Delhi blast mystery deepens as bombed i20 is traced to Pulwama, parked 3 hrs before hit
The blast, which investigators say was triggered from the rear of the vehicle, set off fires in over 20 surrounding vehicles, including an e-rickshaw.
- Nov 11, 2025,
- Updated Nov 11, 2025 6:53 AM IST
The probe into the deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed nine and injured 20 is now circling a Hyundai i20, parked for hours before it exploded, and a paper trail that leads straight to Pulwama.
The car with Haryana registration HR26 CE 7674, is at the center of a rapidly expanding terror investigation. CCTV footage shows it entering a parking lot near the Red Fort at 3:19 p.m. on Monday. It remained stationary for over three hours before rolling out at 6:48 p.m. just four minutes before the explosion near Gate 1 of the Lal Qila Metro Station.
The vehicle’s original owner, Mohd Salman from Gurugram, was arrested late Monday. During questioning, he told police he had sold the car to a man named Tariq, who is from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, region linked to the 2019 suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian soldiers.
Authorities are still investigating if the car was sold again after that.
The blast, which investigators say was triggered from the rear of the vehicle, set off fires in over 20 surrounding vehicles, including an e-rickshaw.
Flames engulfed the scene for nearly 40 minutes before they were brought under control by emergency crews.
Multiple security agencies, including the National Investigation Agency, Delhi Police’s Special Cell, and the Crime Branch, are now combing through toll records and surveillance footage to map the i20’s complete movement.
The car was spotted in several high-security areas, including Darya Ganj and Kashmere Gate, in the hours before the explosion.
The timing of the blast has raised further alarm. Earlier the same day, police in Faridabad seized nearly 3,000 kg of explosive material from two homes linked to a J&K-based doctor, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate.
Home Minister Amit Shah has visited the injured and briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha confirmed the vehicle may have had multiple occupants at the time of the blast. Forensic teams continue to examine the remnants for leads.
The probe into the deadly blast near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed nine and injured 20 is now circling a Hyundai i20, parked for hours before it exploded, and a paper trail that leads straight to Pulwama.
The car with Haryana registration HR26 CE 7674, is at the center of a rapidly expanding terror investigation. CCTV footage shows it entering a parking lot near the Red Fort at 3:19 p.m. on Monday. It remained stationary for over three hours before rolling out at 6:48 p.m. just four minutes before the explosion near Gate 1 of the Lal Qila Metro Station.
The vehicle’s original owner, Mohd Salman from Gurugram, was arrested late Monday. During questioning, he told police he had sold the car to a man named Tariq, who is from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir, region linked to the 2019 suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian soldiers.
Authorities are still investigating if the car was sold again after that.
The blast, which investigators say was triggered from the rear of the vehicle, set off fires in over 20 surrounding vehicles, including an e-rickshaw.
Flames engulfed the scene for nearly 40 minutes before they were brought under control by emergency crews.
Multiple security agencies, including the National Investigation Agency, Delhi Police’s Special Cell, and the Crime Branch, are now combing through toll records and surveillance footage to map the i20’s complete movement.
The car was spotted in several high-security areas, including Darya Ganj and Kashmere Gate, in the hours before the explosion.
The timing of the blast has raised further alarm. Earlier the same day, police in Faridabad seized nearly 3,000 kg of explosive material from two homes linked to a J&K-based doctor, including 350 kg of ammonium nitrate.
Home Minister Amit Shah has visited the injured and briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha confirmed the vehicle may have had multiple occupants at the time of the blast. Forensic teams continue to examine the remnants for leads.