Investigators probing the recent car explosion near Delhi's historic Red Fort have made significant breakthroughs in tracing the procurement of raw materials used in the explosive device. Security agencies have identified multiple shops across Haryana where suspects purchased chemical components for creating powerful explosives.
Shops Identified Across Multiple Locations
Security sources have confirmed that the shops supplying raw materials to the terror suspects are located across Palwal, Gurgaon and Faridabad districts. The procurement process took place over an extended period, indicating careful planning by the accused. Multiple shop owners have been detained for detailed questioning, while others are being located and investigated.
This crucial development helps investigators understand the complete manufacturing process of the explosives, identify the supply chain, and determine whether the material suppliers had any direct or indirect connections with the perpetrators of the Red Fort blast.
Dual Chemical Procurement Strategy
While earlier investigations focused primarily on ammonium nitrate stockpiling, probe teams have now discovered that the accused simultaneously sourced potash (potassium chloride) from fertilizer and pesticide shops near Dhauj village and surrounding areas of Nuh district.
According to technical experts involved in the investigation, the combination of ammonium nitrate and potassium chloride creates a highly potent and unstable explosive mixture. "Potassium chloride destabilizes ammonium nitrate and lowers its decomposition temperature," explained one investigator. "While ammonium nitrate alone serves as an oxidizer, it transforms into a powerful explosive when mixed with fuel components, and contaminants like potassium chloride significantly worsen its stability, particularly under high temperatures or confinement conditions."
Specific Procurement Details Emerge
Investigators have uncovered specific details about the material purchases. Approximately 300 kg of fertilizers was purchased by suspects linked to the Faridabad terror module from a shop in Nuh's Pinangwan village, located about 60 km from the Al Falah University campus in Faridabad.
On Wednesday evening, police teams reached the shop and questioned its owner, Dinesh Aggarwal, alias Dabbu, who resides with his family on the upper floors of the same building housing his ground-floor shop. Dabbu was subsequently taken into custody by investigation agencies for detailed interrogation.
Security sources revealed that one of the prime accused, Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, along with other suspects, purchased urea from the shop several months ago. A police officer involved in the investigation stated, "It is suspected that they transported the materials to Al Falah University, where they mixed them with other chemicals to manufacture explosives."
Authorities are currently questioning approximately five to seven individuals who had been in contact with both Muzammil and Umar Nabi, who was driving the i20 car that exploded near the Red Fort, at the university premises.
Transportation and Additional Findings
Investigation sources indicate that the accused transported both potash and ammonium nitrate using two vehicles: the Hyundai i20 used in the Red Fort explosion, and a Ford EcoSport belonging to Umar that was recovered in Faridabad on Wednesday evening.
The breakthrough regarding potash procurement came when Haryana police, while investigating the ammonium nitrate supply chain, detained several fertilizer and pesticide dealers who disclosed that the accused had been systematically gathering potash alongside other materials.
Potash is readily available through numerous dealers across Faridabad and Nuh regions, with a 50 kg bag costing between ₹1,000 to ₹1,400 depending on granule quality. The material is also easily accessible through online wholesale dealers and is commonly used for spraying on vegetable crops, making its purchase unlikely to raise suspicion.
During raids on premises connected to the accused, investigators recovered approximately 2,900 kg of suspected explosive material including ammonium nitrate, potash, phosphorus, reagents, inflammable substances, electronic circuits, batteries, wires, remote controls, timers and metal sheets.
The discovery of both ammonium nitrate and potash in large quantities suggests the terror module was planning more significant attacks before security agencies successfully busted their operations.
