After a powerful blast shook Delhi on Monday evening, killing at least eight people and injuring several others, authorities issued alerts across schools and colleges in Delhi-NCR, however, they remain open and are functioning as usual on Tuesday.
While security measures continue to remain stringent across the city, especially around borders and sensitive areas, there has been no announcement from the Delhi government regarding the closure of schools and colleges across the capital.
All railway stations in Delhi NCR including New Delhi, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar, Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Ghaziabad have been put on precautionary alert. The Chandni Chowk market in the national capital will remain open today.
Follow live updates here : Delhi Police file case under UAPA, Explosives Act sections: What we know so far
The explosion rocked Delhi on Monday around 6:52 pm on Netaji Subhash Marg in a Hyundai i20 car near Delhi’s Red Fort.
The Delhi Fire Services said it received a call regarding the explosion, near the Lal Qila metro station gate no 1, at around 7 pm. Several other vehicles also caught fire and sustained damage in the explosion. The area was cordoned off following the explosion.
Union home minister Amit Shah said that teams from the Delhi crime branch and Delhi special branch arrived at the spot within 10 minutes of receiving the information. He said that the NSG and NIA teams, along with the forensic department, had begun a thorough probe and all CCTV cameras near the site were being checked.
Delhi police commissioner Satish Golcha said that a “slow-moving vehicle stopped at the red light” at around 6.52 pm near the Red Fort. “An explosion happened in that vehicle, and due to the explosion, nearby vehicles were also damaged. All agencies, FSL, NIA, are here…” Golcha added.
The commissioner further said that the situation is being constantly monitored, adding that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has also contacted the cops and information is being shared with him regularly.
States on high alert
Bihar, which began its second phase of voting today, has been placed on high alert along with major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai and Pune.
Security has been beefed up in multiple states including Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Investigation deepens
Hours after the explosion, Delhi police filed an FIR invoking multiple sections. A Delhi police spokesperson said, the FIR includes Sections 16 and 18 of the unlawful activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which deal with terrorist acts and the punishment for supporting terrorism. The police also invoked Sections 3 and 4 of the explosive substances act.
Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson for the Gurugram police, said that two people are currently being questioned regarding the ownership of the Hyundai i20 vehicle. Kumar said the vehicle was originally registered in the name of a Gurugram resident identified as Salman.
“He had sold the vehicle to a man named Devender, a resident of Okhla, around one and a half years ago. We have handed over Salman to the Delhi Police. Devender has been detained by Delhi police, and both are being questioned to trace the subsequent sale and establish the complete chain of ownership,” Kumar said.
“My prayers for their quick recovery. Top agencies are investigating the incident with full intensity, and will go in-depth into the incident,” Shah said in a post on X.
The Forensic Science Laboratory said that samples will be taken to the laboratory and that a clue regarding the nature of the blast will be known after the examination.