Red Fort blast probe handed to NIA; government treats incident as terror act

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday handed over the probe into a blast near the Red Fort to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), sources said.

This is a clear indication that the blast, which has so far claimed 12 lives, is being considered by the government as an act of terror, as the NIA is mandated to probe terror cases only. "The blast case has been handed over to the NIA," a source said.

The decision came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in the national capital and other parts of the country following the blast. Shah has called another security review meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

The home minister has said top investigating agencies are probing the blast and they will go in-depth into the incident. The blast took place in a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people and gutting several vehicles, officials said.