Delhi Police probes alleged use of Bluetooth messaging apps during 'Sansad Chalo' march

Delhi Police is investigating the alleged use of Bluetooth-based messaging applications by some participants in Monday's 'Sansad Chalo' march, during which violence was reported. According to sources, police plan to write to the service providers of these applications to seek details of users.

The reported use of such applications has drawn the attention of senior police officials and intelligence agencies. According to sources, similar technologies have previously been reported during protests in several countries, including the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, as well as protests in Nepal, Iran, Uganda, Madagascar, Taiwan and Malaysia.

These applications allow users to connect directly with nearby devices over Bluetooth, without relying on mobile data or internet connectivity. Instead of transmitting messages through cellular networks or Wi-Fi, they use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks, in which messages are relayed between nearby devices in a chain.


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According to police sources, this mode of communication makes it difficult for law enforcement agencies to monitor communications in real time.

Police are also examining the movement of people who travelled from other states to participate in the march. According to sources, preliminary findings suggest that a large number of participants arrived from outside Delhi, but no prior inputs regarding such movement were shared by the intelligence units of the respective states.

A police officer said that many protesters reached Jantar Mantar after coaching centres remained closed on Monday due to the FIFA World Cup.

Delhi Police has initiated an investigation into what it describes as a possible "larger conspiracy" behind the violence. The force's anti-terror unit is conducting a technical inquiry into the sequence of events.

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The investigation is currently focused on identifying individuals whom police describe as "outsiders" or "non-students" who allegedly mixed with the crowd and were involved in assaults on police personnel and damage to police vehicles.

As part of the conspiracy probe, police are examining intelligence inputs regarding groups that allegedly assembled at specific locations. According to sources, some individuals were seen moving in groups of two, which investigators are examining in the context of the prohibitory orders that were in force.

A senior police officer alleged that some individuals were carrying stones in their pockets and pepper spray, and that portions of a wall were broken to collect bricks and stones. The officer also said that a politician from northeast Delhi is among those being investigated.

According to sources, the counter-intelligence unit of Delhi Police is examining whether there are similarities between the incidents during Monday's march and previous instances of violence reported in the city over the past five to six years.

Police are conducting an analysis of Internet Protocol Detail Records (IPDR) of several suspects to determine their alleged role in the violence, sources said.

Investigators are also using facial recognition technology to identify individuals captured on CCTV cameras allegedly involved in violence or vandalism. According to police, some suspects had covered their faces during the march, and CCTV footage from multiple locations is being analysed to determine whether they removed their face coverings after leaving the protest site.

(With inputs from TOI)