursued and that security agencies would reach conclusions soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who traditionally addresses the nation from the Red Fort on Independence Day, flew to Bhutan on a scheduled visit Tuesday. Modi has previously cut short overseas trips following deadly attacks, including the April attack on Hindu tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, which India blamed on Islamist terrorists backed by Pakistan.
The Red Fort, a 17th-century Mughal landmark blending Persian and Indian architecture, remains a major tourist site and a symbolic center of national celebrations.
