NEW DELHI: Indian police are investigating a fatal car explosion in the capital under a stringent statute used to combat terrorism, television channels reported on Tuesday, citing a police-registered case.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, India’s principal anti-terror law, is employed to investigate and prosecute offences linked to terrorism and activities that threaten the country’s sovereignty and integrity.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the reports.
The explosion near the historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, a rare blast in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people, sending several states and key facilities into high alert.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday “all angles” were being investigated and security agencies would come to a conclusion soon.
Police said a slow-moving car which stopped at a traffic signal exploded just before 7pm (1330 GMT). 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.
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.
