Major terror plot in Delhi foiled, six operatives of Shahzad Bhatti network arrested
New Delhi, July 6: The Delhi Police Special Cell has conducted a major crackdown on the network of Pakistani terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, busting two modules. One module was plotting to attack a vital government or police establishment in Delhi with petrol bombs, while the other module was smuggling weapons delivered via drones from Pakistan, the Delhi police reported.
The police have arrested six accused from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab. Three petrol bombs, three sophisticated pistols, five live cartridges, two cars, a stolen bike, mobile phones, and digital evidence of conversations with Pakistani handlers were recovered from their possession.
Additional Commissioner of Police Pramod Kushwaha of the Special Cell stated in a press conference at Police Headquarters on Monday that the operation was carried out by the Special Cell’s Northern Range (NDR) team. The entire operation was carried out under the supervision of DCP Praveen Tripathi, by a team comprising ACP Vivek Kumar Tyagi, Inspector Sunil Rajain, and Inspector Dheeraj. In both cases, FIRs have been registered at the Special Cell police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act.
Investigations revealed that the first module was operating at the behest of Rana Hunain, a handler linked to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. Rana Hunain is said to be a close associate of Shahzad Bhatti. According to the police, the module’s objective was to conduct a recce of an important government or police establishment in Delhi and carry out a petrol bomb attack. The Special Cell arrested two accused in the Vijay Ghat area. They recovered three petrol bombs, ₹2,000 in cash, a stolen motorcycle, and mobile phones containing chats, photos, and videos with Pakistani handlers. The arrested accused have been identified as 24-year-old Danish alias Chand Mian and 20-year-old Salman, residents of Muzaffarnagar.
During interrogation, Danish revealed that he met Rana Hunain through social media in April 2026. He was then assigned to come to Delhi to conduct reconnaissance of sensitive targets and carry out the attack. He was promised 20,000 rupees upon completion of the task.
The Special Cell’s investigation revealed that the second module was smuggling weapons delivered via drones from Pakistan. This network was operated by ISI handler Hasan Gujjar, a close associate of Shahzad Bhatti. According to the police, weapons were dropped from Pakistan via drones on the Punjab border and then supplied to Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. The proceeds from the sale of these weapons were intended to fund terrorist and criminal activities in India. In this case, the Special Cell arrested three accused from the Kalindi Kunj area. Three sophisticated pistols, five live cartridges, and two cars were recovered from their possession. A fourth accused, Malkit Singh, was later arrested from Amritsar, Punjab. The arrested accused include Tayyab, a resident of Shaheen Bagh, Zubair Khan, a resident of Modinagar, Ghaziabad, Ali Fazal, a resident of Lisadi Gate, Meerut, and Malkit Singh, a resident of Kohala village, Amritsar.
The police investigation revealed that Tayyab had met Hasan Gujjar through social media. On his instructions, Zubair Khan went to Amritsar, where he received a consignment of weapons from Malkit Singh. These weapons were later given to Ali Fazal to be sold to buyers in Delhi or Uttar Pradesh. An Arms Act case has already been registered against Ali Fazal in Uttar Pradesh in 2025. Malkit Singh, meanwhile, received consignments of weapons sent via drone from Pakistan and then delivered them to the network.
The Special Cell has seized the mobile phones of the accused, which contain chats with Pakistani handlers, photos, videos, and other incriminating material. The police are conducting a forensic examination of this digital evidence to identify other members of the network, their funding, and future plots. The Special Cell recovered three petrol bombs, a stolen motorcycle, ₹2,000 in cash, three sophisticated pistols, five live cartridges, two cars (a Hyundai Verna and a Ford EcoSport), and mobile phones used for communication with Pakistani handlers. The police stated that by acting promptly, a major conspiracy to carry out a potential terrorist attack in Delhi was foiled. Now the entire network, funding, and other individuals involved are being identified and action is being taken against them.
