NEW DELHI: In a breakthrough in the probe into the devastating car explosion near Delhi's iconic Red Fort that has claimed at least 13 lives, Delhi Police have detained the registered owner of the Hyundai i20 vehicle involved in the blast. The incident, which unfolded on the evening of November 10, has sent shockwaves through the national capital, prompting a nationwide security alert and high-level government intervention.

The vehicle's registered owner, identified as Mohammed Salman, was apprehended late Monday night in Gurugram, Haryana, in a joint operation by Delhi Police and local authorities. Sources revealed that Salman has said that he had sold the white Hyundai i20 hatchback, first registered in his name with Haryana plates, to a buyer named Devendra in Delhi's Okhla area. The car with the registration HR26CE7674 changed hands again, reportedly to an individual in Ambala, and police are now tracing the subsequent owners and any modifications made to the vehicle. According to some news reports, the car changed hands multiple times before being sold to a resident of Shambhura village in Pulwama, identified only as Tariq.

During initial questioning, Salman reportedly claimed ignorance of the blast, insisting the sale predated the incident by several months. "We are interrogating him thoroughly about the car's history," a senior police officer stated, adding that no pellets or puncture wounds were found on the victims, a detail that has puzzled investigators and raised questions about the nature of the explosive device.

The explosion occurred around 6:52 p.m. IST when a slow-moving Hyundai i20, bearing Haryana registration plates, came to a halt at a red light near the Red Fort metro station at the junction of Netaji Subhash Marg and Chandni Chowk Road—a bustling area teeming with tourists, commuters, and locals. Eyewitnesses described a deafening blast that ignited the vehicle and engulfed nearby cars in flames, shattering glass panes at the metro station and scattering debris across the crowded thoroughfare. "It was like nothing I've ever heard—an extremely loud explosion that made everything stop for a few seconds," recounted a nearby shopkeeper who was thrown off his chair by the force of the impact. Chaos ensued as panicked crowds fled in all directions, with locals rushing to aid the injured amid the acrid smoke and wreckage.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who rushed to the site and visited the injured at LNJP Hospital, emphasised a no-stone-unturned approach. "We are probing from all possibilities. The FSL and NSG analysis will guide us, but no option is closed," Shah told reporters after chairing a high-level meeting with senior officials. 

A multi-agency investigation is underway, involving the National Security Guard (NSG), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and Delhi Police's special cell. All angles, including the potential role of Pakistan-based terror module Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, are being investigated. 

Samples from the blast site have been collected for analysis, with preliminary assessments suggesting a high-intensity improvised explosive device (IED), though authorities are exploring "all angles," including mechanical failure or sabotage. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha confirmed the blast originated inside the vehicle, which was carrying three individuals whose identities remain undisclosed pending forensic confirmation.

In the blast's aftermath, security has been ramped up across Delhi and neighbouring states. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) placed the Delhi Metro, airports, and key landmarks on high alert, while Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and others intensified checks at borders and crowded sites.