New Delhi: The white Hyundai i20 that exploded near Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday, killing twelve people, had been seen hours earlier at Connaught Place and Mayur Vihar before being parked in the Sunehri Masjid parking lot in Chandni Chowk, Delhi Police sources said.

The car, bearing the number plate HR 26CE7674, entered the parking lot at 3:19 pm on 10 November and remained there until around 6:30 pm. Sources said it had been parked on the Al-Falah University campus from 29 October to 10 November, next to a Swift Dzire owned by Dr Muzammil Shakeel, who was arrested in connection with a major explosives seizure in Faridabad. The Hyundai, however, was registered in the name of Dr Shaheen Saeed, from whose possession assault rifles and ammunition were recovered.

Delhi Police sources also confirmed that, in addition to ammonium nitrate, high-grade military explosives were used in the blast. The explosion occurred at 6:52 pm near the Red Fort Metro Station, leaving mangled bodies and wrecked vehicles in the busy area. The blast coincided with the recovery of 2,900 kg of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, in Faridabad the same day.

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Investigators believe the suspected suicide bomber, Umar Nabi, may have panicked and triggered the blast after the arrests of Dr Muzammil Shakeel and Dr Adil Rather and the seizure of explosives. Initial assessments suggest the improvised explosive device (IED) was improperly assembled, limiting the blast’s impact, according to top intelligence sources.

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“There was no blast crater formation and no projectiles at the site, pointing to a possible accidental detonation,” sources told NDTV. Authorities are also examining whether the explosion occurred while suspects were relocating or attempting to dispose of the explosives.

Investigating agencies are probing possible foreign connections to the module, as the handler is believed to have been operating from abroad, sources added.