Delhi is in high alert on Tuesday after the deadly explosion outside the Red Fort Metro Station that gutted several vehicles and claimed 13 lives.
The Delhi Police have invoked the UAPA which is normally used in cases that have connections to terrorism or threat to national security.
What UAPA means
The First Information Report (FIR) includes Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. These deal with terrorist acts and the punishment for aiding or conspiring to commit one, a Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed.
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What is Explosives Act?
Interestingly, alongside the UAPA, Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act which actually address the illegal possession and use of explosives have also been added, along with murder and attempted murder charges.
Section 16 of the Act pertains to a terrorist act that results in death, which can invite life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Section 18 covers the planning or abetment of such an act, even if it has not yet been carried out.
The explosion that ripped through a slow moving Hyundai i20 right outside the Red Fort Metro Station in Gate No. 1 on Monday evening was so powerful that at least three to four adjacent cars caught fire.
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Delhi Fire Department also reported that it got the first distress call at 7:05 p.m. sending seven fire tenders to contain the fire. When the fires were extinguished, there was a litter of burnt cars and debris all over.
Police noted the car had three people in it during the time of explosion. However, what trigger the blast is yet to be identified by the forensic teams, the possibility of a suicide bombing cannot be ruled out by the investigators. Salman and Devender are two men who have been arrested to be questioned.
Following the explosion major cities including Mumbai and Kolkata placed on high alert. Intelligence agencies are investigating further for now.
