A loud explosion in the Prashant Vihar district of New Delhi, near Rohini, on Sunday morning shocked many.

Although no injuries were reported, several vehicles and properties were damaged.

Delhi Police, which is investigating the blast along with other agencies, allege the involvement of pro-Khalistan groups.

Here’s everything we know about it.

Bomb explosion

A loud explosion occurred around 7:30 am on October 20 near the CRPF School, which hosts students of CRPF and other paramilitary families, in Prashant Vihar, New Delhi.

The sound of the explosion was heard several hundred meters away.

A call was received at the police control room at 7:47 a.m. regarding the blast, prompting action by several security agencies and the police, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA ) and the National Security Guard (NSG).

Videos taken at the scene showed thick plumes rising from the explosion site. Although no injuries were reported, nearby vehicles, stores and structures were damaged.

The area has been cordoned off.

This incident notably follows a wave of bomb threats directed against Indian airlines last week.

Investigation

According to India todayquoting Delhi Police sources, the blast was caused by a low-intensity IED (improvised explosive device) controlled by a timer or remote control, with no shrapnel or ball bearings.

Investigating agencies suspect that the white powder found at the site could have come from a homemade bomb made with ammonium phosphate and other chemicals. Experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and NSG collected samples from the site for analysis to determine the exact chemicals used.

NSG officials found a battery and cables near the blast site and are investigating whether these items were placed before the blast.

According to Money control CCTV footage reportedly revealed a suspect wearing a white T-shirt at the scene the night before the explosion. The explosives were allegedly concealed in a polythene bag, placed in a pit about a half to a foot deep and covered with trash.

Delhi Police has filed a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act and other relevant articles to continue the investigation. The agencies will soon submit a report to the Interior Ministry regarding the incident.

Following the incident, the nation’s capital was placed on high alert.

Eyewitnesses

An eyewitness present at the scene said ANI“We were sitting at home and then we heard a loud explosion. At first we didn’t understand what had happened, thinking that a cylinder had burst. We then ran and saw there was a lot of yellow smoke everywhere, so we called the police.

“All the glasses were broken. We heard an explosion so loud that we felt our building shake as well. The gate lock near our parking lot was also broken due to the explosion,” he said.

Anita Singh had just returned from a temple when she heard a “very loud explosion”. She said Hindustan Times“Luckily it was Sunday, so no one was hurt. I can’t help but think how disastrous this could have been if it had happened on a weekday. »

“A message or a signal”

The explosion is being investigated from all possible angles, including a potential attempted terrorist attack.

“We are also examining CCTV footage from the area to identify who might have brought the explosives. The forensic teams have collected samples for analysis, which will help us determine the chemicals used and eventually trace their origin,” a senior officer said. ANI.

According to police sources, the explosion was intended to send a “message or signal”, with the suspect deliberately choosing the school wall and the morning hours to avoid any loss of life.

“The manner in which the explosion occurred on the side of the wall and its timing in the morning suggest that the intention was only to send a message, not to cause significant damage,” officials said.

Alleged links of the pro-Khalistan group

On Monday, Delhi Police said they were investigating the alleged involvement of pro-Khalistan groups in the bomb blast.

The development comes after a Telegram report claimed that the blast was in retaliation for the alleged targeting of pro-Khalistan separatists by Indian agents.

On Sunday evening, a video of the blast with a ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ watermark at the bottom surfaced on the Telegram channel titled ‘Justice League India’, along with a message.

The message read: “If the cowardly Indian agency and its master think they can hire filthy goons to target our members to silence our voices, then they are living in a stupid world. They cannot imagine how close we are to them and how capable we are of striking at any time #KhalistanZindabad #JLI.

The investigation team asked for details about the Telegram channel.

With the contribution of agencies