A calm Monday evening in Delhi was shattered by a powerful explosion of a white Hyundai i20 on Netaji Subhash Marg, near the historic Red Fort. The blast, which is still under intense investigation, tragically claimed at least eight lives, including all three occupants of the doomed vehicle. Investigators tracking the car’s final movements have revealed a crucial piece of evidence: the car was parked for nearly two hours at the Sunehri Masjid parking lot before the explosion.
Investigators, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the multi-agency terror probe, pieced together the car’s route using extensive CCTV footage from the area.
Mapping the Car’s Final Movements
The CCTV footage allowed police to establish the following timeline of the car’s final hours:
- Around 4:00 PM: The Hyundai i20, carrying three occupants, was seen driving from the Daryaganj Market area and entering the parking lot near the Sunehri Masjid by the Red Fort.
- Around 6:00 PM (Approx.): After a nearly two-hour halt, the car was spotted exiting the parking lot.
- Moments Before Explosion: The vehicle then took a U-turn near the Old Delhi Railway Station and began heading toward Lower Subhash Marg. The footage shows the i20 slowing down at a traffic signal on the Chhata Rail Chowk stretch just moments before the high-intensity explosion occurred.
An officer aware of the investigation stated, “The footage shows the car slowing down at a signal when the explosion occurred.” The timing and location—a bustling area during the evening—suggest a deliberate or high-risk movement.
Complicated Ownership Trail
The vehicle itself, which bore the Haryana registration number HR26CE7674, has a complicated ownership trail that investigators are racing to untangle.
- Original Registration: The car was first registered in 2014 to a Gurugram resident named Mohd Salman.
- Resale Chain: Investigators revealed that Salman sold the car to a man named Devender, who then resold it to someone in Ambala. The car has been resold two to three times since then.
While Salman has been detained in Delhi, Ambala Police have launched a parallel inquiry to trace the current owner of the car. The quick resale and complicated paper trail are often tactics used to obscure the identity of the final user in terror-related incidents.
Multi-Agency Probe Underway
The investigation is being treated with the highest severity. Union Home Minister Amit Shah confirmed that a comprehensive probe is underway involving multiple agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit, probing the case from “all possible angles.”
Security across the Capital remains ramped up. Additional police and CISF personnel have been deployed at sensitive spots, including government buildings, metro stations, and the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Gates 1 and 4 of the nearby Lal Qila Metro Station on the Violet Line were temporarily shut down following the blast.