On November 12, 2025, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Modi, described the November 10 Red Fort car explosion as a terrorist incident and directed urgent investigation. According to the NIA chargesheet filed on May 14, 2026, the vehicle-borne IED blast near the Red Fort killed 11 people and injured several others. The NIA identified Dr. Umer Un Nabi (deceased) as the main perpetrator, and all accused were linked to the organisation Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The explosive used was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), clandestinely manufactured by the accused. Delhi Police/NIA registered the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosives Act. Investigators examined links with a wider conspiracy and related Faridabad activity; reports on any exact explosives seizure varied, so the previously stated 3,000 kg figure has been removed pending an authoritative source. The case highlighted concerns about radicalisation of educated professionals.
Delhi Red Fort Car Blast: Cabinet Calls It a Terrorist Incident; UAPA Invoked
On November 12, 2025, the Union Cabinet described the November 10 Red Fort car explosion as a terrorist incident. The NIA chargesheet (May 14, 2026) states 11 people were killed and several others injured, and identifies Dr. Umer Un Nabi, the deceased main perpetrator, with the accused linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of AQIS. The case was registered under UAPA and the Explosives Act; the explosive used was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). Reports on any Faridabad explosives seizure varied, so the unsupported 3,000 kg figure has been removed.
Key facts
- Per the NIA chargesheet (May 14, 2026), the November 10, 2025 Red Fort car explosion killed 11 people and injured several others.
- The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi described it as a terrorist incident on November 12, 2025.
- The case was registered under the UAPA and the Explosives Act.
- NIA identified Dr. Umer Un Nabi (deceased) as the main perpetrator; accused were linked to AGuH, an offshoot of AQIS.
- The explosive used was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP); the earlier unsupported 3,000 kg seizure figure was removed pending an authoritative source.
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Source: PIB
Frequently asked questions
What are Sections 16 and 18 of UAPA?
Section 16 defines and punishes a 'terrorist act' (minimum 5 years to life, death if it causes death); Section 18 punishes conspiracy to commit, or organising, a terrorist act. Registration under these sections brings the investigation within anti-terror provisions; separate individual-terrorist designation is handled through UAPA Section 35 and the Fourth Schedule, not by Sections 16/18.
What is the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)?
The CCS is India's apex national-security decision body, chaired by the Prime Minister, with the Defence, Home, External Affairs and Finance Ministers as members; it reviews grave security threats and major defence decisions.
What did the NIA chargesheet say about casualties and the accused?
The NIA chargesheet (May 14, 2026) states 11 people were killed and several injured; the deceased main perpetrator was Dr. Umer Un Nabi, and the accused were linked to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of AQIS.
What explosive was used in the Red Fort blast?
Per the NIA chargesheet, the explosive used was Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP), clandestinely manufactured by the accused.
Why is UAPA important for RAS?
UAPA sits at the intersection of fundamental rights and national security — Article 19 restrictions, Article 22 and extended detention, the 2019 provision to designate individuals as terrorists (via Section 35/Fourth Schedule), and Centre-State investigative federalism with the NIA.
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