What Is ‘Dead-Drop’? Delhi Red Fort Blast Probe Reveals Ultra-Covert Email Technique Used to Communicate With Handlers
The Delhi Red Fort blast probe has uncovered the suspects’ use of ‘dead-drop’ emails, a covert method where messages are typed and stored in drafts without being sent, leaving no trace. Investigators say the accused used this spy-style technique to communicate with foreign handlers and plan the attack.
New Delhi, November 16: Investigators probing the November 10 Red Fort blast, which killed 13 people and injured dozens, have uncovered a sophisticated communication technique allegedly used by the accused, including doctors Muzammil Shakeel, Umar Mohammad and Shaheen Saeed. According to reports, the suspects relied on a covert system of ‘dead-drop’ emails to exchange messages without leaving a trace, raising concerns of external terror-network involvement. The Hyundai i20 used in the attack, driven by Dr Umar Mohammad, exploded at a busy traffic signal near the Red Fort. The arrests made since then, along with the discovery of nearly 3,000 kg of explosives in Faridabad hours earlier, have widened the scope of the investigation.
Sources told NDTV that the accused regularly used shared email accounts, encrypted apps like Threema and Telegram, and clandestine meetings at Al-Falah University to plan and coordinate possible terror strikes in Delhi. The findings suggest a level of training not commonly seen in low-level modules, pointing to potential links with Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad handlers. Delhi Car Blast Probe: Dr Umar Mohammad, Driver of Hyundai i20 Car That Exploded Near Red Fort Metro Station, Received INR 20 Lakh From JeM Handlers, Reveal Sources.
What Is ‘Dead-Drop’?
A dead-drop email system is a communication technique traditionally associated with espionage networks and advanced terror groups. Unlike normal emails, where messages are sent and received across servers, this method uses a single shared account. One user types a message in the drafts folder and saves it without sending it. The other user logs into the same account, reads the draft, deletes it, and types a response in the drafts folder. Because no email is actually transmitted, there is no “sent” or “received” metadata, making it extremely difficult for surveillance agencies to detect or intercept the exchange. Delhi Car Blast Probe: 3 Cartridges of 9mm Recovered From Explosion Site Near Red Fort; No Weapon Found.
Why Suspects Used the Dead-Drop Method
Investigators believe the accused used the dead-drop system to maintain operational secrecy, avoid digital footprints, and communicate securely with alleged handlers possibly based in Pakistan or Afghanistan. According to preliminary interrogation insights, the method may have been used to share:
- Attack instructions and operational tasks
- Reconnaissance details of planned targets in Delhi
- Logistics updates, financial codes and movement plans
This high level of compartmentalisation indicates the suspects were likely trained in sophisticated terror tradecraft, far beyond what is typical for amateur or self-radicalised modules.
How Investigators Are Reconstructing the Communication Trail
Though dead-drop emails leave minimal conventional traces, agencies are now focusing on forensic reconstruction. This involves analysing IP logs, device fingerprints, and login timestamps from the shared email accounts used by the suspects. Even without message content, such metadata can help map communication patterns, identify foreign handlers, and determine how the conspiracy was structured.
As the probe deepens, the dead-drop discovery is emerging as a crucial piece of evidence, one that may ultimately unravel the wider network behind the devastating Red Fort blast.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 16, 2025 08:59 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).