Red Fort car blast: Delhi Police detains vehicle's owner in Gurugram

New Delhi: The Delhi Police detained the owner of a car in which an explosion occurred near the Red Fort on Monday evening, killing at least eight people and gutting several vehicles, an official said.

The police have detained the car's owner, identified as Md Salman, in Haryana’s Gurugram. Salman had sold his car to a person in Okhla, the official said, adding that the car was registered in his name and had a Haryana registration number plate.

“Delhi Police along with Gurugram police detained Md Salman on Monday and is questioning him about the car. He had sold it to a person in Okhla named Devendra. Later, the vehicle was again sold to someone in Ambala and police are tracing the people,” a senior police officer said.

Eight died and 20 people were injured in the blast that took place on a busy evening when the area was milling with people. The injured were taken to the LNJP hospital, a few kilometres away.

"The blast occurred in a moving Hyundai i20 car in which three people were sitting. We have not found any pellet or puncture in the body of the injured, which is unusual in a bomb blast. We are investigating all angles," the officer said.

Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the car, in which the blast took place, had some occupants.

A high alert has been sounded in Delhi, and security has been beefed up at city border points, with vehicle checking intensified.

Panic gripped the blast site as fire billowed from burning cars following the explosion.