Chief Minister (CM) Rekha Gupta on Tuesday announced ex-gratia payments for the Delhi car blast victims. Twelve people were killed while 20 suffered injuries after explosives went off in a car near the Red Fort Metro Station in the national capital on Monday evening.
The families of the victims will receive Rs 10 lakh each, said Gupta, in a post on X.
She further announced a Rs 5-lakh compensation for those who have been permanently disabled in the car blast, while those with serious injuries will receive Rs 2 lakh. The CM has also announced a compensation of Rs 20,000 for those who suffered minor injuries. Gupta added that the government will ensure “proper and quality medical treatment for all the injured” and has directed the departments concerned to prioritise and expedite relief distribution so “every eligible person receives compensation without any delay”.
“The unfortunate incident in Delhi has left the entire city in shock,” Gupta said, offering the government’s “deepest condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones and to those injured in the incident”.
She emphasised that the Delhi government stands with affected families and will ensure no family “feels alone” during the period of mourning.
Meanwhile, the probe into the high-intensity explosion — which occurred in a car at a traffic signal near Gate No 1 of the Red Fort Metro station — was on Tuesday handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Investigators have focussed on a doctor from Pulwama in South Kashmir, Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the Hyundai i20 that exploded and is believed to be among the 12 dead, officers said. Jammu and Kashmir police took a DNA sample from his mother to match remains recovered at the blast site, an officer in Srinagar said.
Delhi Police have registered a first information report (FIR) classifying the incident as “a bomb blast” and invoked sections dealing with conspiracy and terror offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Officials involved in investigations said they did not rule out the possibility of the explosives in the car getting detonated accidentally as Umar may have panicked.
(With PTI inputs)