Red Fort blast: Police probe encrypted ‘group chats’ on Telegram and Signal

At least seven members of these groups are under the scanner of the Delhi Police special cell assisting NIA in the Red Fort blast probe.

Delhi Police are probing two “closed user groups” on encrypted messaging apps, created in 2021 and comprising members from the medical fraternity. While their link to the Red Fort blast module is still unclear, investigators said they have fanned out across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Uttarakhand to trace the members and examine their possible connection to the conspiracy.

RAF personnel stand guard to maintain security at India Gate in New Delhi, on November 17, 2025, a week after the Red Fort blast. (Photo by RAJ K RAJ / Hindustan Times)

At least seven members of these groups – most of them medical professionals – are under the scanner of the Delhi Police special cell teams assisting NIA in the blast probe, officers said. None of the seven have any connection with Al-Falah University.

Teams are currently camping in Deoband and Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and in parts of Bihar and Uttarakhand, to identify, track and question the seven suspects believed to be linked to Nabi, a doctor from Jammu and Kashmir, at least two people aware of the matter said.

“We have found that the Telegram and Signal groups were tightly controlled spaces with restricted membership and guarded conversations. The Telegram group was created in 2021 – a year after the northeast Delhi riots. Its timing has prompted investigators to examine whether the polarisation following the riots played a role in drawing them together,” a senior officer said.

Another officer said investigators are still working to confirm the real identities of the members, many of whom used pseudonyms and code words. While some information from the Telegram has helped police narrow down the seven suspects, they are yet to receive data from the second platform.