Felt like an earthquake, body parts were everywhere: Locals recount horror after Delhi blast
New Delhi (PTI): Body parts lay scattered, with some fragments even reaching the nearby Jain Mandir, leaving locals terrified and sleepless through the night. The powerful explosion near Delhi's Red Fort on Monday killed 12 people and left several injured, rattling one of the city's most crowded and historic neighbourhoods.
Karamjot, who sells bags in Chandni Chowk, recalled the chaos that unfolded moments after the blast. "I saw a large number of people running towards me from the Red Fort side. Everyone was screaming. I ran towards the gurdwara and took shelter there until things calmed down," she said.
JP Mishra, an employee at the Jain Mandir sports club, said locals rushed to help the injured before emergency teams arrived. "When I reached the spot, I saw dismembered bodies everywhere. Some of the body parts even came under my feet," he said, his voice trembling.
Another eyewitness, 45-year-old Karmayta Devi, who lives near the Jain Mandir, said her family could not sleep the entire night. "It felt like an earthquake. The ground was shaking. My 15-year-old son, who saw the bodies lying around, was terrified. Some parts of the bodies even flew into the Jain Mandir compound," she recounted.
Ten-year-old Priya, who lives close to the Red Fort, said the blast was so strong that the cement from the ceiling of her house fell off. "Our school is closed today. We couldn't sleep the whole night. I have never heard such a loud sound before," she said softly.
Meanwhile, shopkeepers fear they might incur losses for the next few months.
Chandan, who has a shop in a lane close to the blast site, recalled the horror and said, "We were at the shop when we heard a loud noise. It was all white, and the ground felt like it was shaking. We waited for five minutes, but as soon as we heard that it was a bomb blast, we closed our shop and went to our homes."
Another shopkeeper, Lakshay, said that despite the fear, they returned to their shops today only to have them closed by the authorities.
"This will result in huge losses to us in the next few months. Even if the authorities permit us to open our shops, fear will still linger in the minds of customers who come here, especially during the winter season. We will have to pay our bills and staff members," he told PTI.
The explosion has left the neighbourhood scarred, with fear and disbelief still hanging heavy in the air as investigators try to piece together the sequence of events behind the deadly blast.
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National Herald case: Shivakumar to seek time next week to appear before Delhi police
New Delhi/Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said he will ask for time from Delhi police to appear before them next week, to provide required information as part of the probe into the National Herald case.
He said he will seek time after the ongoing winter session of Karnataka legislature ends on December 19. He will also ask the Delhi police to provide him the FIR copy.
Shivakumar, who is in the national capital, had earlier said that he will appear before the Delhi police on Monday. But, he postponed the plan in order to rush back to Karnataka to participate in the last rites of veteran Congress leader Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, scheduled later in the day in Davangere.
"I had to go (to appear before the Delhi police), but I have to go back urgently. I'm asking them for time, stating that I will come next week," Shivakumar told reporters in New Delhi.
"They (Delhi police) have not attached the FIR copy while issuing notice to me. I need FIR copy, because we had already given all the required replies to the ED. I don't know what the FIR says, I only read in papers. They have given notice, I will ask for a FIR copy. I will come next week after the Assembly session."
The Delhi Police had issued a notice to Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka Congress chief, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case.
The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is "supposed to be having vital information" pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against top Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
In the notice dated November 29, the EOW had asked Shivakumar to appear before it or provide the requested information by December 19 latest.
Investigators have sought details about his personal background, his association with the Congress party, and a complete break up of funds allegedly transferred by him or associated entities to Young Indian.
To a question on meeting AICC General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala, amid the ongoing power tussle between him and CM Siddaramaiah over the Chief Minister post, Shivakumar said when he comes to Delhi, he usually meets every one.
"Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge (AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge) or Venugopal, I will meet everyone. During lunch yesterday I met Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. I have met everyone. What's wrong?" he asked.
Shivakumar was in Delhi to take part in Congress' "Vote Chori" rally on Sunday, and had also participated in the lunch organised by the party for its leaders.
Responding to a question, whether any meeting is planned with leaders today, the Deputy CM said, he and Kharge will be travelling together to Karnataka, to pay last respects to Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.
Asked if he will seek time for a separate meeting with Congress leadership including Rahul Gandhi, during the next visit to Delhi, Sivakumar said, "such things will be there between us in the party.... you don't worry."
