White-collar terror: Doctors under scrutiny over encrypted chats

The Delhi Police Special Cell is investigating seven doctors suspected of being part of a “white-collar terror module” linked to the 10/11 Red Fort car blast.

Police are currently conducting searches across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttarakhand to locate these members.

The encrypted groups were reportedly created in 2021, and investigators are probing if the groups were formed in reaction to the northeast Delhi riots.

Authorities face difficulties retrieving older chat data (2021-2022) and identifying members who used pseudonyms and code words.

A senior officer told HT, “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 and tension following the riots played a role in drawing these individuals together.”

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 have yet to receive data from the second platform. Retrieving older chats from 2021 and 2022 is almost impossible, but investigators are trying to piece together how the groups formed, how members found each other, who moderated discussions, and what was being exchanged.”