New Delhi, Sept 17:
The Centre has declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Shahzad Bhatti, 45, a resident of Lahore and currently based in Dubai, is an absconding suspect in several investigations in India, according to the government and sources cited in the report.
Sources have alleged that Bhatti is affiliated with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operates as a proxy for the agency, allegedly coordinating cross-border terror modules and a smuggling network involving arms, narcotics and hand grenades.
Investigators have also alleged links between Bhatti and the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Sources said he was accused of supplying weapons used in the killing.
He has also allegedly been linked to the 2024 murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique. According to the allegations, Bhatti assisted Zeeshan Akhtar, described as a key conspirator in the case, in leaving India and settling in Azerbaijan.
Bhatti also claimed responsibility for a grenade attack at the residence of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu in Jalandhar on March 15, 2024. The attack was allegedly carried out because Sandhu had spoken against Islam.
His name has also been linked by investigators to a bomb blast at Baldev Nagar Police Station in Haryana’s Ambala district on January 10, 2026, and two low-intensity blasts at BSF facilities in Jalandhar and Amritsar Cantonment on May 5, 2026.
According to sources, Bhatti has used social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to influence and recruit unemployed Indian youth for criminal activities. He allegedly offered money to recruits for reconnaissance and targeted attacks.
Despite being based in Dubai, he is suspected of maintaining an international network with contacts in the US, Canada and Europe. Sources also said he is suspected of travelling internationally on a Moroccan passport.
The allegations against Bhatti remain subject to investigation and have not been legally established in court.