The Delhi Police on Wednesday said that five more members of an eight-member terror module allegedly linked to Pakistan-based ISI handler Shahzad Bhatti had been arrested, officials said.
Notably, Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) had recently claimed responsibility for the killing of an ASI in Majitha, Amritsar.
The accused were allegedly tasked with targeting police personnel in Delhi and neighbouring states, promoting Pakistan-based handlers through posters, and popularising the alleged terror outfit Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan by painting graffiti across the Delhi-NCR region, officials added.
The accused have been identified as Sohail (26), Sonu Meena (30), Sachin Kumar Meena (20), Md Kaif (21), and Md. Rihan (20), residents of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
According to DCP (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi, the module was operating under the directions of Shahzad Bhatti and his associates based in Pakistan.
The accused allegedly maintained contact with handlers through encrypted messaging platforms and were assigned tasks ranging from conducting reconnaissance of police establishments and recruiting youth to arranging weapons and carrying out attacks on security personnel, Tripathi added.
Police seized five firearms, 10 live rounds, posters of alleged Bhatti network member Abid Jutt, and other incriminating material, including videos containing threats against police personnel.
The DCP added that Sohail had painted TTH graffiti at several locations in Delhi and Faridabad and shared videos with his handler in exchange for money.
Sonu and Sachin Kumar were allegedly involved in arranging and possessing illegal weapons. Mohammad Kaif was reportedly tasked with conducting reconnaissance of police stations and recruiting individuals to carry out firing and grenade attacks, while Rihan allegedly pasted posters of Abid Jutt and was offered Rs 3 lakh to target police personnel, Tripathi said.
The latest arrests come after three other members of the module — Soyab, Anmol Rai alias Annu, and Ravi Kashyap — were arrested earlier under Operation Gang Bust 2.0. Police said the trio had also been directed to target police personnel and spread propaganda for the network.
Further investigation is underway to identify additional associates and uncover the full extent of the module’s activities.
