PLOT DETAILS EMERGE, TRAIL LEADS TO JAISH?

Pattern shows a band of doctors with Kashmir roots could be behind blast, likely triggered in an act of panic

- Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar & Saleem Pandit

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired review meetings into the car bomb blast near Red Fort on Monday, which claimed nine lives and left over a score of people injured. The explosion is suspected to have been caused by the same group of doctors from Al Falah Medical College in neighbouring Faridabad in Haryana.

After being briefed by senior police, intelligence and Home Ministry officials Shah declared that the agencies have been instructed to “hunt down” the culprits and that “everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies”.

On Monday too, soon after the blast, Shah had not confirmed that it was a bombing and only stated that “we have started an investigation keeping all angles open”.

The unusual nature of the explosion as well as the coincidental seizure of nearly three tonnes of explosives seem to be dovetailing into something more than a seeming accidental explosion. While initially the Chandni Chowk investigation was being handled by the Delhi Police – which also deployed its Special Cell and Crime Branch in the probe – the matter was subsequently handed over to the National Investigation Agency. A case was registered under the more stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) after forensic examination of the site revealed use of explosives in the blast.

It is suspected that ammonium nitrate along with petrol and detonators was used to give the explosion maximum impact.