Key points: The NIA arrested a Kashmir resident accused of helping plan a car bombing near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 30. Investigators identified an alleged suicide bomber from Pulwama who died when the vehicle exploded after stopping at a red light, and they seized a second vehicle linked to the attack. The NIA has interviewed over 70 witnesses and continues its investigation. Emergency crews extinguished fires that engulfed multiple vehicles and transported survivors to hospitals.
NIA Detains Kashmir Resident in Probe of Deadly Car Bomb Near Delhi’s Red Fort
Key points: The NIA arrested a Kashmir resident accused of helping plan a car bombing near Delhi’s Red Fort that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 30. Investigators identified an alleged suicide bomber from Pulwama who died when the vehicle exploded after stopping at a red light, and they seized a second vehicle linked to the attack. The NIA has interviewed over 70 witnesses and continues its investigation. Emergency crews extinguished fires that engulfed multiple vehicles and transported survivors to hospitals.
04:08 AM, 11/17/2025Security
NIA detains Kashmir resident in probe of Red Fort car bombing
India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Sunday that it has arrested a man accused of helping plan a car bombing near Delhi’s historic Red Fort that left at least 10 people dead and more than 30 injured.
Suspect and vehicle: The agency said the suspect is a resident of Indian-administered Kashmir and that the car used in the attack was registered in his name. Investigators have identified the alleged suicide bomber as a resident of Pulwama district in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir; he died when the vehicle he was driving stopped at a traffic light and exploded.
Additional evidence and alleged links: Officials reported seizing a second vehicle tied to the alleged attacker. Authorities say the suspected suicide bomber worked as an assistant professor at Al Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, in the Delhi National Capital Region. The university has told local media it had no connection to the accused beyond the individual’s employment there.
Investigation underway: The NIA said it has interviewed more than 70 witnesses and is continuing to search for others who may have been involved. Forensic teams are examining the recovered vehicles and other evidence as part of an ongoing multiagency probe.
The attack and response: The explosion occurred near the 17th-century Red Fort (Lal Qila), a symbol of India’s independence and a busy tourist area known for its bazaars and street vendors. Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the vehicle was moving slowly and stopped at a red signal at about 6:42 p.m. local time before the explosion.
Satish Golcha, Delhi Police Commissioner: “An explosion occurred in that vehicle. The passengers in the vehicle and people in surrounding vehicles were impacted.”
Video from the scene showed thick orange flames against the night sky, mangled and charred vehicles, and victims on the street. Delhi’s deputy fire chief reported that at least six vehicles and three autorickshaws were set ablaze. Emergency crews received the call at 6:55 p.m., extinguished the fires and transported survivors to nearby hospitals.
The NIA has appealed for anyone with information to come forward as the investigation continues. This is a developing story; CNN reporters Esha Mitra, Rhea Mogul, Sana Noor Haq and Ayushi Shah contributed to coverage.