Delhi Police bust alleged ISI terror module, 4 arrested

Delhi Police’s Special Cell foiled a suspected Pakistan-backed terror plot in the national Capital by arresting four alleged operatives linked to an inter-state arms and terror network. Investigators said the accused, three arrested in Punjab and one in Delhi, were allegedly working at the behest of Pakistan-based ISI handler Shahzad Bhatti and had procured weapons and used foreign phone numbers to evade detection.

Police alleged that one of the accused had conducted reconnaissance of police establishments and religious places in Delhi and had been tasked with carrying out a firing incident in the city. The accused have been identified as Shubdeep Singh alias Vishal (23) and Gurjant Singh alias Rishi (22), both residents of Tarn Taran district; Sajan Singh alias Honey (28) of Amritsar district; and Gaganpreet (24) of Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab.

According to the Special Cell, the operation was carried out by a team led by Inspectors Satish Rana and Ashok under the supervision of ACP Vivek Kumar Tyagi, following specific intelligence inputs that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), through handler Shahzad Bhatti and his associates, was recruiting youth from Punjab to execute a terror strike in Delhi-NCR.

Police said sustained technical surveillance and multiple raids in Delhi and Punjab led to the arrests. The first breakthrough came with Shubdeep Singh’s arrest from Majitha Road in Amritsar, from whose possession police recovered a semi-automatic pistol, five live cartridges and two mobile phones.

During interrogation, Shubdeep allegedly disclosed that he was in direct contact with Pakistan-based handlers of the Shahzad Bhatti network and had been receiving consignments of firearms and narcotics dropped by drones from across the international border. Investigators said he used foreign phone numbers supplied by his Pakistani handlers to avoid detection. Police added that he had previously been arrested by Punjab Police in a case under the NDPS Act.

Acting on his disclosures, police arrested Gurjant Singh and his cousin Sajan Singh from Punjab. A Zigana pistol, four live cartridges and two mobile phones were allegedly recovered from their possession. According to investigators, the duo was also in touch with Pakistani handlers through foreign numbers and received arms and narcotics consignments sent through drones.

The investigation subsequently led to Gaganpreet’s arrest in Delhi. Police said a mobile phone containing incriminating material was recovered from him. He was allegedly instructed by Pakistani handlers through social media to conduct reconnaissance of religious places, police stations and police pickets in Delhi. He was assigned the task of carrying out a firing incident in the capital.

In all, police recovered two foreign-made pistols, a Zigana pistol and a .30 bore pistol, nine live cartridges and five mobile phones from the accused. A case has been registered under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi said the arrests exposed an ISI-sponsored inter-state terror and arms network that was allegedly attempting to recruit youth and infiltrate weapons into India through drones for terror-related activities.

The latest arrests come just over a month after Delhi Police claimed to have busted an alleged Pakistan ISI-underworld terror module and arrested eight people, including a Nepali national, who were allegedly planning attacks on vital installations, security establishments and police personnel in Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh and Punjab. Police said the eight accused were apprehended in a coordinated multi-state operation that uncovered a conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan’s ISI in collaboration with underworld operatives and the network of Shahzad Bhatti.