CCTV footage has given Delhi Police its first major breakthrough in the Red Fort car blast investigation that killed eight people on Monday evening. The footage, reviewed by Hindustan Times, shows the Hyundai i20, later confirmed to be packed with explosives, making its final journey through some of Old Delhi’s busiest streets before it blew up near the Red Fort Metro Station.
Officials said the car was first seen moving from the Daryaganj market area before entering the parking lot near Sunehri Masjid around 4 pm. Hours later, cameras captured it travelling along Chhata Rail Chowk, where it took a U-turn toward Lower Subhash Marg, slowing near a signal, seconds before the explosion.
“The footage shows the car approaching the intersection and reducing speed just before it exploded,” an investigating officer told Hindustan Times. “It’s helping us identify the car’s route, timing, and possible locations where the explosives could have been triggered.”
How the blast unfolded
The car exploded around 6:52 pm, sending a fireball into the air and setting nearby vehicles ablaze. The blast destroyed the car completely, leaving no survivors among its three occupants. Eyewitnesses described a deafening sound followed by chaos, streetlights went out, and flames rose several feet high.
By 11 pm, eight deaths had been confirmed, and several others were being treated for burn injuries. Officials said it took about three minutes after the explosion for the first call to reach the fire brigade.
CCTV footage gives investigators a timeline
Police are now analysing the full six-hour movement of the car to understand whether the bomb was detonated remotely or manually. Investigators believe the vehicle may have been rigged with explosives before entering the Old Delhi area.
According to sources, Delhi Police have mapped the car’s entire route using footage from over two dozen CCTV cameras across Daryaganj, Chhata Rail Chowk, and Red Fort. Teams are also checking if the driver stopped anywhere briefly, potentially to meet handlers or test the device.
The recovered clips are being shared with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Security Guard (NSG) to help reconstruct the final moments before the detonation.
Amit Shah reviews probe, two detained
Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the blast site on Monday night and confirmed that a multi-agency probe, including the NIA, NSG, and Delhi Police Special Cell, is underway. Shah is set to hold a high-level meeting later on Tuesday.
He told reporters that investigators were 'keeping every option open' while examining the evidence. Shah also met the injured at the hospital and was briefed on forensic findings from the scene.
Two men, Salman and Devender, who earlier owned the Hyundai i20, have been detained for questioning, as police trace the car’s chain of ownership.
Links to Pulwama and Faridabad module emerge
According to India Today, intelligence sources have confirmed that the car was purchased by Tariq, a resident of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, who has been detained for questioning. Investigators believe Tariq may have acted as a link between handlers in Kashmir and a Faridabad-based terror module.
The module, officials say, is connected to Dr. Umar Mohammad, a key suspect who may have been inside the car at the time of the explosion. DNA tests are being carried out on remains recovered from the wreckage.
Car’s ownership trail under scrutiny
Investigators told India Today that the i20’s chain of ownership, from Mohammad Salman to Nadeem, to Royal Car Zone in Faridabad, and finally to Tariq and Dr. Umar Mohammad, appears to have been deliberately designed to conceal the bomber’s identity.
The breakthrough came after the arrest of Dr. Muzzamil Shakeel, from whom police seized 2,900 kg of explosive material last week. Sources believe Dr. Umar carried out the Red Fort blast after fearing the network had been compromised.
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