Noman's Father at Maulana Azad mortuary in Delhi. Noman was one among the 13 killed in the blast outside Red Fort on Monday. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)Delhi Red Fort blast highlights: A day after the blast outside Red Metro Station killed atleast 13 people and injured several others, the National Investigation Agency has taken over the probe and Delhi government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to kin of deceased, Rs 5 lakh to those permanently disabled and Rs 2 lakh to those injured. Following a second security review meeting, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Everyone involved in the blast will face the full wrath of our agencies.” The Red Fort has been closed temporarily due to security reasons and the defence forces are on high vigil across the country. President Droupadi Murmu spoke to Shah on phone from Angola and enquired about the blast.
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Who likely carried out the explosion? Top police sources in Jammu and Kashmir have told The Indian Express that the explosion appears to have been carried out by the same “transnational and interstate” module that was busted by the police in Faridabad a day earlier. In the days leading up to the blast, J&K Police had arrested two doctors from Haryana’s Faridabad and Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur for alleged links to the terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammad and Ansar Ghazwatul Hind (AGH).
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DNA link to zero-in bomber’s identity: The DNA of the mother of Umar Nabi, the man suspected to be driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded, is being collected from Pulwama and will be matched with unidentified bodies lying at Lok Nayak Hospital in the national capital, official sources in Delhi have told The Indian Express. At Nabi’s village in Pulwama, his family and local officials confirmed that his mother had been taken away, ostensibly so her DNA sample could be collected. When The Indian Express visited his residence, only his sister-in-law was home. The development is significant as the Jammu and Kashmir Police suspect Nabi to be the bomber and the person seen in CCTV footage driving the vehicle. Nabi hails from Koil village, which is also the hometown of Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, who was arrested in Faridabad days earlier for alleged links to a terror module. Police had seized 358 kg of explosives suspected to be ammonium nitrate from Ganai’s rented home in Faridabad’s Dhauj village.