Delhi Police arrests 5 from Shahzad Bhatti ISI terror network, uncovers new module
Synopsis
Delhi's Special Cell didn't just arrest five suspects — it peeled back another layer of a cross-border ISI operation that was actively recruiting youth across four states to kill police officers, spray propaganda graffiti, and build a domestic footprint for a Pakistan-linked terror outfit. The ₹3 lakh bounty on a cop's life and the ₹5,000 graffiti payment reveal a network that runs on micro-payments and encrypted apps.
Key Takeaways
Delhi Police Special Cell arrested five accused on 17 June linked to the ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti terror network .
A second inter-state terror module connected to Bhatti was simultaneously uncovered; the remaining three members were arrested earlier in Operation Gang Bust 2.0 .
Accused were directed to target police personnel , promote Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) , and conduct reconnaissance of security establishments across Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh .
Recoveries include five small arms , 10 live rounds , and posters of Pakistani handler Abid Jutt .
Rihan was allegedly offered ₹3 lakh to fire upon police; Sohail was paid ₹5,000 for painting TTH graffiti.
FIRs registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act ; probe into the network's financing and recruitment is ongoing.
Delhi Police Special Cell on Wednesday, 17 June arrested five of the eight accused linked to a Pakistan-based ISI-backed terror syndicate operated by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, while simultaneously uncovering a separate inter-state terror module connected to the same network. The arrests came a day after the Special Cell first busted the syndicate, with the remaining three members of the broader module having been detained earlier during Operation Gang Bust 2.0.
What the Module Was Tasked to Do
According to police officials, the accused were directed to target police personnel in Delhi and neighbouring states, paste posters of Pakistan-based handlers to glorify them, and paint graffiti promoting the ISI-sponsored outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) across the Delhi-NCR region. Police noted that the TTH recently claimed responsibility for the killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Amritsar's Majitha.
Who Was Arrested and Where
The five accused — Sohail, Sonu Meena, Sachin Kumar Meena, Md. Kaif, and Md. Rihan — are all in their 20s and are residents of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
Sohail was arrested from Ballabgarh, Faridabad. According to police, he communicated with Bhatti over encrypted messaging apps and painted TTH graffiti at multiple locations in Delhi and Faridabad on Bhatti's instructions, receiving ₹5,000 in payment. He is described by investigators as a hardened criminal with multiple prior cases.
Sonu Meena was picked up from Ghitorni, Delhi. He was reportedly in contact with Hassan Gujjar, a member of the Bhatti network, and was tasked with arranging weapons and providing financial support to other module members. Three pistols and live rounds were recovered from him. He is also alleged to have transferred the ₹5,000 payment to Sohail.
Sachin Kumar Meena, arrested from the same area in Delhi, was an associate of Sonu Meena. Two pistols and live rounds were recovered from him.
Md. Kaif was arrested from Mewat, Haryana. He was reportedly in communication with Pakistani handlers Rana Hunain and Abid Jutt, both members of the Bhatti network. Hunain allegedly directed Kaif to carry out target killings of police personnel, conduct reconnaissance of police stations and security camps, and recruit youth for firing and grenade attacks.
Md. Rihan was arrested from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He was in contact with Pakistani handlers Abid Jutt and Mohsin and was reportedly offered ₹3 lakh to fire upon police personnel. He also affixed Abid Jutt's posters in Meerut and was directed to paint TTH graffiti and conduct reconnaissance of security establishments.
Recoveries and Legal Action
Investigators recovered five small arms, 10 live rounds, posters of Abid Jutt, and incriminating material including videos of individuals surveilling or threatening police personnel. FIRs have been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
The Operation Behind the Arrests
Teams of the Special Cell (New Delhi Region), led by Inspector Sunil Rajain and Inspector Dheeraj under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner of Police (New Delhi Range) Vivek Kumar Tyagi, dismantled the module. Officials stated that the Special Cell had been gathering intelligence on Bhatti's network through human sources and technical analysis over an extended period before executing the operation.
With the three remaining accused already in custody from Operation Gang Bust 2.0, investigators are now expected to widen the probe into the cross-border network's financing and recruitment pipelines.
Point of View
Graffiti campaigns to normalise a terror brand, and bounties for killing police — mirrors tactics documented in Punjab over the past two years, suggesting a deliberate ISI playbook being rolled out across northern India. What stands out is the geographic spread: five accused from four different states points to a recruitment pipeline that is no longer confined to border districts. The TTH's claim of responsibility for the Amritsar ASI killing, now corroborated by these arrests, raises a harder question — how many similar modules are already activated and not yet detected? The Special Cell's reliance on human intelligence and technical analysis is a positive signal, but the ₹3 lakh bounty on a police officer's life is a number that should concentrate minds at the policy level.
NationPress
6 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Shahzad Bhatti and why is he significant?
Shahzad Bhatti is a Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist whose network has been linked by Delhi Police to an ISI-backed operation targeting security personnel in India. His syndicate has been accused of directing recruits across multiple Indian states to carry out killings, spread propaganda for the outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan, and conduct reconnaissance of police installations.
What is Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH)?
Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) is an alleged ISI-sponsored terror outfit that police say the arrested accused were tasked to promote through graffiti and posters in the Delhi-NCR region. The TTH recently claimed responsibility for the killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector in Amritsar's Majitha, according to police.
What was recovered during the Delhi Special Cell operation on 17 June?
Investigators recovered five small arms, 10 live rounds, posters of Pakistani handler Abid Jutt, and incriminating material including videos of accused individuals surveilling or threatening police personnel. FIRs have been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.
What were the accused directed to do by their Pakistani handlers?
According to police, the accused were tasked with targeting and killing police personnel, conducting reconnaissance of police stations and security camps, recruiting youth for firing and grenade attacks, pasting posters of Pakistan-based handlers, and painting TTH graffiti across Delhi-NCR. One accused was allegedly offered ₹3 lakh to fire upon police officers.
What is Operation Gang Bust 2.0 and how does it connect to these arrests?
Operation Gang Bust 2.0 is an earlier Delhi Police Special Cell operation during which three members of the inter-state terror module linked to Shahzad Bhatti were arrested. The five arrests on 17 June complete the eight-member accused list from the newly uncovered module, with all detentions now connected to the broader Bhatti-ISI network.
