IB failed to detect Red Fort blast module for more than a year

The unmasking of the terror cell was not the result of proactive intelligence but a mere 'chance investigation'.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The deadly car explosion near the Red Fort on 10 November has ripped the lid off a massive security and intelligence failure, with sources confirming that the terror module responsible—operating from nearby Faridabad—was active for at least one and a half years right in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The key members of the cell, now linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) outfits, were allegedly working together, accumulating a staggering 2,900 kg cache of bomb making materials, just a stone's throw away from the power seat of Delhi, all without any detection by India’s primary internal security apparatus, led by the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

The IB, among the multiple security agencies, is responsible for collecting, collating intelligence that will preempt terror incidents inside the country’s borders.