Delhi blast: What did CCTV footage reveal? Police say suspect was ‘alone’ as over 100 clips examined
The latest information from the cops appear to contradict the initial assessment of the situation, following which Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha had said that two to three people were seated inside the vehicle.
As the probe continues into the car blast near Red Ford that rocked Delhi on Monday, the Delhi Police on Tuesday said that it was investigating CCTV footage to track the vehicle's movements and establish a sequence of events leading up to the explosion.
Visuals shared on Tuesday showed the suspect's car entering and exiting a parking area near the Red Fort, moments before an explosion ripped through the area.
Speaking to news agency ANI, sources in the police said, "Delhi Police have obtained CCTV footage showing the suspect’s car entering and exiting the parking area. The footage indicates that the suspect was alone at the time."
"Investigators are now tracing the route towards Daryaganj, while more than 100 CCTV clips, including footage from nearby toll plazas, are being examined to establish the complete movement of the vehicle," the source was quoted as saying.
The latest information from the cops appear to contradict the initial assessment of the situation, following which Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha had said that two to three people were seated inside the vehicle.
What has CCTV footage revealed so far?
According to officials familiar with the investigation who spoke with Hindustan Times, the car was initially spotted moving from the Daryaganj market area towards the Red Fort.
When it reached the area close to the historic fort, the car entered a parking lot near the Sunehri Masjid around 4 pm.
CCTV cameras later captured the vehicle driving along Chhata Rail Chowk, where it took a U-turn and headed towards Lower Subhash Marg.
"It was being driven on the Chhata Rail Chow before taking a U-turn and moving towards Lower Subash Marg. The CCTV footage shows that the car was approaching a signal and had slowed down when the explosion occurred," an official was quoted as saying by HT.
The car left the parking lot at 6.48 pm on Monday, reported Indian Express, minutes before the blast.
Masked suspect
New visuals shared by PTI on Tuesday also showed a masked man driving the Hyundai i20, minutes before explosion hit.
The new visuals, taken at a parking lot, show the man wearing a black face mask. He was driving the Hyundai i20, which had the number plate HR26CE7674.
In the video, the man is seen at the parking lot checkpoint, presumably paying the parking ticket.
After taking the receipt, he is seen driving away, at which point CCTV cameras caught a blurry side profile, showing him wearing what appeared to be face mask used for pollution.
Probe continues
The explosion took place at 6.52 pm on Monday and has left at least 8 people dead and 18 injured in its wake.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), the National Security Guard (NSG), the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and the Delhi Police Special Cell are jointly probing the case.
While a terror attack has not been confirmed yet, it has not been ruled out either with Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying that all angles are being probed.