Three crucial hours, no crater mystery in Delhi blast; cops intensify probe

New Delhi: The investigation into the explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station has zeroed in on three critical aspects, with one of the most puzzling being the unexplained three hours that the main suspect spent inside the Red Fort parking area before the blast.

Delhi Police and central security agencies are now piecing together the chain of events that led to the deadly explosion, which killed at least eight people and left dozens injured.

Initial findings suggest that the Hyundai i20 involved in the explosion was driven by Dr Mohammed Umar, a resident of Koil village in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. According to sources, CCTV footage from the area confirms that Umar was behind the wheel of the vehicle.

The explosion occurred on Monday evening near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station. The Haryana-registered Hyundai i20 suddenly exploded, sending shockwaves through the high-security area. Security agencies have since issued high alerts in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Mumbai, tightening surveillance around public places and religious sites.

Another focus of the investigation is the network linked to three doctors from Faridabad’s Al-Falah University, including Dr Adil Ahmad Rather and Dr Mujammil, both recently arrested for alleged links to terror outfits.

The police suspect that the arrest of these individuals may have triggered panic within the module, possibly leading Umar to carry out the explosion prematurely.

Sources revealed that the investigation is now focussed on key questions surrounding the three crucial hours Umar spent in the Red Fort parking lot.

During those three hours, was Umar talking on the phone? Did he meet anyone in Delhi or Faridabad? Was the area around the Red Fort part of a reconnaissance plan? Was he waiting for the peak hour when the crowd would be at its maximum? — such questions are still being investigated.

Records show that the car entered the Red Fort parking lot at 3:19 p.m. and exited at 6:22 p.m. By this time, Umar reportedly knew that his associates had been arrested and that police could be closing in on him.

However, the question remains, why did he take the risk of remaining in one of the most heavily guarded zones in Delhi for three hours? Was he waiting for a sleeper cell contact or logistical backup?

Authorities are probing how the accused obtained large quantities of explosives and weapons. Investigators are also examining whether the materials arrived in separate consignments and how long the accused had been operating the network.

The officials are also probing the other members of the Telegram group the suspects used for communication, and whether other active sleeper cells are still functional.

A third crucial aspect troubling investigators is the unusual nature of the explosion. Unlike previous blasts in Delhi, where sharp objects like nails, ball bearings, or blades were used to amplify damage, no such materials were found at the scene.

Yet, the impact was devastating — vehicles were blown apart, including the one in which the explosion occurred, as well as several others nearby.

This has left investigators grappling with another mystery — how did the blast cause such massive destruction without even leaving a crater on the road, as is typical in high-intensity explosions?

With the ongoing investigation linking the blast to an expanding terror network with roots in Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana, security agencies are leaving no stone unturned to trace the source of the explosives and uncover the full scope of the conspiracy behind the blast.

IANS