NIA to probe into blast near Israel Embassy in Delhi

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday transferred the probe into the "very low-intensity" explosion near Israel embassy in Delhi to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), officials said on Monday.

The ministry has asked the elite agency to take over the probe from Delhi Police's Special Cell, which is presently investigating the incident. On January 29, when Beating the Retreat, the culmination of Republic Day celebrations was taking place, with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance around 2 km from the spot, a "very low-intensity" explosion took place near Israel embassy.

Earlier, a letter recovered from the site claimed that such attacks would not stop and warned to prepare for a big strike. Sources seek to link the explosion to Iran.

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The security establishment is also looking into whether the latest incident has any links to the February 13, 2012, attack when a motorcycle-borne youth tailed a car of the Israel embassy on Aurangzeb Road, which was renamed as APJ Abdul Kalam Road, and placed explosives. Within seconds, the car went up in flames and investigators had put the blame on Iranian spies.

On January 29, Delhi Police said that the "initial impressions suggest a mischievous attempt to create a sensation (sic)". No one was injured in the incident but windshields of three vehicles parked on the APJ Abdul Kalam Road, where the embassy is located, were damaged.

However, the entry of NIA shows that the security establishment is viewing the incident as a terror strike. Investigators had earlier checked CCTV footage near the embassy.

Reports said that investigators were looking at around 180 people who had walked on the pavements near the embassy prior to the incident.