The outcome of the investigations essentially formed the basis for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to issue a sweeping directive on November 28 last year, mandating that app-based communication services like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal must be continuously linked to an active, physical SIM card within the device.
The officials said the probe into the “white-collar” terror module and the blast led to a web of “ghost” SIM cards being used by the arrested doctors, including Muzammil Ganaie, Adeel Rather and others, as part of a tactical “dual-phone” protocol to evade security agencies.
Each accused, including Dr Umar-un-Nabi, who was killed while driving the explosives-laden vehicle near the Red Fort, carried two to three mobile handsets, they said.
The accused carried one “clean” phone registered in their own names for routine personal and professional use to avoid suspicionm, and a “terror phone” used exclusively for WhatsApp and Telegram communication with their handlers in Pakistan (identified by codenames like ‘Ukasa’, ‘Faizan’, and ‘Hashmi’). The SIM cards for these secondary devices were issued in the names of unsuspecting civilians whose Aadhaar details were misused, the officials said.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police have further unearthed a separate racket where SIMs were issued using fake Aadhaar cards, they added. According to the officials, the security agencies noted a disturbing trend where these compromised SIMs remained active on messaging platforms across the border in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or Pakistan.
By exploiting features that allow messaging apps to run without a physical SIM in the device, the handlers were able to direct the module to learn IED assembly via YouTube and plot “hinterland” attacks, despite the recruits initially wanting to join conflict zones in Syria or Afghanistan.
To plug these security gaps, the Centre has invoked the Telecommunications Act, 2023, and Telecom Cyber Security Rules to “safeguard the integrity of the telecom ecosystem”, which includes a rule that within 90 days, all Telecommunication Identifier User Entities (TIUEs) must ensure their apps function only if an active SIM is installed in the device.
The order further directs the telecom operators to automatically log out users from apps like WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal in case of the absence of an active SIM, the officials said, adding that all service providers, including Snapchat, Sharechat and Jiochat, must submit compliance reports to the DoT.
