Red Fort blast: i20 car traced from CP to Mayur Vihar; probe suggests cross-border link

Fresh details are coming to light in the probe into Monday’s deadly explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed 12 people and injured several others. Investigators are now tracing the exact movements of the i20 car that was at the centre of the high-intensity blast.

According to officials, the vehicle was first parked near the Al-Falah University campus in Haryana’s Dhouj on November 10. It was later moved to a parking area in Old Delhi before the day of the explosion.

CCTV footage has since revealed the car’s movement across multiple parts of the capital — first seen in Connaught Place around 2:30 pm and later in Mayur Vihar — suggesting that it travelled through several key zones before detonating near the Red Fort Metro station.

Sources indicate that high-grade military explosives may have been used in the attack, and that the handler of the suspected terror module is believed to be operating from outside India’s borders.

Meanwhile, forensic experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) have gathered over 40 samples from the blast site. These include two cartridges — one containing live ammunition — along with traces of two distinct types of explosives. Preliminary tests point to one being ammonium nitrate, while the other appears to be a more powerful variant.

Officials confirmed that the FSL team has been working around the clock since the incident, with a special unit formed to expedite the analysis and submit its report at the earliest.

In a related development, a previous operation in Faridabad led to the recovery of 360 kg of ammonium nitrate. The arrest of Dr. Muzammil Ganaie and Dr. Shaheen Saeed — both associated with Al-Falah University — has already provided crucial leads that may be linked to the Red Fort blast.

The probe now focuses on mapping the car’s entire route and verifying suspected cross-border connections behind the explosion.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have intensified security checks across the city following the blast. The national capital remains on high alert, with police and paramilitary personnel deployed in large numbers at all entry and exit points.

All vehicles entering or exiting Delhi are being subjected to thorough inspections as part of the heightened security measures. Senior police officers are personally overseeing checks at interstate borders such as Ghazipur, Singhu, Tikri, and Badarpur.

Random checks are also being conducted at metro stations, markets, railway stations, and bus terminals to ensure no suspicious activity goes unnoticed.