LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has stepped up efforts to disrupt the alleged Shahzad Bhatti network in the state, with investigators questioning around 24 people in 10 districts and examining their social media activity, mobile communications and contacts, officials familiar with the investigation said. The operation was continuing till the last reports came in.The latest action is part of a wider intelligence-led exercise aimed at identifying and neutralising the network’s suspected local links before they develop into operational modules, investigators said.Acting on inputs from intelligence agencies, ATS teams have been conducting searches and questioning suspects across multiple districts. The operation, which initially focused on several locations, has now expanded to additional areas, with investigators examining possible links in Muzaffarnagar, Bahraich, Shamli, Lakhimpur Kheri and Aligarh, among other districts.Officials said around two dozen individuals have been identified for scrutiny based on information gathered during earlier investigations and the interrogation of arrested suspects. Their individual roles are being verified before any further action is taken.A major focus of the investigation is the alleged use of social media platforms and mobile phones to establish contact with potential recruits and maintain communication with associates.ATS teams are examining social media accounts, chats, call records and other digital evidence of the people being questioned. Investigators are particularly looking at the nature, frequency and duration of their communications with persons already under investigation.Officials said the exercise is intended to distinguish between individuals who may have had casual or incidental contact with suspects and those who may have maintained sustained communication with, or assisted, the alleged network.“Of the total 24, 18 have been let off after a warning, while the gadgets of six others are still being scrutinised,” said an official privy to the probe.ATS is also examining whether the suspects acted as local facilitators, provided logistical support, conducted reconnaissance, or helped establish contacts for members of the alleged network.Officials said the objective is to nip any potential network activity in the bud by identifying individuals at an early stage and establishing their exact role through evidence.ATS has arrested 52 suspects over the past four months in cases involving alleged terrorist activities linked to the network, according to information cited by officials.
Who is Shahzad Bhatti?
Shahzad Bhatti is a Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terror suspect who has been under investigation by Indian security agencies for alleged cross-border criminal and terror activities.Investigators have linked his network to grenade, IED and petrol-bomb attacks, targeted killings, and reconnaissance of sensitive locations in India. Agencies allege that Bhatti uses social media and encrypted communication platforms to recruit operatives and coordinate activities from abroad.He has been named in investigations into attacks in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, including a grenade attack and an IED-related case. Indian agencies are also probing alleged links between his network, narco-terror activities and Pakistan-based handlers.
