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

What the report says

The Times of India, with the report carried by The Economic Times, said Delhi Police are examining whether Bluetooth-based messaging apps were used by some participants during Monday’s “Sansad Chalo” march in Delhi, where violence was reported. The inquiry is looking at whether the communication tools were connected to what police describe as a possible wider conspiracy behind assaults on police personnel and damage to police vehicles.

According to the report, police sources said investigators may approach the app service providers for user details. The apps can connect nearby devices through Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks, allowing messages to pass device-to-device without mobile data, Wi-Fi or standard cellular networks. Police sources said that such communication can make real-time monitoring difficult; the article also noted that similar technologies have been reported in protests abroad, including Hong Kong’s 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations.

Delhi Police’s anti-terror unit is conducting a technical inquiry into the sequence of events, while investigators are also reviewing the movement of people who came from outside Delhi for the march. The report said police are focusing on individuals described by investigators as “outsiders” or “non-students” who allegedly blended into the crowd. A senior police officer alleged that some people carried stones and pepper spray, and that a northeast Delhi politician is among those being examined.

Police are using CCTV footage, facial recognition and Internet Protocol Detail Records analysis to identify suspects and assess alleged roles in the violence, according to the report. The counter-intelligence unit is also studying whether Monday’s incidents resemble earlier episodes of violence in Delhi over the past five to six years.