Red Fort blast: Maintain record of entities dealing in ammonium nitrate, Delhi L-G tells police

In the wake of the recent terror blasts near the Red Fort, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Friday directed the Police Commissioner and Chief Secretary to implement a series of precautionary measures aimed at tightening the city’s security apparatus.

In separate communications issued from the L-G Secretariat, Delhi Police have been instructed to maintain a digital record of all entities purchasing or selling ammonium nitrate above a specified limit, including photographs of both buyers and sellers, along with other relevant identifying details.

The move is intended to curb misuse of the chemical, often exploited for making explosives.

The police have also been asked to conduct consultations with major social media platforms, including Meta and X, to explore scientific mechanisms for tracking radicalised content designed to brainwash citizens.

Additionally, the L-G has called for strengthened human and technical intelligence, with a special focus on vulnerable areas prone to radicalisation. Enhanced community outreach and citizen engagement have also been stressed to bolster preventive policing.

For the civil administration, the L-G has directed the creation of a central data repository of doctors and paramedical staff, particularly those employed in private hospitals.

The database will include details of their medical degrees, and in cases involving foreign qualifications, the information will be shared with police for secondary background verification.

The administration has been asked to hold consultations with digital platforms and financiers involved in the sale and purchase of vehicles, especially second-hand ones. 

Clear instructions are to be issued to ensure that no vehicle is allowed to operate if the actual owner differs from the registered owner—a problem reportedly widespread among auto-rickshaws, where permit holders are often not the real owners.