What Investigators Found About Red Fort Blast Module's Secret Communication Network

The terror module being probed for the deadly blast near the Red Fort used an unusual communication method to evade detection - exchanging unsent messages saved as email drafts in a shared account, investigators said on Thursday.According to officials, the suspects, including Dr. Umar Un Nabi, who is believed to have driven the car that exploded, and his associates, Dr. Muzammil Ganaie and Dr. Shaheen Shahid, operated a single email account accessible to all members of the group. Instead of sending emails, they typed messages and saved them as drafts. The intended recipient would then log into the same account, read the draft and delete it, leaving no trace of communication on any network, a police source said, reports PTI. Investigators said the method was

chosen to avoid surveillance and prevent interception, as nothing was transmitted electronically. They said the technique reflected a high level of planning and caution within the module.The members were also in regular contact through Threema, a Switzerland-based encrypted messaging application, and similar platforms, police added. The app was allegedly used to coordinate the conspiracy and communicate with foreign handlers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yric-Fn0moQ

A source said Threema’s design makes tracking users extremely difficult because it does not require a phone number or email address for registration. Each user receives a unique ID not linked to any mobile number or SIM card, and the app provides end-to-end encryption with the option of operating on private servers.Investigators suspect the accused doctors set up a private Threema server to communicate securely and exchange sensitive documents, maps and layouts linked to the Delhi blast plot. Police believe detailed planning, including location sharing and task assignments, was carried out through this private network.Threema also allows users to delete messages from both ends and does not store metadata, making forensic recovery challenging, a source added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4QP1I7k5q8

Preliminary findings suggest the app was used to share restricted material and coded messages among members of the module, officials said.