A mock security exercise at the Red Fort exposed serious gaps in preparedness for the upcoming Independence Day celebrations. A “dummy terrorist” from the Delhi Police’s Special Cell managed to infiltrate the high-security venue, carrying mock explosives all the way to the children’s enclosure, without being stopped. This was the third such breach in recent days during security drills ahead of August 15.
Operative Roams Freely and Records Videos
According to an official familiar with the incident, the operative—whose role was to test security measures—not only entered the premises undetected but also took selfies and recorded videos among security personnel before leaving without interference.
Police Say Drills Are Routine
Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia downplayed the incident, explaining that such exercises are conducted regularly to identify and fix vulnerabilities. “We continue to do them to rule out any shortcomings and we have conducted several successful drills where the mock operatives were caught,” he stated.
Record of Past Successful Drills
Another officer revealed that at least 15 mock drills have been conducted successfully so far. These included “three subversion attempt mock drills and two dummy infiltration drills by Special Branch, nine dummy infiltration attempts by local vigilance branch and one subversion attempt mock drill of Special Cell” in which the suspects were apprehended during the exercises.
How the Breach Happened
On Friday evening, the dummy infiltrator gained entry by scaling a wall near the petrol pump on Nishad Raj Road. He then moved into the high-security seating area and “spent considerable time loitering” before exiting. The Special Cell later documented the breach with photographs and videos, sending them to police headquarters and notifying the Prime Minister’s Security Unit as per protocol. Corrective measures were then initiated.
No Action Taken Against Officials Yet
As of Sunday, no disciplinary action had been taken against those responsible. This comes after seven police personnel were suspended last week following the arrest of five Bangladeshi nationals allegedly living illegally near the Red Fort, along with the recovery of two live cartridges from the premises.
