Red Fort Blast Investigation Zeroes in on Haryana's Pinangwan Town
The quiet agricultural town of Pinangwan in Haryana's Nuh district has become the epicenter of a major security investigation following the deadly car explosion outside Delhi's Red Fort. Ten people have lost their lives in the blast involving a Hyundai i20 car, prompting multiple agencies to trace the origin of the explosive materials.
Fertilizer Shop at the Heart of the Investigation
Security agencies have identified Aggarwal Agencies, located in the main market of Pinangwan, as the shop where the accused purchased five to six packets of fertilizers days before the explosion. Investigators suspect these fertilizers were mixed with chemicals to create explosives.
The shop, owned by Dinesh Kumar Aggarwal (known locally as Dabbu), has been closed since Thursday after probe agencies picked up the owner on Wednesday night. Authorities have seized fertilizer samples and the shop's digital video recorder (DVR) as part of their investigation.
Pinangwan, situated in the Mewat region near Rajasthan's Alwar and Bharatpur districts, primarily depends on agriculture, with most residents engaged in cultivating mustard, wheat and vegetables. The area now has six fertilizer and seed shops under security surveillance, according to police sources.
Wider Security Net and Recovery of Explosive Materials
The investigation took a significant turn when Faridabad Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police recovered 358 kg of ammonium nitrate along with 2,500 kg of bomb-making materials from the rented accommodation of suspects in Faridabad. These suspects were employed by Al Falah University, whose campus is located approximately 60 km from Pinangwan.
Security agencies are now focusing on whether Aggarwal Agencies and other similar shops have the necessary permissions and licenses to sell their products. The Station House Officer of Pinangwan police, Subhash Chand, confirmed that six to seven fertilizer dealers have been questioned so far.
Community Reaction and Local Impact
The investigation has created palpable fear among local shopkeepers. Many fertilizer and pesticide dealers refused to speak to media, with one dealer stating, "No one will talk, everyone is afraid." Another shopkeeper described Aggarwal Agencies as a reliable wholesale dealer and mentioned hearing that the sold product was an NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium) fertilizer composition also used for making pesticides.
Manoj Kumar, the husband of Pinangwan's sarpanch, defended Dinesh Kumar Aggarwal, noting that his family has been in the business for decades and also runs a cement and construction materials business in Nuh city. "How is it possible for someone to know that their product would be used in such a way? I am sure that no shopkeeper from our village was involved in this conspiracy," he asserted.
Neighbors reported that Dinesh Kumar Aggarwal's family has also left their residence after locking their house and shop, indicating the widespread impact of the investigation on this small Haryana community.
