Ghaziabad youth's link to Shahzad Bhatti in Punjab blast case revealed

According to a Hindustan Times report, Pakistani terrorist-gangster Shahzad Bhatti had recruited a youth from Ghaziabad online in January to drive a car filled with explosives from Ferozepur to Ambala, but asked him to step back as the plan could be jeopardized due to him travelling with a friend. National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials provided this information.

These details emerged during the investigation of the low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast that occurred in a Maruti 800 car outside Baldev Nagar police station in Ambala on 10 January. The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) claimed responsibility for this explosion on Instagram, and the investigation found that the IP address of this account was from Pakistan.

Officials said that Bhatti had allegedly prepared 25-year-old Satyam to drive the vehicle filled with explosives and LPG cylinders to Ambala through Instagram, WhatsApp, and Signal apps. An official, on the condition of anonymity, said that Satyam was also added to a Signal chat group in which other co-accused were members. He had shared his photograph with other co-conspirators, who had also shared their locations. He was eagerly prepared to take the vehicle to Ambala.

However, the official added that Bhatti later asked Satyam to step back because he was travelling with a taxi driver friend, and Bhatti did not want to risk the secrecy of the plan.

Earlier, officials had stated that the investigation revealed that the police station was targeted after conducting a recce of potential targets in Punjab and Haryana. The NIA took over the case and filed a chargesheet against eight people, including Bhatti and Satyam, in July. Later, it stated that a Nokia phone made in Pakistan was used to carry out the explosion.

Another official, also on the condition of anonymity, said that even though Satyam did not take the car to the blast site, he was part of the terrorist network because he remained in regular contact with Bhatti even after the explosion.

In a statement issued in July, the agency said that some of the accused had parked a car filled with gas cylinders and explosive materials in the police station premises and also made a video of the scene for propaganda.

Others named in the chargesheet include Karamjit Singh alias Tony, Akash, Saurabh alias Sobi alias Saurabh, Raman Kumar, Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, and Amarjit Singh alias Ambi.

Bhatti is approximately 45 years old and is a resident of Lahore, who is currently believed to be operating from Brazil under the direct command of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Several agencies of the Indian government and state police have launched a strict crackdown against his network across the country in the last few months.

In September, the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) was declared a terrorist organization by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). In August, security agencies dismantled the SBN and arrested more than 200 suspects in 14 states.

In a major NIA investigation into attacks on police stations and police officers in Punjab over the last few years, it has been revealed that it has established operational modules in India and recruited local operators to arrange logistics and purchase explosives for such attacks.

According to intelligence agencies, SBN used social media to contact young Indians, offering money or jobs, and some of the recruits were drawn into activities including threats, extortion, arson, and petrol bomb attacks, officials had stated earlier.