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Explosives, live ammo: What investigators found at Delhi Red Fort blast site

Various agencies, including the FSL and National Investigation Agency (NIA), have been probing the blast that occurred in an i20 car on Monday evening.

Updated on: Nov 12, 2025, 13:21:16 IST
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The forensic experts probing the Delhi Red Fort blast, which killed at least 10 people on Monday, have found explosives and cartridges from the blast site.

The blast took place at 6.52pm on Monday at Netaji Subhash Marg when the slow-moving i20 – which had been sold multiple times, retrofitted with a CNG tank stopped at a traffic signal, close to the Red Fort metro station. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)
The blast took place at 6.52pm on Monday at Netaji Subhash Marg when the slow-moving i20 – which had been sold multiple times, retrofitted with a CNG tank stopped at a traffic signal, close to the Red Fort metro station. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

According to a PTI report, the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team collected over 40 samples from the blast site near the Lal Quila (Red Fort) Metro Station. These include two cartridges and samples of two different types of explosives. One of the two cartridges found on the site is reportedly a live one.

Various agencies, including the FSL and National Investigation Agency (NIA), have been probing the blast that occurred in an i20 car on Monday evening.

At least 10 people have been confirmed dead, and 20 others have been injured in the high-intensity explosion. Officials at Delhi's Lok Nayak Jaiprakash Narayan (LNJP) hospital have indicated that the toll may rise further.

What does the Delhi Red Fort blast probe indicate?

Investigators have zeroed in on a doctor based in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, identified as Umar Nabi, who was allegedly driving the car used in the explosion and had alleged links to the terror module busted with the recovery of explosives mainly from neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday took a DNA sample from Nabi's mother to establish the relation.

Sources quoted in a PTI report said that the explosion was triggered in panic and desperation after raids by the security agencies across multiple locations in Delhi-NCR and Pulwama to nab suspects believed to be part of the terror module.

"The suspect was likely spooked after the raid in Faridabad, which forced him to relocate hastily, increasing the chance of a mishap. The incident appears to have shifted from a suspected suicide attack to an unintended explosion during transport," a senior police officer said.

However, police are probing all angles, including a suicide bomber attack, the sources said.

Union home minister Amit Shah said that “all possibilities” were being looked into, as multiple agencies joined the investigation to find the cause and motive of the blast.

Delhi Police have filed a case under sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at the Kotwali Police Station.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed that those behind the Delhi explosion would not be spared and that everyone involved would be brought to justice.

  • Shivam Pratap Singh
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shivam Pratap Singh

    Shivam Pratap Singh is a digital journalist who works as a Deputy Chief Content Producer with Hindustan Times. Having previously worked with various platforms covering national, international as well as sports events, he blends in various topics to easy to read news pieces for the benefit of the reader. Shivam holds a Master's degree in International Relations from Jamia Millia Islamia, bringing in a unique perspective for whatever is happening around the world. An avid reader, he can be seen immersed in books and book shops while not working. Shivam treats every topic almost equally but loves to right about foreign affairs and politics of India. He has over half-a-decade of experience in digital journalism though his career started in print.Read More

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