Delhi blast case handed over to NIA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday handed over the probe into a blast near the Red Fort to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), sources said. This is a clear indication that the blast, which has so far claimed 13 lives, is being considered by the government as an act of terror, as the NIA is mandated to probe terror cases only. "The blast case has been handed over to the NIA," a source said.

The decision came hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed the security situation in the national capital and other parts of the country following the blast. Shah has called another security review meeting on Tuesday afternoon. The home minister has said top investigating agencies are probing the blast and they will go in-depth into the incident. The blast took place in a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station on Monday evening, killing at least 12 people and gutting several vehicles, officials said.

Meanwhile, the explosion in a car near the Red Fort metro station killed at least 13 people and injured 21 others, according to officials. Authorities are investigating the incident from all angles, with heavy security arrangements in place across the national capital. The Red Fort has been closed to visitors for the next three days, while the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has also closed the Lal Qila Metro Station on the violet line for security reasons.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday chaired a high-level security review meeting at his residence in New Delhi to assess the situation following the car blast near the Red Fort in the national capital last evening. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Delhi Police Commissioner, and Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir joined the meeting virtually.