Delhi Red Fort Blast: Investigators Say Car Explosion Was Not Suicide Attack; CM Announces Compensation For Victims

Investigators probing the high-intensity explosion outside Delhi’s Red Fort have traced the Hyundai i20 car involved in the blast to Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district, several Indian media outlets reported.

The car, allegedly purchased by a Pulwama resident identified as Dr Umar Mohammed, was seen entering and exiting the Red Fort parking area shortly before the explosion, CCTV footage obtained by Delhi Police shows. Officials said preliminary evidence links Mohammed to a wider terror network already under investigation for stockpiling explosive material in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir.

At least eight people were killed and several others injured when the car blew up near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station around 6:52 pm on Monday, sending a fireball into the sky and triggering panic in the crowded area.

Delhi police has arrested at least four suspects linked to the Red Fort blast on Monday night, news agency ANI reported citing sources.

Delhi Red Fort Car Blast Latest Updates Today:

November 11, 2025 | 9:32 PM: Indian Medical Association (IMA), acknowledging reports suggesting alleged involvement of doctors in the Delhi car blast, has condemned acts of violence and anti-national activities of any member of the medical fraternity. The IMA stands in solidarity with the victims and their families during this difficult time.

November 11, 2025 | 8:51 PM: On Monday evening (November 10, 2025), a moving Hyundai i20 exploded near Gate No. 1 of Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station, killing about a dozen people and injuring 20. The blast occurred at 6:52 pm, triggering fires in nearby vehicles and panic in the crowded area.

Initial investigation suggests a fidayeen-style (suicide) attack, with three men reportedly inside the car, which was packed with explosives. However, the absence of shrapnel and puncture wounds has led investigators to keep multiple possibilities open, including mechanical or accidental causes.

The car—a white 2013 Hyundai i20 (HR 26CE 7674)—has a complex ownership history. It was first registered to Md Salman from Gurugram, who sold it due to financial problems. The second owner, Devender from Okhla, Delhi, later sold it to a buyer in Ambala.

Police believe the car subsequently reached Pulwama, where links emerged between Aamir, Tariq, and Umar Rashid. Investigators say Aamir handed the vehicle to Dr Umar Mohammad, suspected to be behind the blast. His family members have been detained in Jammu & Kashmir.

Forensic teams are still examining the wreckage to confirm the exact cause and nature of the explosion, as authorities continue questioning all known owners to trace the car’s final handlers.

Read more about it here.

November 11, 2025 | 8:28 PM: According to top sources cited by ANI following the initial probe into the Red Fort blast, investigators have ruled out the possibility of a suicide attack, saying the suspect detonated the explosive device in panic. Unlike typical suicide car bombings, the suspect made no attempt to crash into a target or deliberately collide with anything.

The improvised explosive device (IED) was only partially assembled and went off prematurely, which reduced its destructive impact. The blast did not leave a crater, and no fragments or projectiles were recovered. The car was still in motion at the time, and the explosive was not designed to cause mass casualties.

Security agencies had been conducting raids across Delhi-NCR and Pulwama, seizing large amounts of explosive material. Officials believe the pressure from these operations may have prompted the suspect to act impulsively.

November 11, 2025 | 7:46 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has announced Delhi a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the families of those killed, Rs 5 lakh for permanently disabled, and Rs 2 lakh for seriously injured in the Delhi blast.

November 11, 2025 | 7:39 PM: At least 22 terror threats to India’s security have been thwarted since in the time period between the Pahalgam terror attack and the Delhi blast, according to an infographic shared by BJP on its X handle. These instances included the latest raids in Faridabad, seizure of 2.5 kg IED in Punjab last month, and busting of ISIS networks before that.

November 11, 2025 | 7:11 PM: Following the deadly explosion, the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and France have issued travel advisories urging their citizens to avoid any travel to India.

The US Embassy in India has updated its contact page with emergency numbers for all consulates and cautioned American citizens to stay away from the Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, and other crowded areas.

The French Embassy similarly advised its nationals in the National Capital Region to remain extremely vigilant, avoid the affected zone, and steer clear of large gatherings.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has warned against all travel within 10 kilometres of the India–Pakistan border, noting that the Wagah–Attari crossing is shut. It has also reiterated its advisory against travel to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, including Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Srinagar, and the Jammu–Srinagar highway.

Read more about it here.

November 11, 2025 | 6:55 PM: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha conducted a high-level meeting in Srinagar to review the security situation and operational preparedness there.

Security personnel are on high alert in Jammu and Kashmir following the Delhi Red Fort blast. Police in Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana, and other states across India are also on high alert.

November 11, 2025 | 5:44 PM: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials to review the investigation into the Delhi car blast on Tuesday, said they had been instructed to “hunt down each and every culprit” involved in the incident.

