Red Fort blast case: MHA transfers investigation to NIA

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has handed over the investigation into Monday evening’s car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort complex to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials confirmed on Tuesday.

The powerful explosion, which took place near the Lal Quila Metro Station, killed at least 12 people and left several others injured. The blast triggered panic in the area, prompting a massive security response and the immediate evacuation of visitors from the vicinity.

Teams from the Delhi Police Special Cell, Crime Branch, and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) were deployed at the scene soon after the incident. The area remains cordoned off as forensic teams continue to examine the car debris and surrounding materials.

During preliminary investigation, Delhi Police recovered an 11-hour route map of the Hyundai i20 car in which the explosion occurred. The vehicle had reportedly departed from Faridabad early Monday morning and travelled through several locations before reaching the Red Fort area.

CCTV footage shows the car was first spotted outside Asian Hospital in Faridabad at around 7:30 am, crossing the Badarpur toll plaza at 8:13 am and appearing near a petrol pump close to the Okhla Industrial Area at 8:20 am.

The car entered the Red Fort parking area at 3:19 pm, where it remained for nearly three hours before exiting at 6:22 pm. Just 24 minutes later, at 6:52 pm, a powerful blast tore through the moving vehicle.

Sources within Delhi Police said initial findings suggest the explosion may have been a fidayeen-style attack, though the final confirmation awaits the NIA’s forensic and intelligence assessment.

The NIA, which specialises in counter-terror investigations, is expected to take over all case files, CCTV footage, and forensic samples collected by Delhi Police so far.