Red Fort blast: Amit Shah says multiple agencies probing incident

Shah spoke to Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Deka and Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golchha to take stock of the situation

New Delhi: Hours after an explosion ripped through a vehicle near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening killing at least eight people, Union home minister Amit Shah said multiple agencies were investigating the incident from “all possible angles”.

Home minister Amit Shah arrives at LNJP Hospital following a blast near Red Fort (Sonu Mehta/ HT)

Shah, who spoke to Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Deka and Delhi Police commissioner Satish Golchha to take stock of the situation, said the findings would be shared with the public.

“An explosion took place at the Subhash Marg traffic signal (near Red Fort) involving a Hyundai i20 car around 7pm. Preliminary reports suggest that some people have lost their lives and some are injured,” Shah said.

“Within 10 minutes of receiving the information, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Special Cell arrived at the spot. I have spoken to the Delhi CP and special branch in-charge, who are present at the site. Teams from the NIA (National Investigation Agency), NSG (National Security Guard), and FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) have begun a thorough investigation, and all nearby CCTV footage is being examined,” he added.

While the nature of the explosion is yet to be confirmed, Shah said all possibilities were being explored. “A comprehensive probe is underway, taking all angles into account. The findings will be shared with the public,” he said.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on social media. “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities. Reviewed the situation with home minister Amit Shah ji and other officials,” Modi posted on X.

Shah later visited Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital to meet those injured and is expected to visit the blast site. In a briefing after the visit to the hospital, Shah later reiterated that all angles are being probed and that it is difficult to say anything conclusively right now. “We don’t consider any angle closed. All angles are being looked into.”

Officials said teams from the NIA, IB, and Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit were scanning CCTV footage and social media platforms for suspicious activity, while the route and occupants of the i20 car were being traced. The federal counterterrorism agency, NIA, is likely to formally take over the probe, according to officials familiar with the matter.