New Delhi: Investigating agencies are now trying to find out whether deadly Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) was responsible for the blast in the Hyundai i20 car in Delhi on November 10 that killed 13 people and injured at least 20.
TATP is an extremely volatile explosive and is infamously known as the “Mother of Satan”. It can explode simply due to heat, without any detonator, experts have said. A mere jerk can set off this volatile chemical.
It is now being suspected that the explosive material inside the car was a mixture of ammonium nitrate and TATP. If this is indeed the case, this will be the first recorded case of this explosive material being used in India, raising serious concerns among security agencies.
TATP is known to have been used by illegal bomb-makers across the world. Traces of the compound were found after the 2017 Barcelona attacks, 2015 Paris attacks, 2017 Manchester bombing, and 2016 Brussels bombings. It all cases, the makers of the explosives are believed to have received some form of terrorist training.
If this is true then it establishes clear links between Umar Mohammad, the doctor suspected to have been driving the car at the time of the blast and Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
Investigators believe that Umar was aware of the unstable nature of TATP before he entered the crowded locality near the Red Fort metro station gate. This is close to Chandni Chowk, one of the most densely populated areas in Old Delhi.
TATP as extremely sensitive, experts claim. Friction, pressure, or rising temperature – any change in physical environment can destabilise the it and trigger an explosion. It needs no detonator, unlike ammonium nitrate, which is both chemically and thermally stable and needs external detonation.
In this case, ammonium nitrate may have been used to intensify the blast.
Forensics experts have said that the explosion site shows damage patterns consistent with TATP, which is known for its powerful shockwaves. Teams are now analysing the residue to confirm the presence of TATP. The blast’s intensity suggests the explosive was either exposed to heat or destabilised inside the vehicle. It is being examined whether it went off accidentally while being transported for its use in an even larger terror operation.
Efforts are also underway to find out how Umar got hold of the chemicals needed to make TATP, since it requires multiple ingredients. It is also being probed Whether he received support from a wider network.
Investigating agencies are now reviewing the digital trails, movement logs, and communication history to map Umar’s activities before the blast.
It is also being checked whether Umar drove around the city with the deadly explosive or if it was loaded into the car at a nearby parking lot, where he stopped for nearly three hours, for reasons that are still not known.
Investigators will also question Shaheen Saeed, Muzammil Shakeel, and Adil Rather, all doctors at the Al Falah University in Faridabad and Umar’s colleagues in this connection. All three are among those arrested after the Jaish-linked white-collar Faridabad terror module was busted.
