The Indian government has officially classified the deadly car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort as a “heinous terror incident”, with the government vowing a swift and uncompromising investigation into what is now considered the capital’s worst attack in more than a decade.
The blast on the evening of Nov 10 killed 12 people and injured over 20, ripping through rush-hour traffic near the Red Fort Metro station, reported NDTV.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet passed a resolution on Nov 12 condemning the “senseless act of violence” and directing agencies to ensure the perpetrators “and their sponsors” are brought to justice without delay.
Investigators are examining whether the attack is connected to the arrest of seven men in Kashmir earlier the same day, reported Reuters.
The men – including two doctors – were detained with 2,900kg of bomb-making material, pistols, and two assault rifles, according to Kashmir Police.
Authorities allege the group is part of a “white-collar terror ecosystem” linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Sources told Reuters that police are investigating whether the Red Fort car’s driver – later identified through DNA as Dr Umar Mohammed, a Kashmiri doctor working at Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana – was connected to one of the arrested men.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has taken over the probe, has not issued an official statement.
Investigators now believe Umar may have detonated the car in panic after his associates were arrested earlier in the day.
Police raids in Faridabad and surrounding areas recovered enormous quantities of chemicals and fertiliser – including 2,000kg of explosive materials, 350kg ammonium nitrate, and chemicals allegedly smuggled from Al Falah University labs.
NDTV reported that the module had planned serial blasts across Delhi-NCR on Dec 6, the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, seeking “revenge”. A five-phase plot involved fundraising, procurement of chemicals, assembling IEDs, reconnaissance of targets, and coordinated attacks.
Four doctors from Al Falah University – Umar, Muzammil Shakeel, Adeel Rather, and Shaheen Saeed – are under scrutiny, according to NDTV.
Police say Building 17, Room 13, belonging to Dr Muzammil, was the meeting spot for plotting attacks. Laptops, pen drives, and chemical residues have been seized from the premises.
The university has distanced itself, stating it had “no connection” beyond the doctors’ employment and condemning attempts to defame the institution.
The attack – Delhi’s first major explosion since 2011 – prompted an immediate security alert in neighbouring states, including Uttar Pradesh.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the car stopped at a red light before exploding, damaging vehicles around it. Authorities are investigating all angles under anti-terrorism laws, reported the BBC.
Following the blast, Kashmir police launched sweeping raids at hundreds of locations, temporarily detaining nearly 500 people for questioning.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had offered assistance but added: “India is very capable in these investigations.”
Mr Modi expressed condolences to the victims’ families, while opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the tragedy “extremely heartbreaking”.
As forensic teams comb through evidence and links between the Kashmir arrests and the Delhi blast grow clearer, the government reiterated its “zero tolerance” stance on terrorism.
With investigators uncovering what appears to be a sophisticated, multi-state terror module involving educated professionals, India remains on heightened alert – determined, as the Cabinet resolution states, to identify “the perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors” and bring them to justice.
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13 Nov 2025 12:33
