 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "2005 Delhi bombings" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(August 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| 2005 Delhi bombings | |
|---|---|
| Part ofIslamic terrorism | |
 Delhi map showing the location of the bomb blasts: (1) Pahargunj, (2) Sarojini Nagar market, (3) Govindpuri | |
| Location | Delhi, India |
| Date | 29 October 2005 5:38 pm – 6:05 pm (UTC+5.5) |
| Target | Two markets and a bus |
Attack type | Bombings |
| Deaths | 62 |
| Injured | 210 |
| Perpetrators | Lashkar-e-Taiba Indian Mujahideen |
The2005 Delhi bombings occurred on 29 October 2005 inDelhi, India, killing 62 people and injuring at least 210 others[1] in three explosions. The bombings came only two days before the important festival ofDiwali, which is celebrated byHindus,Sikhs, andJains. The bombs were triggered in two markets in central and south Delhi and in a bus south of the city. The Pakistani Islamist terrorist groupLashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility for the attacks under the pseudonym of Islamic Inquilab Mahaz.[2] TheIndian Mujahideen is also suspected of involvement.[3]
PresidentA P J Abdul Kalam condemned the blasts in Delhi and sent condolences to the bereaved and other victims. Kalam appealed to the people "to maintain calm and help the agencies in relief and rescue work." Parts of India were moved to higher alert following the blasts.
The blasts happened as follows:[4]
The Pakistan-basedIslamist terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba claimed responsibility on a jihadist website, through the name of "Islamic Inquilab Mahaz" (Islamic Revolutionary Front). It had previously carried out similar attacks in Karachi using the same name.[6][7][8]
TheDelhi Police released three sketches of one of the suspected bombers involved in the bombings.[9]According to NDTV, ten suspects have been detained following the blasts. Five of them were picked up from the Delhi Railway station and others from other railway stations and bus terminals.
Tariq Ahmad Dar, was arrested in Kashmir, as the alleged suspect of the attacks on 10 November 2005.[10] The police also arrested the suspected Govindpuri bomber, Mohammed Rafiq Shah.[11] They were freed in Feb 2017 for lack of evidence.[12]
Thirty eight people were declared dead in Safdarjang hospital, ten in Lady Hardinge Hospital, five in Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and two inAIIMS. The number of fatalities later rose to 62, with about 210 injured.[citation needed]
| Place | Deaths | Injured | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pahargunj blast | 18 | 60 | (Rediff) |
| Sarojini Nagar market blast | 43 | 28 | (Rediff) |
| Govindpuri blast | 0 | 4 | (Rediff) |
| Total | 61 | 92 |
Relatives of the dead and injured received money and medical help from the government:
Delhi police ordered all temples and restaurants in Delhi closed shortly after the explosions, and the city of Delhi went onred alert.
At least two phone calls reporting fake bombs have been received by the Delhi police, including a false report of a bomb in a school (or a fair) for people with visual disabilities. In addition, there was a phone call reporting a (purportedly fake) bomb near a bank inKhari Baoli before the attacks occurred; the object referred to by the call was a suitcase, in which there were documents, batteries, and wires. In the midst of the attacks, there was anotherhoax call reporting a bomb going off in theGole Market.[13][14]
The Delhi police, after the explosions, sent out messages to the public asking them to report unidentified objects. This led to a wave of reports of "bombs", all of which proved to be either nonexistent or more benign objects, including a "bomb" at the Som Bazaar in eastern Delhi and another "bomb" near the Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.
The bombings have provoked strong international condemnation from the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, China, Sri Lanka, Japan, Belgium, Brazil, Iran, UAE, European Union, Bangladesh, Maldives, and South Africa.
