Red Fort reopens days after deadly blast as ASI lifts restrictions. Metro gates resume operations. [Photo: X]
Delhi’s Red Fort will reopen to visitors from November 16, days after a deadly blast near the monument triggered a massive security shutdown and an intense multi-agency investigation. Authorities have now eased restrictions as forensic teams complete key parts of their probe, allowing both tourists and daily commuters to return to the area.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) announced that the Red Fort in Delhi will reopen to visitors from November 16. The move comes five days after a powerful blast near the historic monument killed at least 10 people and injured several others. Authorities shut the site for security checks and forensic work immediately after the explosion.
The blast happened near Gate 1 of the Lal Quila Metro Station, close to the Red Fort complex. Security agencies sealed the area as they launched a large-scale investigation.
On Saturday, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) reopened Gate 2 and Gate 3 of the Red Fort Metro Station. The gates had remained closed for four days due to security restrictions.
In a post on X, the DMRC said, “The Red Fort metro station's gate numbers 2 and 3 are now open for commuters, restoring partial access that had been suspended as part of security measures following the incident.”
The ASI’s decision to allow visitors again follows a formal request earlier this week from Delhi Police, who sought a temporary closure from November 11 to November 13. Police said they needed time to complete the crime-scene investigation. The shutdown later received an extension as forensic work continued.
The blast triggered a multi-agency probe into what investigators now describe as a potential interstate “white-collar terror module” operating across Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Police tracked the movements of Dr Umar Nabi, the main suspect who drove the explosive-laden Hyundai i20, using footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras. Agencies believe that Nabi and his associates used encrypted applications to coordinate and move funds.
Officials say Nabi, along with Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Shahid, allegedly pooled over ₹26 lakh in cash. They also reportedly purchased around 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser to prepare improvised explosive devices.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained three additional doctors linked to Al-Falah University in Faridabad. The detainees include Dr Mushtakeem, who recently returned from China after completing his MBBS and was interning at Al-Falah Medical College, as well as Dr Mohammad and Dr Rehaan Hayat, who also completed their MBBS from the institution.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the blast occurred at 6.52 pm on Monday. The suspect’s car stopped at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station, where it exploded. The fire spread quickly, damaging six cars, two e-rickshaws, an auto, and a DTC bus.
Following the Red Fort incident, central agencies have begun assessing security at major heritage monuments across India. Officials say they may introduce stricter entry checks, high-resolution surveillance systems, and controlled parking zones near protected sites to prevent similar threats. The Red Fort reopening is expected to serve as a model for balancing public access with heightened security.
