New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry has revealed that the recent explosion near the Red Fort, which claimed 12 lives and left over 20 injured, was the result of a hasty and premature detonation by those involved in a larger terror plot.
According to senior ministry officials, the blast occurred after panic gripped the suspects, who allegedly acted impulsively following a series of raids in Faridabad and other NCR areas that uncovered nearly 3,000 kilograms of RDX and other explosives. The government has described the incident as a “panic reaction” that ultimately prevented a much larger tragedy.
“The explosive device was not completely assembled, which limited its destructive impact. There was no crater or evidence of shrapnel, suggesting the bomb was incomplete,” a top official said. “A major terror attack has been thwarted due to coordinated intelligence operations and nationwide vigilance.”
The statement followed two high-level review meetings chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after which the probe was officially handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Officials added that raids conducted on November 9 and 10 in Faridabad, Haryana, led to the recovery of a massive cache of explosives, along with detonators, timing devices, and bomb-making components. The operation also resulted in the arrest of three doctors from Jammu and Kashmir, who are suspected to have links with a broader terror network.
Sources said the discovery of these materials likely prompted members of the group operating in Delhi to detonate the device prematurely in an attempt to destroy evidence.
“The explosion was born out of fear and desperation following the crackdown,” an official from the ministry noted, emphasizing that timely intelligence coordination prevented what could have been one of the most devastating terror attacks in the capital in recent years.
Security agencies remain on alert across major cities as investigators continue to trace the movement of materials and suspects connected to the Faridabad module and its possible offshoots in other regions.
