SRINAGAR: Security agencies across India have conducted a significant multi-state operation, apprehending 253 individuals and disrupting plans for subversive activities attributed to the Pakistan-based, ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN). The crackdown, which took place just ahead of Independence Day, was a coordinated effort involving state police forces and a real-time intelligence-sharing system.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the successful dismantling of the network, stating that over 200 operatives were arrested. He emphasized the government’s ‘zero tolerance’ stance towards militancy, highlighting the coordinated operations as a testament to this policy.
The operation, carried out on August 12, saw detentions in 14 states. Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of detentions with 62 individuals taken into custody. Haryana followed with 52 detentions, while Delhi recorded 51. Punjab saw 44 detentions, Rajasthan 15, and Maharashtra eight. Uttarakhand had five detentions, with Gujarat, Karnataka, and Bihar each reporting three. Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kerala each had two individuals detained.
New First Information Reports (FIRs) were also registered in Delhi and Karnataka as part of this extensive crackdown. The Shahzad Bhatti Network has been identified by security agencies as a terror syndicate operating from Pakistan, allegedly receiving support from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The network has been implicated in a range of attacks, including the use of grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and petrol bombs, as well as targeted killings across India.
According to government statements, the network was also involved in the recruitment and payment of local individuals to conduct reconnaissance on police, defence establishments, and religious sites. These conduits were allegedly tasked with installing CCTV cameras for espionage purposes, underscoring the network’s multifaceted operational strategy.
During the course of the operation, security agencies recovered significant caches of arms and explosives. These included IEDs, grenades marked with Pakistan Ordnance Factory insignia, pistols, live ammunition, and CCTV cameras believed to be used for surveillance. The government stated that these seizures provided conclusive evidence of the network’s cross-border linkages and its reliance on external support.
In total, more than 80 FIRs have been lodged, and over 200 arrests have been made in connection with the network’s activities. The individuals are facing charges under various stringent laws, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Arms Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and the Explosive Substances Act. These legal provisions reflect the serious nature of the alleged offences committed by the network.
Home Minister Amit Shah further stated that the coordinated efforts had effectively neutralized the network’s capacity to execute planned disruptions during the sensitive Independence Day period. Security agencies have indicated that such coordinated operations will continue nationwide to dismantle similar networks and prevent cross-border-sponsored militant activities.
The Chenab Times News Desk