A planned reunion between two friends from Uttar Pradesh ended in tragedy on Monday evening when a powerful car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station killed both men instantly. Lokesh Agarwal, a 52-year-old
fertiliser trader from Hasanpur and Ashok Gujjar, a 34-year-old DTC bus conductor from Mangrola village, were among the eight victims of the explosion that ripped through traffic outside Gate No. 1.
Lokesh Agarwal had travelled to Delhi to visit an ailing relative earlier in the day. Before returning home, he called his friend Ashok Gujjar and asked him to meet near the Lal Qila Metro Station. Minutes later, the Hyundai i20- idling in the same stretch- exploded, leaving no time for either man to react.
Their families first learned of the incident through television reports, as chaotic visuals of mangled vehicles flooded news channels, before police confirmed the deaths.
Relatives said Ashok Gujjar had been working as a conductor with the Delhi Transport Corporation and frequently commuted along the Old Delhi route. Lokesh Agarwal, a known trader in Hasanpur, had left home that morning with plans to return the same night.
The two friends were among several victims with roots in Uttar Pradesh. Nauman, a 22-year-old cosmetics trader from Jhinjhana in Shamli, had come to Delhi to purchase stock when the blast struck. His relative Aman, 21, who was with him, suffered injuries and is undergoing treatment at LNJP Hospital.
Delhi Red Fort Blast
The explosion occurred around 6:52 pm when a Hyundai i20 with a Haryana registration number suddenly blew up while stuck in traffic. The blast killed eight people and injured twenty, damaging nearby vehicles and sending bystanders running for cover. The Lal Qila Metro Station was temporarily shut following the incident, though other metro lines remained operational, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation said.
