Delhi's four-legged soldiers: Inside the elite K-9 force shielding the capital after Red Fort blast

Ela wouldn’t turn heads on a regular day in Delhi. November 10 was different for the German Shephard though. After the explosion near Red Fort, Ela, part of the Delhi Police K-9 unit, was thrust into the national capital’s spotlight.

Minutes after the blast, she was rushed to the site with her handler, assistant sub-inspector Kehar Singh of the north district bomb disposal team. Their job was the most crucial one in those early moments: combing the area to ensure no secondary explosives were hidden in the vicinity.

Ela’s deployment — quick, silent and intensely focused — offered a rare public glimpse of just how critical Delhi’s canine squad has become to the capital’s security ecosystem.

The force that works in the shadows

Delhi Police’s K-9 unit comprises 64 highly trained dogs — Belgian Malinois, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds — each selected for traits essential to policing: intelligence, physical endurance and acute detection abilities. Of them, 58 are trained in explosive detection, three specialise in narcotics, and three are expert trackers who follow scent trails to help investigators identify suspect movements.

Their postings across the city are based strictly on their specialisations. Dogs like Ela are routinely deployed to sweep vital installations, sanitise VVIP routes and secure crowded public spaces. The narcotics team aids police in drug searches, while tracker dogs help crack cases by tracing the path criminals may have taken.

Spread strategically across Delhi, these canines serve as a quiet but formidable layer of security. The unit operates under the supervision of DCP Harsh Indora.

Delhi Police is now preparing to significantly bolster this force. “Recognising the evolving security challenges of a sprawling metropolis, Delhi Police is adding teeth to the unit by recruiting 72 more trained dogs,” an officer said. The induction will help the squad expand into new functions — including combat assault and search & rescue — while strengthening existing capabilities.

Special commissioner of police (crime) Devesh Chandra Srivastava described the K-9 wing in simple but telling terms: “The unit has been an integral part of Delhi Police and acts as a force multiplier.”

Training that starts with trust

The dogs entering the unit come from paramilitary and Army training academies. Before they are brought into Delhi Police, handlers travel to these centres to spend time with them — a deliberate effort to build early familiarity, observe behaviour and understand how each dog responds to different cues.

Handlers then undergo capsule courses ranging from two weeks to six months, preparing them to work seamlessly with their partners in the field.

Depending on breed, training and age, each dog costs between ₹6 lakh and ₹10 lakh.

Behind every deployment lies careful conditioning. Each dog follows a tailored diet plan monitored closely for performance and health. “Some require high-protein meals. All meals are boiled, ensuring the dogs remain healthy and focused,” an officer said.

(With inputs from ToI)