NEW DELHI: The first visuals of the suspect behind Monday evening’s car explosion near the Red Fort have emerged, showing a man driving a white Hyundai i20 that later blew up, killing nine people and injuring at least 20 others.
The vehicle, bearing registration number HR 26CE 7674, had been parked in a nearby lot for over two hours before it exploded around 6.52 p.m. at the Subhash Marg traffic signal, close to Red Fort Metro Station. The blast occurred during peak rush hour, triggering a chain of secondary fires that engulfed several vehicles and sent panic through the crowded Old Delhi area.
Investigators believe the driver may be Umar, a suspect wanted in a related explosives case in Faridabad, who has been on the run. CCTV footage shows the i20 entering the parking area with the driver’s hand resting on the window; another image captures him wearing a blue-and-black T-shirt.
The explosion’s impact was devastating. Initial reports indicate that five to six cars, four motorcycles, and three e-rickshaws were set ablaze in the ensuing fire. Eyewitness videos showed vehicles in flames and bodies strewn across the road as thick smoke billowed into the evening sky. The shockwave shattered windows as far as Sis Ganj Gurdwara, nearly 500 metres away.
“The casualties were high because the road experiences bumper-to-bumper traffic at that hour,” said a police officer, noting that the site—between Delhi Gate and Kashmere Gate, near Jama Masjid and Old Delhi railway station—is one of the capital’s busiest corridors.
Emergency services responded within minutes. Teams from the Delhi Police, Special Cell, NIA, and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reached the site shortly after the explosion. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said teams from the Crime Branch and Special Branch arrived within ten minutes.
“I have spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner and the Special Branch. All possible angles are being investigated, and a thorough probe is underway,” Shah said.
Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed that the blast occurred while the car was stationary at the traffic signal.
“Nearby vehicles were damaged. Some people have died and others were injured. All relevant agencies are at the scene,” he said.
A case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosives Act, and sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kotwali Police Station.
Investigators are reviewing more than 100 CCTV clips, including footage from nearby toll plazas, to trace the car’s route toward Daryaganj. The car was originally registered to a Gurgaon resident named Salman, later sold to a man identified as Tariq from Pulwama, officials said.
Authorities are also probing possible links between this explosion and a foiled terror plot in Faridabad earlier the same day, in which a cache of explosives was seized.
The Delhi Fire Service said the first SOS call came in at 6.55 p.m., and seven fire tenders were dispatched immediately. The blaze and thick smoke were brought under control after nearly two hours of operations.
If confirmed as a terror-related incident, Monday’s explosion would mark Delhi’s first major bombing since the 2011 High Court blast.
