NEW DELHI, India : Indian police are probing a deadly car blast in the capital Delhi under a law used to fight “terrorism,” an officer said on Tuesday, as forensic experts sought evidence to establish the cause of the first such blast in the city in more than a decade.
The law, called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is India’s main anti-terrorism law. It is used to investigate and prosecute acts related to “terrorism” and activities that threaten the sovereignty and integrity of the country.
The explosion near the historic Red Fort on Monday evening killed at least eight people and injured 20, a rare occurrence in recent years in the heavily guarded city of more than 30 million people. Several states and key facilities across the country were placed on high alert.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Raja Banthia said that Delhi police had registered a case under the anti-terrorism law as well as the explosives act and other criminal laws.
“Investigation is at a preliminary stage and any comment on it will be too premature,” Banthia told reporters.
