Why Delhi Police run secret terror drills ahead of I-Day
For nearly 30 years, since the Jammu Mandi bombing in 1995, Delhi Police's Special Cell has quietly run month-long anti-terror drills across the city ahead of Independence Day.
Officers secretly plant dummy bombs with GPS trackers and stage mock attacks at busy places, all without tipping off the public.
The drill
The plan stays top secret—only the deputy commissioner knows all the details.
Each year, about 70 hotspots get tested, from Red Fort to Connaught Place and popular markets.
Undercover cops act as "terrorists" to see how quickly local police and security teams react.
Dummy terrorist slipped through Red Fort's security last week
The point isn't just to test security—it's to spot weak spots before Independence Day, when thousands of officers are on duty.
Just last week (August 8), a dummy terrorist slipped through layers of protection at Red Fort and reached a children's area undetected—a reminder that there's always room for improvement.
Importance of the drill
These drills might be invisible, but they're all about keeping big public events safe—and making sure security teams can handle real threats if they ever happen.