New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Special Cell has busted a Pakistan-backed international and interstate terror module allegedly operated by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, leading to the arrest of three key operatives involved in the grenade attack outside City Police Station in Punjab’s Gurdaspur, on November 25.
The arrests were made by a team of the Cell’s Eastern Range led by Inspectors Rahul Kumar and Vineet Kumar Tewatia, under the close supervision of ACP Kailash Singh Bisht and DCP Amit Kaushik.
Those arrested have been identified as Vikas Prajapati alias Betu,19, from Madhya Pradesh’s Datia, Hargunpreet Singh alias Gurkaranpreet Singh, 19, from Punjab’s Firozpur, and Asif alias Arish, 22, from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor.
Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol, 10 live cartridges, and mobile phones containing incriminating chats with Pakistan-based handlers, along with reconnaissance videos of the attack target.
According to the Delhi Police press note, the Special Cell had been tracking the activities of Pakistan-based handler Bhatti, who has been coordinating terror activities in India through social media.
“During monitoring, the team found that Vikas Prajapati alias Betu, wanted in an arms-smuggling case, was in frequent contact with Bhatti through various social media platforms. His location was detected in Gurdaspur, Punjab, and then on his return route towards Delhi,” it said.
Investigations revealed that Bhatti and his associates recruited vulnerable youths by offering quick money and assessing their social media profiles.
The foreign-based handlers allegedly controlled the entire operation remotely, including reconnaissance, logistics, cash payments, and final execution.
Police said Prajapati had contacted Bhatti on Instagram and later travelled to Gurdaspur to collect a parcel that contained a grenade. He conducted reconnaissance of the Gurdaspur City Police Station and later handed the grenade to Hargunpreet Singh and his associate after receiving instructions from Bhatti.
On November 25, Hargunpreet Singh allegedly hurled the grenade outside the Gurdaspur station while another accomplice, Mohan, drove the motorcycle.
“Asif, a resident of Macchmaar, Bijnor (UP), is educated up to Class 5. He came in contact with Bhatti about 2.5 months ago through Instagram. Bhatti instructed him to throw a grenade in Punjab and sent him photographs and a location map. He was also connected with Vikas through Bhatti. Bhatti instructed him to wait for the next instructions,” it said.
The Delhi Police said further searches are underway to trace the remaining operatives linked to the module.
(IANS)
