Delhi CRPF school blast was caused by a cigarette butt? Probe reveals key details

By News Update On Nov 2, 2024

New Delhi: The powerful explosion outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini on October 20 that triggered a security scare in the national capital was caused by a burning cigarette butt thrown at industrial waste at a garbage dump site by a man who was walking his dog, investigators have found.

Delhi Police and central intelligence agencies investigating the recent explosion have, based on circumstantial evidence, ruled out any “terror angle” for now. The blast occurred at 7:47 am on October 20, near the CRPF School in Prashant Vihar of Rohini Sector 14. The loud explosion prompted a rapid response from police, a bomb squad, and the fire brigade.

Police had suspected Khalistani link

Initially thought to be caused by a crude bomb, the explosion damaged a school wall and shattered the windows of a nearby parked car. It triggered a security scare in Delhi as cops suspected a Khalistani link in the explosion after a channel on Telegram messaging platform claimed it was an attack carried out in retaliation to the “targetted killing of Sikh separatists”.

This came amid the India-Canada diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, further intensifying the gravity of the incident and prompting a multi-agency probe including the National Security Guards (NSG) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Dumped chemicals caused the blast

After examining the site, forensic experts noted traces of potassium chlorate, hydrogen peroxide, and electrical wires among the debris.

The report quoted a senior police official as saying that Delhi Police is consulting forensic and technical experts of the NSG to ascertain the identity of all the traces and substances found from the blast spot. A report is yet to be submitted. Notably, no detonator has been found from the site, which suggests that it may have be an accidental explosion.

Man walking dog was spotted minutes before explosion, thew cigarette butt

Investigators reviewed CCTV footage from a camera near the explosion site and identified around 10 individuals for questioning.

One of the 10 suspects was a businessman from North Delhi who appeared in the footage about five minutes before the explosion. Residing in Prashant Vihar resident, he had come to the area on Sunday morning to walk his dog. CCTV footage shows him smoking, and during questioning, he admitted to leaving lit cigarette butts at the spot before leaving, a police officer reported.

According to an officer, the blast site was often used for garbage dumping and had a public urinal nearby.

After questioning suspects, reviewing CCTV footage, and examining circumstantial evidence, investigators have found no indication of foul play or a terror link so far.

“At this stage, it appears that some industrial waste materials were discarded in the garbage and ignited by lit cigarette butts,” the report quoted the officer as saying. However, the final reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the NSG are still awaited.