November 11, 2025 | 5:18 PM: Hours after the car blast near Lal Qila metro station, the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) reportedly received five false alarm calls about “unclaimed” vehicles and bags, NDTV cited an official as saying.

According to DFS officials, the calls showed the increased public anxiety across the city.

November 11, 2025 | 4:37 PM: At Cabinet Committee Security meeting on Wednesday (November 12, 2025), Red Fort blast expected to be core point of discussion. The CCS meets every Wednesday. Its members include PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

November 11, 2025 | 4:15 PM: Three doctors for Al-Falah University were taken into custody on Tuesday in connection with the Red For blast. Two of the three doctors, named Muzammil Shakeel and Umar Mohammed, are from Kashmir. The third, Shaheen Shahid, is from Lucknow.

November 11, 2025 | 3:22 PM: Any terror operation on Indian soil will be considered an act of war, NDTV cited government sources as saying after an initial probe linked the Red Fort blast— in which 12 people were killed— with a Haryana-based Jaish-e-Mohammad terror module.

November 11, 2025 | 2:52 PM: The Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly handed over the investigation of the Delhi Red Fort car blast case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

November 11, 2025 | 2:03 PM: Opposition leaders have hit out at the central government and the Delhi government over the alleged security lapse that caused the blast. Congress leader Pawan Khera, speaking on the recovery of 360 kgs of explosives in Haryana’s Faridabad, called the Centre a “complete failure”. He alleged that the government has not answered doubts about the Pulwama terror attack in 2019 yet. Speaking to ANI, he said, “It is very surprising and shocking that we have still not received answers as to how 350 kgs of RDX reached Pulwama.”

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also slammed intelligence failure, asking “Why has our intelligence failed every time?”

November 11, 2025 | 12:43 PM: On social media, a few handles, with some associated with propaganda, have been found spreading misinformation about the Delhi blast. Some social media accounts are falsely claiming that Special CP (Law & Order) Ravindra Yadav has confirmed that the recent blast in Delhi was caused by a CNG explosion. In truth, no official from the Delhi Police has made any such statement.

In another incident, old images of a huge fire were shared online, with the caption insinuating a “false flag” operation by India. The image was from a 2024 blast in Lebanon and claims about the blast being caused by Indian establishment itself were completely unfounded.

PIB Fact Check, among others, has debunked these claims.

November 11, 2025 | 12:30 PM: Helpline numbers have been released following the car blast near Lal Qila metro station’s gate number 1:

LNJP Hospital (where most of the injured are admitted): 011-23233400, Emergency: 011-23239249
AIIMS Trauma Center: 011-26594405
Delhi Police Emergency: 112
Delhi Police Control Room: 011-22910010 or 011-22910011

November 11, 2025 | 12:12 PM: Addressing a gathering in Thimphu in Bhutan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to the Delhi car blast, said, “Today, I come here with a very heavy heart. “The horrific incident that took place in Delhi yesterday evening has deeply saddened everyone. I understand the grief of the affected families. The entire nation stands with them today. I was in touch with all the agencies investigating this incident throughout last night. Our agencies will get to the bottom of this conspiracy.”

November 11, 2025 | 11:56 AM: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, speaking about the Red Fort car blast that took place near Lal Qila metro station, assures citizens that “the country’s leading agencies are conducting a thorough investigation and those responsible for this tragedy will be brought to justice and will not be spared under any circumstances.”

November 11, 2025 | 11:23 AM: The death toll from the Delhi Red Fort car blast has risen from the previously confirmed eight on Mondya evening to 12 now, news agency PTI cited Delhi Police as saying.

Was this a ‘fidayeen-style’ terror attack?

According to senior intelligence officials cited by India Today, the car was loaded with explosives and deliberately detonated in what appears to be a fidayeen-style attack— a suicide strike pattern commonly linked to militant outfits operating out of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to Mint, sources said preliminary findings suggest a possible link between the Delhi blast and the Faridabad terror module, where 360 kg of ammonium nitrate was seized. Forensic teams have confirmed the likely use of ammonium nitrate fuel oil (ANFO) as the explosive agent.

What does arrest of several doctors have to do with the Red Fort car blast?

Authorities said the Pulwama-based doctor was part of the same network as two other physicians arrested in a Faridabad raid last week. Investigators believe the accused panicked after the arrests and hastily executed Monday’s attack.

The Faridabad operation by Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana Police had uncovered 2,500 kilograms of improvised explosive device (IED) components—including 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate, electronic circuits, remote controls, and timers—at two properties rented by Dr Muzammil Shakeel.

In a string of related actions across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat, police have detained four doctors and several associates in recent days, seizing nearly 2,900 kg of bomb-making material, rifles, pistols, and poison-formulating substances.

Officials have described the arrests as evidence of a “white-collar terror ecosystem”, where professionally qualified individuals allegedly leveraged their access to chemicals, medical supplies and research equipment to facilitate attacks.