Two men have been detained in connection with the car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed nine people and left at least 20 injured on Monday evening. The blast, which tore through a busy intersection on Subhash Marg, involved a white Hyundai i20, now at the centre of a multi-agency investigation.
The detainees, identified as Salman from Gurugram and Devender from Okhla, are both former owners of the vehicle that exploded. Police are now tracing the car’s complete chain of ownership to determine who last possessed it.
Sandeep Kumar, spokesperson for Gurugram Police, said the i20 was originally registered in Salman’s name in 2013. “He sold the vehicle to a man named Devender about one and a half years ago. We have handed over Salman to Delhi Police,” he said.
Kumar added that the car was later sold again, possibly to someone in Ambala. “Both are being questioned to trace the subsequent sale and establish the complete chain of ownership,” he said.
According to a report filed by Hindustan Times, Salman, who lives with his wife and two children in Gurugram’s Shanti Nagar, sold the car due to financial distress. His wife told reporters that he had been struggling to make ends meet.
The explosion occurred around 6:30 pm, when the area was crowded with evening commuters. The impact shattered windows and damaged nearby vehicles, sending panic through the Old Delhi neighbourhood. Emergency responders rushed the injured to Lok Nayak Hospital, a few kilometres away.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the explosion was being investigated “taking all possibilities into account.” He assured that the findings would be made public once the probe is complete.
