The devastating car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening—which tragically killed at least ten people and left several others injured—created immediate chaos, compounded by the grim difficulty of identifying the deceased. In the overwhelming moments of fear and search, families found themselves clinging to the smallest details—a familiar tattoo, a torn sleeve, a specific T-shirt—to confirm the fates of their loved ones.
The high-intensity explosion in the Hyundai i20 car was catastrophic, shattering the windows of vehicles parked meters away and being heard across neighboring buildings. The force of the blast mangled the victims, making visual identification nearly impossible for many.
Tattoos Identify Pharmaceutical Businessman Amar Kataria
One of the most heart-wrenching stories is that of Amar Kataria, a 34-year-old pharmaceutical businessman from Chandni Chowk. Amar’s body was charred and mutilated beyond recognition.
His identity was confirmed only after his family saw the distinctive tattoos inked on his arms, which were dedicated to his parents and wife:
- “Mom my first love”
- “Dad my strength”
- The name of his wife, Kriti (as per other reports)
Amar’s father told media that they learned of the tragedy when a woman answered their call to his phone, which she found near the blast site. The father stated, “We identified him after an inquiry; he had a tattoo on his hand, a chain with a ring, and an earring.” Amar Kataria, who ran his business in Bhagirath Palace, is survived by his wife and a three-year-old child.
T-Shirt the Only Link for E-Rickshaw Driver Jumman
Another victim, Jumman, an e-rickshaw driver and the sole breadwinner for his disabled wife and children in Shastri Park, was similarly identified through a heartbreaking trace of normalcy.
After searching frantically for 20 hours, his family finally found his body under a sheet at a mortuary. Jumman’s uncle, Mohammad Idris, recounted the traumatic identification to Hindustan Times: “His legs were missing, and his body badly damaged. We identified him through his T-shirt.”
The Investigation Status
The explosion occurred near the Subhash Marg traffic signal close to the Red Fort. The probe, now officially taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), has intensified after the car involved was traced to a Kashmir-based doctor, Dr. Umar Un Nabi, who is linked to a terror cell and a massive haul of explosives in Faridabad.
The Delhi Police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), sections of the Explosives Act, and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
- UAPA Section 16: Pertains to the punishment for a terrorist act.
- UAPA Section 18: Pertains to the punishment for conspiracy, etc., to commit a terrorist act.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that the conspirators behind the Delhi explosion would not be spared and that everyone involved would be brought to justice.