Red Fort Blast: Terror Module Used 'Ghost' SIMs, DoT Mandates Active SIM Link for Apps

• Investigations into the Red Fort blast revealed a "white-collar" terror module used "ghost" SIM cards and encrypted apps to communicate with Pakistani handlers.
• Accused doctors, including Muzammil Ganaie and Adeel Rather, used a "dual-phone" protocol: a "clean" phone for personal use and a "terror phone" with SIMs obtained via misused Aadhaar details or fake IDs.
• The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) issued a 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.
• This new rule, invoked under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, aims to plug security gaps, requiring apps to function only with an active SIM and logging out users otherwise, to counter cyber fraud and terror activities.
• The module's unraveling began with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) posters in Srinagar, leading to arrests at Al Falah University and the seizure of large quantities of explosives.

Why It Matters: Red Fort blast probe exposes terror module's 'ghost' SIM use, prompting DoT to mandate active SIM linkage for apps.