NIA raids 18 locations in Punjab, Haryana in Shahzad Bhatti terror cases
Synopsis
In one of its most sweeping single-day operations, the NIA hit 18 locations across Punjab and Haryana to dismantle networks linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti — a fugitive already chargesheeted for a grenade attack on a social media influencer, a women's police station bombing, and a car bomb at a police post. The cross-border conspiracy now spans three formal NIA cases and nine accused.
Key Takeaways
The NIA searched 18 locations across 9 districts in Punjab and Haryana on 9 June .
All three cases are linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti , who is currently absconding.
Bhatti is accused of masterminding the March 2025 grenade attack on influencer Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar .
He is also allegedly behind the November 2025 Sirsa Women Police Station blast and the January 2026 Ambala car bomb at Baldev Nagar Police Station.
Nine individuals were chargesheeted in the Sirsa case, including Pakistan-based handler Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch .
Seized digital devices and documents have been sent for forensic and technical examination .
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday, 9 June conducted coordinated searches at 18 locations spread across nine districts in Punjab and Haryana, targeting networks linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti in connection with three separate terror-gangster cases. The operation marks one of the agency's most sweeping single-day crackdowns on Bhatti's alleged cross-border conspiracy network.
Scope of the Searches
NIA teams examined several individuals during the searches and seized digital devices, documents, and data pertaining to communication networks, financial transactions, and the activities of persons under the agency's scanner. The seized material has been dispatched for forensic and technical examination to help unravel what investigators describe as a larger cross-border conspiracy. Notices have also been issued to certain individuals, directing them to join the investigation for further questioning.
The Three Cases Under Probe
The searches span three active NIA cases, all of which investigators have linked to Bhatti, who is currently absconding and believed to be operating from across the border.
In case RC-22/2025/NIA/DLI, the NIA has traced the March 2025 grenade attack on the residence of social media influencer Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar, Punjab to Bhatti. The agency chargesheeted Bhatti along with one other accused in April.
In case RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI, investigators allege Bhatti masterminded the November 2025 explosion at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana. The agency chargesheeted nine individuals in that case in May, including Bhatti and another Pakistan-based handler identified as Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch.
The third case, RC-03/2026/NIA/DLI, relates to a car bomb explosion in January 2026 at the Baldev Nagar Police Station in Ambala, Haryana. One arrested accused in this case was found to have been in direct contact with Bhatti, according to the NIA.
Who Is Shahzad Bhatti
Bhatti is described by investigators as a gangster-turned-terrorist believed to be directing criminal and terror operations in India from Pakistan. His alleged activities span grenade attacks, police station bombings, and the recruitment of local operatives — a pattern investigators say mirrors the Pakistan-based terror-gangster nexus that security agencies have been tracking for several years. This is not the first NIA action against networks linked to Pakistan-based handlers; the agency has chargesheeted multiple such figures in recent years as cross-border remote-control attacks on Indian soil have escalated.
What Comes Next
The NIA stated that investigations in all three cases are continuing, with the agency focused on tracing every link in the terror network. The forensic analysis of seized devices and documents is expected to yield further leads. With Bhatti still absconding, the agency is likely to intensify efforts to identify and neutralise his remaining associates within India.
Point of View
Which raises a pointed question: how many more associates remain unidentified while Bhatti continues to operate from across the border with apparent impunity?
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the NIA conduct raids in Punjab and Haryana on 9 June?
The NIA searched 18 locations across nine districts in Punjab and Haryana to gather evidence and identify associates in three active terror cases linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti. The agency seized digital devices, documents, and financial data during the operation.
Who is Shahzad Bhatti?
Shahzad Bhatti is a Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist who is currently absconding and believed to be directing criminal and terror operations inside India from across the border. The NIA has chargesheeted him in connection with a grenade attack in Jalandhar, a police station bombing in Sirsa, and a car bomb blast in Ambala.
What are the three NIA cases linked to Shahzad Bhatti?
The three cases are: a March 2025 grenade attack on influencer Roger Sandhu's residence in Jalandhar (RC-22/2025/NIA/DLI); a November 2025 explosion at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana (RC-24/2025/NIA/DLI); and a January 2026 car bomb at Baldev Nagar Police Station in Ambala, Haryana (RC-03/2026/NIA/DLI).
Who else has been chargesheeted in these cases?
In the Sirsa blast case, nine individuals were chargesheeted in May, including Bhatti and Pakistan-based handler Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch. In the Jalandhar grenade attack case, Bhatti and one other accused were chargesheeted in April.
What happens next in the NIA investigation?
Seized digital devices and documents have been sent for forensic and technical examination to uncover further links in the terror network. The NIA has also issued notices to certain individuals for further questioning, and investigations in all three cases remain ongoing.
