Red Fort blast linked to recently-busted 'white collar' terror module
What's the story
The recent blast near Delhi's Red Fort, which killed eight people, has been linked to a "white collar" terror module. The vehicle used in the attack was owned by Umar Mohammad from Pulwama, South Kashmir, part of the same module that was recently busted by Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Haryana police teams, NDTV reported. The investigation is now being treated as a terror case under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act.
Evidence found
Blast occurred after police recovered explosives
The blast occurred hours after police teams recovered thousands of kilos of suspected explosives and arms from two houses in Faridabad. These houses were rented by Dr Mujammil Shakeel, another key member of the terror module. Police Commissioner Satish Golcha described the incident as a "slow-moving vehicle stopped at a red light" followed by an explosion that damaged nearby vehicles.
Ongoing probe
Multiple agencies involved in investigation
A large multi-agency investigation is underway, involving Delhi Police, J&K Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA), National Security Guard (NSG), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (UP ATS), Haryana Police, and Gujarat Police. Forensic teams are also part of this probe. The J&K Police have detained a man named Tariq in Pulwama, who has initial information about the vehicle changing hands multiple times before reaching Umar.
Official response
Raid details and recovery of explosives
Home Minister Amit Shah said "no possibility is being ruled out" in the investigation. The terror module was busted during raids across J&K and Faridabad over the past few days. 350kg of explosives, 20 timers, assault rifles, handguns, and ammunition were recovered from a rented room in Dhoj. Another raid recovered 2,563kg of suspected explosives from Fatehpur Taga village.