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All possible angles being probed, says Amit Shah after Delhi car blast kills 8
Delhi blast: Amit Shah said all angles were being investigated and it was difficult to say anything conclusively right now on the cause of the car explosion
NEW DELHI: Hours after a car exploded near the Red Fort during the evening rush hours on Monday, Union home minister Amit Shah said multiple agencies were investigating all possible angles in connection with the incident that killed eight people.
The home minister, who spoke with Intelligence Bureau (IB) director Tapan Deka and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha to take stock of the situation, said the findings of the investigation would be shared with the public.
Shah also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the incident. People familiar with the matter said the home minister would chair a high-level meeting on Tuesday.
“An explosion took place at the Subhash Marg traffic signal (at Red Fort) involving a (Hyundai) i20 car around 7 pm. Preliminary reports suggest that some people have lost their lives and there are injuries to some people,” Shah said on Monday evening, moments before he headed to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, where most of the victims were admitted.
“Within 10 minutes of receiving the information, teams from the Delhi Crime Branch and Delhi Special Branch (referring to Special Cell) arrived at the spot. I have spoken to the Delhi CP and Special Branch in-charge, who are present at the blast site. The teams of NIA (National Investigation Agency) and NSG (National Security Guard), along with the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) experts have begun a thorough investigation and orders have been given to examine all nearby CCTV footage,” said Shah.
The home minister did not specify the nature of the explosion, insisting that the authorities were investigating all aspects of the incident.
“We are exploring all angles. A thorough investigation, taking all possibilities into account, is being carried out and the findings will be shared with the public,” he said.
In his statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of life in the incident.
“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 said in a post on X.
Shah, accompanied by senior police officers and doctors, met the injured at the hospital where he visited several wards and interacted with the injured.
Shah reiterated at the hospital that all angles were being investigated and it was difficult to say anything conclusively right now on the cause of the explosion.
“We don’t consider any angle closed. All angles are being looked into,” he said, putting the number of casualties at eight. About 20 others have been injured in the incident.
The NIA, which was the federal anti-terror agency, is likely to be handed the probe, one officer said.
