Delhi police say automobile blast investigated under anti-terrorism law.

Delhi  – Blast – (Special Correspondent / Web Desk)  – Indian police are investigating a deadly automobile blast in the capital Delhi under a “terrorism” legislation, an officer said on Tuesday, as forensic experts sought evidence to determine the cause of the city’s first such blast in more than a decade.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is India’s main anti-terrorism statute. It is used to investigate and prosecute acts of “terrorism” as well as activities that undermine the country’s sovereignty and integrity.

The explosion near the historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, a rare occurrence in recent years in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people. Several states and key facilities across the country were placed on high alert.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Banthia said that Delhi police had registered a case under the anti-terrorism law as well as the Explosives Act and other criminal laws.

“Investigation is at a preliminary stage and any comment on it will be too premature,” Banthia told reporters.

Near the site of the blast in the city’s old quarters, a busy market and tourist area, most shops that shut soon after the explosion were yet to open in the early hours of Tuesday.

Forensic experts were seen scouring the site of the blast, which has been sealed since Monday night, and traffic restrictions were imposed in the area.

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Police said a slow-moving car, which stopped at a traffic signal, exploded just before 7pm (6:30pm PKT). Nearby vehicles were also badly damaged.

The explosion left behind mangled bodies and the wreckage of several cars on a congested street near a metro station in the old quarter of Delhi.

There was no immediate information about the car’s occupants, who were assumed dead. Police claimed they were tracking down the car’s owner.
Amit Shah, the federal home minister, said on Monday that “all angles” were being explored and that security services would reach a resolution shortly.
Relatives of the victims gathered outside the neighboring Lok Nayak Hospital to identify their loved ones’ remains.
“We at least know that my cousin is here; whether he is injured or not, or the extent of his injury, we have no idea,” said a distraught relative who did not want to be identified.

The Red Fort, known locally as Lal Qila, is a sprawling, 17th-century Mughal-era edifice melding Persian and Indian architectural styles, and is visited by tourists throughout the year.

The prime minister also addresses the nation from the fort’s ramparts every year on August 15 — India’s independence day.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew out to Bhutan on Tuesday morning on a scheduled visit to the Himalayan neighbour.