India probes possible link between Delhi car blast and earlier Kashmir arrests

Investigators have opened inquiries into a possible connection between the car explosion outside Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday evening and the arrests this week of seven men from the Jammu and Kashmir federal territory, three sources familiar with the probe said on Wednesday.

The blast killed eight people and wounded at least 20, officials said, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the inquiry and is examining “all angles,” police said. No suspects have been publicly named and no arrests have been announced in relation to the Delhi explosion.

Hours before the blast, Jammu and Kashmir police said they had detained seven men — including two doctors — in raids in Kashmir and the neighbouring Indian states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Kashmir police said they recovered two pistols, two assault rifles and 2,900 kg of bomb‑making material during the searches [CHECK], and alleged links to Pakistan‑based militant groups Jaish‑e‑Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwat‑ul‑Hind.

“The investigation has revealed a white‑collar terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers, operating from Pakistan and other countries,” Kashmir police said.

Three sources told Reuters investigators were probing whether the Delhi vehicle’s driver had professional links to one of the seven arrested men and whether the doctor‑arrest connection extended to the blast; the sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

Following the bombing, Kashmir police conducted raids at hundreds of locations, detaining about 500 people for questioning, a Kashmir police source said; most were subsequently released after questioning, the source added.

New Delhi has routinely accused Pakistan of supporting militants in Kashmir — an allegation Islamabad denies. The Himalayan region has seen an insurgency since 1989 in which tens of thousands have died, although violence in recent years has been lower than at its peak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed to punish those responsible for the Red Fort attack, saying no “conspirator” would be spared, officials said. Pakistani officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Authorities continue forensic and intelligence work in Delhi and Kashmir as the federal investigation proceeds. Prosecutors are pursuing the case under India’s stringent anti‑terror legislation, officials said.

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