The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) announced on Saturday that the Red Fort complex will reopen to visitors on November 16, five days after a deadly explosion near the monument claimed at least ten lives and injured several others.
The blast had occurred close to Gate 1 of the Lal Quila metro station, adjacent to the Red Fort.
The reopening decision coincides with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation’s move to resume operations at Gates 2 and 3 of the Red Fort station, access points that had remained closed for four days following the explosion.
In an update on X, the DMRC stated that the two gates have been made operational again, restoring limited commuter access that had been suspended as part of heightened security measures.
Following Monday’s
explosion, authorities sealed off the area, intensified security checks, and restricted movement while multiple agencies carried out an extensive probe.
The ASI shut the monument to the public on November 11 after receiving a request from Delhi Police’s Kotwali station to temporarily close the site.
The police communication noted that the crime-scene investigation was still underway and initially recommended a three-day closure, which was later extended.
Expanding investigation into suspected ‘terror module’
Investigators are examining whether the Red Fort blast may be linked to a coordinated plot involving planned attacks in four cities, allegedly orchestrated by what they describe as an interstate “white-collar terror module” operating across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Using footage from more than 50 CCTV cameras, agencies have reconstructed the movements of Dr Umar Nabi, the prime suspect believed to have driven the explosive-laden Hyundai i20.
According to police, Dr Nabi and two alleged associates, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie and Dr Shaheen Shahid, used encrypted communication platforms, amassed over ₹26 lakh in cash, and procured around 26 quintals of NPK fertiliser to build improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has joined the probe, has detained three more doctors who were recently affiliated with Al-Falah University in Faridabad.
Those taken into custody include Dr Mushtakeem, who had returned from China after completing his MBBS; Dr Mohammad; and Dr Rehaan Hayat, an Al-Falah alumna.
Delhi Police Commissioner Satish Golcha said the explosion occurred at 6:52 pm on Monday, when the suspect’s vehicle halted at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station in Old Delhi.
The resulting fire spread rapidly, burning at least six cars, two e-rickshaws, an auto-rickshaw, and a DTC bus.
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