Security measures will be increased at and around the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi for the final day of the Ranji Trophy Group D match between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. This decision comes in the wake of a significant explosion near the Red Fort, located just a few kilometers away from the stadium.
A powerful blast occurred in the Red Fort area on Monday evening, resulting in the death of at least 8 individuals and causing injuries to several others. The explosion occurred when a car slowed down and stopped at a red traffic light near Gate 1 of the Red Fort metro station, leading to fires in nearby vehicles.
Following the incident, security has been enhanced at the Arun Jaitley Stadium for the ongoing Ranji Trophy fixture between Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir. Ashok Sharma, the secretary of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA), stated that additional security personnel would be deployed outside the stadium premises.
In the cricket match, Jammu & Kashmir needs 124 more runs to win as they chase a target of 179 in the fourth innings. At the end of Day 3, they stood at 55/2 with Qamran Iqbal (32*) and Vanshaj Sharma (0*) at the crease.
While investigations into the cause of the Red Fort explosion are ongoing, it is unrelated to the recent arrests in Faridabad concerning the discovery of bomb-making materials. Law enforcement sources clarified that the blast near the Red Fort was not connected to the earlier arrests.
The incident near the Red Fort occurred shortly after authorities dismantled an interstate terror module with links to banned groups, seizing a significant amount of suspected ammonium nitrate, a key component in making explosives. The module was reportedly planning large-scale terror activities in Delhi using hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) made from the seized materials.