Hapur/Meerut: India’s capital, Delhi, narrowly escaped a major terror attack following a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Intelligence Bureau (IB). Authorities arrested two suspects—Azim Rana from Hapur’s Dhaulana area and his nephew Azad Ali from Meerut—who were allegedly involved in a conspiracy linked to a Pakistan-based handler, officials said on Thursday.
Investigations revealed that the suspects had been in contact for the past six months with Shahzad Bhatti, a notorious gangster believed to have close ties with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Bhatti reportedly used social media to recruit and manipulate Indian youths into carrying out reconnaissance and other terror-related activities.
Azim Rana was allegedly tasked with conducting surveillance of prominent Hindu temples in Delhi and sending video footage. He also shared videos from nearby areas, including Noida. Authorities believe the reconnaissance was part of a larger plan to execute attacks in the capital.
Bhatti had also instructed Rana to travel to Punjab to collect and deliver a parcel in exchange for a large sum of money. Investigators suspect the parcel may have contained explosives such as RDX.
This suspicion gained traction after a separate case on March 14, 2026, when three individuals were arrested in Ambala with approximately two kilograms of RDX. These individuals were also allegedly connected to Bhatti’s network. Although Rana did not carry out the delivery task, forensic analysis of his phone uncovered deleted data, including video call recordings.
Recovered video call data showed discussions between the accused and Bhatti, during which they mentioned Lawrence Bishnoi, claiming he had spread fear across cities and was linked to high-profile crimes, including the killing of Baba Siddique. They reportedly urged Bhatti to take action against Bishnoi.
Interestingly, Azad Ali had also warned Rana via WhatsApp to stay away from such individuals, stating they exploit people for their own motives. This exchange is now part of the investigation.
Before their arrest, the suspects attempted to delete incriminating data from their mobile phones. However, forensic experts successfully recovered the information, which confirmed the transmission of sensitive material to contacts in Pakistan.
According to Hapur Superintendent of Police Gyananjay Singh, the evidence establishes involvement in anti-national activities. Cases have been registered, and further investigation is underway with assistance from Delhi Police and other agencies.
Security agencies are now working to identify other contacts linked to Bhatti’s network.
