Red Fort blast: How suspects sourced raw materials across NCR to build 2,900 kg explosive stockpile

Delhi blast

Investigators probing the Red Fort car blast have identified several shops in Palwal, Gurugram and Faridabad from where the suspects allegedly bought raw materials used to make the explosives.

These outlets will help teams understand how the bombs were assembled, who supplied the chemicals, and whether any sellers knowingly or unknowingly aided the module, The Indian Express reported.

Some shop owners have already been detained for questioning, while others are being located, officials said. The purchases were made gradually over the past few months, indicating planned and systematic procurement.

One of the key findings relates to a fertiliser shop in Nuh’s Pinangwan village, nearly 60 km from Al-Falah University in Faridabad, where the accused doctors studied or worked. Around 300 kg of fertiliser was allegedly bought from this shop by members of the Faridabad-based module.

Investigators visited the shop on Wednesday evening and questioned the owner, Dinesh “Dabbu” Aggarwal, who was later taken away for detailed interrogation.

Investigators believe one of the accused, Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, along with others, purchased urea from this shop and transported it to the university to mix with other chemicals for making explosives.

About five to seven people who had been in contact with Muzammil and Umar Nabi, the man believed to have been driving the explosive-laden i20, are also being questioned.

While ammonium nitrate has been the central focus from the beginning, investigators have now found that the accused doctors were also sourcing potash (potassium chloride) from fertiliser and pesticide shops in Dhauj village and surrounding areas of Nuh.

“Potassium chloride destabilises ammonium nitrate and lowers the temperature at which it decomposes. While ammonium nitrate alone is an oxidiser, it becomes an explosive when mixed with other components such as fuel, and its stability is worsened by contaminants like potassium chloride, especially under certain conditions like high temperatures or confinement. We can say that the reaction between these two compounds can become self-accelerating, leading to a rapid increase in heat and pressure that can trigger a detonation,” an investigator involved in the probe was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

During the search for the ammonium nitrate source, Haryana Police detained several fertiliser and pesticide dealers who revealed that the accused were also gathering large quantities of potash.

Potash, priced at around Rs 1,000-1,400 per 50-kg bag, is easy to buy openly and is widely used in vegetable farming, making its procurement less suspicious.

So far, raids on locations linked to the accused have yielded nearly 2,900 kg of suspected explosive material, including ammonium nitrate, potash, phosphorus, reagents, inflammables, electronic circuits, batteries, wires, timers, metal sheets and remote controls.