Delhi blast: Vehicle was moving, no crater; key reasons why probe agencies think attacker panicked

NEW DELHI: Initial investigations into the car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort suggest that the blast was not a typical suicide attack, but may have been triggered prematurely in panic by the suspect, news agency ANI reported citing sources.

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According to the sources, the suspect did not follow the usual pattern of a suicide car bombing — he neither rammed the vehicle into a target nor appeared to aim for maximum casualties. “The blast near the Red Fort did not follow the typical modus operandi of suicide bombers, who generally seek to inflict large-scale damage,” they said.

The improvised explosive device (IED) was likely premature and underdeveloped, as the explosion created no crater and no shrapnel or projectiles were recovered from the site. The car was still moving when the device detonated, indicating that it was not designed for a high-impact collision.

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Investigators also believe the suspect may have acted hastily under pressure, as security agencies have been conducting nationwide raids on terror-linked networks. Significant quantities of explosives have been recovered from Faridabad, Saharanpur, Pulwama, and other locations, officials said.

The explosion, which ripped through a slow-moving Hyundai i20 near the Subhash Marg traffic signal by the Mughal-era monument on Monday evening, killed at least eight people and left several others injured. If confirmed as a terror attack, it would mark the first such incident in Delhi since 2011.

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Meanwhile, the Centre on Tuesday handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), with Union Home Minister Amit Shah directing the agency to submit its report at the earliest. Shah also instructed the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to examine and match all material samples collected from the site and deliver a comprehensive report without delay.

Chairing a high-level security review meeting at his residence, Shah directed agencies to leave no angle unexplored and to “hunt down each and every culprit” behind the incident.

“Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with senior officials. Instructed them to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies,” Shah posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Chaired review meetings on the Delhi car blast with the senior officials. Instructed them to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies. pic.twitter.com/8UO2PYCvoh

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) November 11, 2025

The meeting was attended by senior officials including Union home secretary Govind Mohan, Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka, NIA Director General Sadanand Vasant Date, and Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golchha.

The NIA is expected to conduct a comprehensive probe into the nature of the explosives, the suspect’s identity, and possible links to terror outfits, as authorities work to piece together the sequence leading to the blast.