Key Highlights–
- A car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort kills at least 8 and injures 20, prompting nationwide security alerts.
- The Delhi Police has registered a case under India’s anti-terror law, and forensic teams are combing the site for evidence.
- Several states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Bihar, are on high alert.
A deadly car blast near the historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, marking the first such explosion in the capital in over a decade. A slow-moving car that had stopped at a traffic signal detonated just before 7 pm, damaging nearby vehicles and leaving mangled wreckage on a crowded street in Delhi’s old quarter.
Deadly Blast Near Red Fort
The Delhi car blast left wrecked vehicles near a metro station in the city’s old quarter. Relatives of the victims gathered at Lok Nayak Hospital to identify their loved ones.
Shops in the area remained closed into the early hours of Tuesday. Traffic restrictions and heightened security measures were enforced across the city, and several key facilities nationwide were placed on high alert.
Police Launch Anti‑Terror Investigation
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), India’s primary anti‑terror law, has been invoked by the Delhi Police, alongside the Explosives Act and other criminal statutes, signalling that the incident is being treated with the highest level of legal scrutiny. Deputy Commissioner Raja Banthia emphasised the investigation is still at a preliminary stage and cautioned against concluding too soon, as reported by Reuters.
Furthermore, the forensic teams have sealed the blast zone and are gathering evidence, from vehicle fragments to CCTV footage and witness statements, to establish how the explosion occurred. Authorities are also tracing the vehicle’s ownership and the whereabouts of its occupants, who are believed to have died in the blast.
States & Cities on High Alert after Delhi car blast
Following the Delhi car blast, security forces swept multiple states and major cities into high‑alert mode. In Maharashtra, including Mumbai and Nagpur, the state government activated anti‑sabotage protocols and strengthened checks at airports, metro stations, and shrines.
In Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ordered the police force to place the state on high alert, ramping up patrolling and surveillance in border districts and sensitive zones.
Other states such as Haryana, Bihar and Kerala have also increased vigilance, with public appeals issued to report suspicious objects or persons. Major metropolitan hubs like Bengaluru and Kolkata, in addition to smaller cities, have been instructed to monitor transport hubs and crowded public places as security agencies scramble to trace any wider network or motive.
What is UAPA?
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is India’s toughest anti‑terror legislation, used to investigate, prosecute, and designate individuals or organisations engaged in terror activity or threats to the country’s sovereignty and integrity. Under the UAPA, suspects can face extended detention, and national agencies, such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), can take charge of investigations when a terror link is suspected.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities continue to examine forensic evidence, trace the vehicle, and review intelligence reports to determine if the Delhi car blast was a standalone incident or part of a larger terror plot.
Meanwhile, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the country’s top investigative agencies are conducting a detailed probe into Monday’s deadly Delhi explosion, which claimed at least eight lives. He assured that the “findings will soon be made public” and vowed that “those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice and will not be spared under any circumstances.”
So far, there has been no official confirmation of what triggered the blast. Home Minister Amit Shah and other senior officials have maintained that authorities are “exploring all possibilities” as the investigation continues. However, citizens have been urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
