SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday transferred the investigation into the Red Fort blast to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), official sources confirmed.
The move signals that the government is treating the explosion, which has so far claimed 12 lives, as a possible act of terrorism, given that the NIA is India’s primary agency for probing terror-related cases.
“The blast case has been handed over to the NIA,” a senior official told NDTV.
The decision came shortly after Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level review of the security situation in the national capital and other parts of the country. Shah has convened another detailed review meeting later in the day.
The Home Minister stated that top investigating agencies are conducting a comprehensive probe to uncover all aspects of the case.
The explosion occurred on Monday evening when a slow-moving car caught fire and exploded near the Red Fort Metro Station traffic signal, killing at least 12 people and damaging several nearby vehicles, officials said.
