New Delhi, November 10: In a major development in the investigations into the Red Fort blast in Delhi, it has been revealed that the Hyundai i20 car that exploded was sold to a Pulwama resident living in Faridabad allegedly on fake documents. Authorities are now probing the ownership trail of the Hyundai i20 car that is believed to be the source of the explosion.
According to a report by India Today, the vehicle was initially registered in Haryana under the name Nadeem and was later sold to a man from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama identified as Tariq. There are also reports that the car was purchased using fake documents.
As per reports, the investigation into the Red Fort blast has revealed that the Hyundai i20 car involved was first owned by Md. Salman which was later sold to Nadeem and then passed to a used car dealer named Royal Car Zone in Faridabad, from where it was purchased by Tariq, who is a resident of Faridabad originally from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.
There may be links between Tariq and Dr. Muzzamil Shakeel, who is another Pulwama native arrested in Faridabad earlier from whom 2,900 kg of IED-making material was seized.
The blast which occurred on Monday evening near the Red Fort Metro Station killed eight people and injured over 20 others. The explosion took place at the Subhash Marg traffic signal when the i20 reportedly stopped at a red light and suddenly detonated, causing nearby vehicles to catch fire.
Preliminary reports suggest that the car was last tracked in Faridabad on September 20, based on toll and CCTV data as a challan was issued for wrong parking. Authorities are now examining digital evidence to determine the route the car took before reaching Delhi.
Fake Document Angle
As per reports, officials have not ruled out the possibility that forged identity papers and registration details were used in the sale of the vehicle.
Teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and Delhi Police Crime Branch continue to analyse forensic samples from the blast site. They are also working on chemical analysis reports to confirm the nature of the explosive used.
A senior Delhi Police official said, “We are following the ownership trail and verifying every document linked to the vehicle. Details of the last few transactions are under scrutiny. The possibility of fake documents being used cannot be ruled out.”
The explosion occurred at around 6:52 p.m. on Monday and was powerful enough to damage 22 nearby vehicles, including an e-rickshaw. The injured were rushed to LNJP Hospital and a high alert was issued in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra as a precautionary measure.
Eight people have been confirmed dead and over twenty are under treatment. Several victims suffered burn injuries caused by the secondary fires from the blast.
Authorities have also sealed nearby lanes for forensic mapping and are reviewing CCTV footage from Red Fort, Subhash Marg and adjoining markets for further leads.
