New Delhi— Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired a high-level security review following the car explosion near the Red Fort, directing security agencies to “hunt down each and every culprit” and ensure that those responsible “face the full wrath” of the law.
The meeting, held at Shah’s residence, was attended by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, NIA Director General Sadanand Vasant Date, and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Nalin Prabhat joined the review virtually.
Shah instructed officials to leave no angle unexplored as investigators reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those behind the explosion. “Instructed them to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies,” Shah posted on X.
The blast occurred on Monday evening, when a Hyundai i20 exploded near the Subhash Marg traffic signal by the Red Fort. The powerful explosion killed eight people and injured several others, sending shockwaves through the national capital.
Following the review, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officially transferred the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), amid strong indications that the explosion may have been a terror-related act. The NIA will now lead the investigation under relevant counter-terrorism provisions, taking over from the Delhi Police.
Security has been tightened across multiple states, and the Centre has directed all agencies to pursue every lead. A team from the National Security Guard (NSG) and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) earlier collected forensic samples from the blast site.
Sources revealed that investigators are also examining a possible connection between the Red Fort explosion and the large cache of explosives seized in Faridabad on Monday. A joint NIA-FSL team revisited the site on Tuesday morning to gather additional evidence.
The NIA is expected to formally register an FIR and assume control of all material collected so far by the Delhi Police. The Centre’s swift transfer of the case to the NIA underscores its determination to conduct a comprehensive and coordinated probe into what could be a major national security threat.
