Red Fort Car Blast Exposes Cracks in Delhi’s Security Shield
New Delhi, Nov 10 — The powerful explosion that tore through a car outside the Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening has brutally exposed Delhi’s weak surveillance spine and raised sharp questions about the capital’s ability to pre-empt threats.
The death toll has climbed to 10, with several survivors still in critical condition at LNJP Hospital.
A blast that broke through the “high-security bubble”
The explosion hit around 6:52 pm when a slow-moving car halted at a traffic signal near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station — a zone saturated with CCTV cameras, constant police movement and heavy tourist footfall.
Yet the vehicle went unchecked, and the blast set multiple cars on fire, triggering chaos in one of Delhi’s most tightly guarded pockets.
Hours after a major explosives haul — a worrying pattern
What has sharpened suspicion is the timing: only hours earlier, authorities in Faridabad intercepted a massive cache of explosives and automatic weapons tied to a suspected terror module.
Two high-risk events on the same day have pushed investigators to probe whether the blast was part of a wider plan or a test run exploiting Delhi’s surveillance loopholes.
Home Ministry swings into action.Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the NIA chief, IB Director and Delhi Police Commissioner, directing them to explore every single angle. High alerts are now in place across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
At LNJP Hospital, doctors were pulled back from leave as emergency wards overflowed.
What failed — and why
Investigators are yet to confirm whether the blast was caused by an IED or a catastrophic engine failure, but the security questions are unmistakable:
How did a potentially dangerous vehicle pass into a core security zone without detection?
Why wasn’t there any actionable intel despite the explosives seizure earlier in the day?
Why did multiple agencies fail to connect signals that, in hindsight, appear glaring?
Officials admit the absence of a blast crater or shrapnel injuries complicates the forensic picture — but not the fact that the system slipped.
A jolt to the capital’s confidence
For lakhs who travel through the Red Fort–Chandni Chowk corridor, the blast is a chilling message: even the heart of Delhi isn’t impenetrable. If surveillance falters here, experts warn, vulnerabilities in less-guarded zones may be far worse.
What must change now
Authorities are reviewing CCTV footage, mapping the vehicle’s route and analysing electronic trails. But beyond the investigation, Delhi urgently needs.
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