Pakistan-based gangster and ISI proxy Shahzad Bhatti (right)
NEW DELHI: The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested two individuals allegedly connected to Pakistan-based gangster and ISI proxy Shahzad Bhatti. Officials said on Tuesday that the module was planning firing incidents, grenade explosions and targeted assassinations across the Delhi-NCR region.Acting on intelligence inputs, police registered a case on March 31 after indications emerged regarding a conspiracy to carry out grenade blasts and planned killings in the area.“Their arrest foiled planned attacks in the national capital and adjoining areas. The arrests exposed a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Bhatti, who, along with other ISI-linked handlers, was recruiting young people through social media platforms and deploying them for targeted acts of violence in Delhi-NCR,” deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi said in a statement.The accused, Rajveer (21) and Vivek Banjara (19), are residents of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and were taken into custody during a coordinated operation by the Special Cell.Vivek Banjara was initially apprehended from Dabra in Gwalior on April 16. During questioning, he disclosed information about Rajveer, which led police to arrest Rajveer from the Sarai Kale Khan area of Delhi on April 18.Investigators said Rajveer was in the process of planning an attack on a well-known hotel in the Delhi-NCR region under instructions from his handler Shahzad Bhatti at the time of his arrest. Police recovered one pistol and six live rounds from him. Two mobile phones containing videos and voice recordings linked to the conspiracy were also seized.Officials said Rajveer had entered Bhatti’s network through social media and was operating under a handler known as “Rana Bhai”. “He allegedly played a central role in coordinating movements, collecting weapons and executing planned attacks,” the officer said.Vivek Banjara was allegedly drawn into the group through Rajveer and was assigned support roles including logistics and surveillance.According to police, both young men were recruited gradually with the lure of quick financial gain.On April 9, both accused travelled to Amritsar where they allegedly received a pistol, around 15–20 rounds of ammunition, and Rs 20,000. They were assigned to carry out firing at a club in Zirakpur in Punjab, which had reportedly received extortion threats from Bhatti.“On April 11, Rajveer allegedly attempted to carry out the firing but failed due to a mechanical issue in the weapon. Vivek recorded a video of the incident to send to their handler. Rajveer later concealed the weapon while returning to Delhi and shared its location with Bhatti, the police said.”Police further stated that Rajveer later revisited Punjab, collected another firearm and ammunition, and returned to the Delhi-NCR region. Investigation into the wider network is continuing.
