PM Modi meets survivors of Delhi Blasts after returning from Bhutan

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the survivors of the Red Fort blasts at the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital upon his arrival from Bhutan on Wednesday.

Following his two-day visit to Bhutan, the Prime Minister met with the injured and wished them a speedy recovery, while hospital officials and doctors also briefed him. 

During his visit to Bhutan, the Prime Minister had expressed deep sorrow over the deadly car explosion near Delhi's Red Fort and assured that the government would ensure the "strictest action" against those responsible.

Speaking from Bhutan, the Prime Minister said, "A tragic incident took place in Delhi. I can understand the pain of the families who lost their loved ones. I have come here with a heavy heart. The entire nation stands with the affected families in this hour of grief. Our agencies will investigate the matter thoroughly, and all those responsible will be brought to justice." 

Earlier in the day, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had formed a team of 10 officers to investigate the blast near Delhi's Red Fort Metro Station. NIA ADG Vijay Sakhare will lead the 10-member special team and will include an IG, two DIGs, three SPs, and the rest DSP-level officers, sources said on Wednesday.

The team was formed a day after the Home Ministry on Tuesday handed over the Delhi blast investigation to the NIA, following Union Home Minister Amit Shah's review of the investigation and the multi-state searches being conducted in the case. The blast occurred on the evening of November 10 when a Haryana-registered car parked near Gate No 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station exploded, killing at least eight people and injuring dozens. 

More than 1,000 CCTV footage clips are being scanned by investigative agencies, which suspect that the car explosion could have been a suicide attack aimed at causing maximum damage, Delhi Police sources said. 

Investigation agencies are also monitoring social media activity and collecting mobile phone dump data from several locations across Delhi. According to police sources, data from all mobile phones active in and around the Red Fort area is being retrieved. This data may help identify phone numbers and communication links connected to the car bombing. 

The Home Minister Shah has also directed the NIA, IB, and Delhi Police Special Cell to work in tandem, vowing, "No stone will be left unturned". High alerts have been issued in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Mumbai, with security around crowded public places and religious sites enhanced. 

(With IANS inputs)