A crude, low intensity bomb went off outside the Delhi high court complex on Wednesday afternoon, sparking concerns over the security preparedness in the capital. A red alert has been sounded in the city.

Officials said the crude bomb was placed near a Ford Figo car (DL4CAF 7935) parked outside Gate No. 7 of Delhi high court. The bomb went off around 1.15 pm when the complex was teeming with people.
The incident comes days after the superintendent of railways, New Delhi, received a letter threatening bomb blasts in metros. The letter was traced to Saurashtra but no arrests were made.
The site of explosion is barely two kilometres from the Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament House on one side and a kilometre away from the Delhi police headquarters on the other. “The bomb was deliberately placed under the car’s fuel tank to multiply the impact. However, it didn’t go off properly”, sources said. No casualties or injuries were reported.
The car owner, Rajat Jain, a practising lawyer, pleaded ignorance. He was detained for questioning by special cell sleuths and released when no evidence was found against him. “I can’t say anything as the police is investigating the matter,” said Jain. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“A packet was kept beneath the car in the parking. We have collected samples from the site which have been sent for forensic examination to determine the exact nature of the contents,’ special commissioner of police, Dharmendra Kumar told reporters after visiting the blast site.
The police has recovered a motorcycle battery, a white powdery mixture, iron nails and a bag in which the bomb was assembled, from the spot.
“Initially, the Explosive Vapour Device Detector was used to analyse the chemical composition of the explosive but it did not yield result. The forensic teams of Delhi police and the National Security Guard (NSG) will be analysing the substance, said a senior official of the Union home ministry.
Police sources said the blast bore imprints of a similar explosion in Jama Masjid area last year when two Taiwanese nationals were injured in firing by two unidentified men. The Indian Mujahideen had owned responsibility for the attack then in an email sent to media houses.
Intelligence and investigating officers have fanned out across states to follow leads and the home ministry has reportedly asked the Delhi police to begin strict checks on two wheelers.
“The probe will be carried out by the special cell. Security has been beefed up and a red alert has been issued in the city. We have activated our eyes-and-ears scheme and people have been asked to report presence of any suspicious object to us,” Delhi police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said.
“Such incidents are a matter of serious concern when the city is on high alert in view of the US-India Homeland Security dialogue, scheduled to take place on May 27. Although, no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, the Delhi police is probing the incident from terror angle as well.” a home ministry official said. “The explosive appears to be a crude mixture of petroleum jelly and ammonium nitrate but only a forensic examination can show the exact content,” a special cell officer said.