- A conspiracy for shootings and grenade attacks in Delhi-NCR was uncovered by Delhi Police Special Cell
- Two men linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shehzad Bhatti were arrested
- Rajveer and Vivek Banjara, from Madhya Pradesh, were involved in targeting a hotel and club in the region
A conspiracy to carry out shootings, grenade attacks, and murders Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region) has been uncovered during a major operation by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police. Two men who have been working at the behest of Shehzad Bhatti, a Pakistan-based gangster and ISI proxy, have been arrested.
The men are 21-year-old Rajveer and 19-year-old Vivek Banjara, residents of the Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh.
The Special Cell had received intelligence inputs indicating that Bhatti and his men were conspiring to execute major criminal acts in Delhi-NCR. Based on this input, a case was registered on March 31 and an investigation launched.
Subsequently, the police tracked down the accused, using a combination of technical and human intelligence sources.
Vivek Banjara was the first one to be arrested on April 16 from the Dabra area of Gwalior. After interrogating him, the prime accused, Rajveer, was caught on April 18 from Delhi's Sarai Kale Khan area. A pistol and six live cartridges were recovered from him. The cell phones of both men have been seized. The police said the devices contained incriminating videos and voice notes that expose the entire network.
The police said Rajveer was preparing to target a major hotel in Delhi-NCR and was receiving instructions from Pakistan on the task.
Sources said Rajveer was inducted through social media by one "Rana Bhai," reportedly a close associate of Shehzad Bhatti. Later, Rajveer recruited Vivek.
In March, Bhatti instructed Rajveer to procure weapons from Ahmedabad; Vivek was dispatched for this purpose, but the delivery could not be successfully executed.
On April 9, both men travelled to Amritsar, where they were provided with a pistol, around 20 cartridges, and Rs 20,000 in cash. They were told to open fire at a club in Punjab's Zirakpur. The establishment was already receiving threats from Shehzad Bhatti.
On April 11, Rajveer attempted to carry out the shooting, but the plan went south because the pistol malfunctioned. Vivek recorded a video of the entire event, which was meant to be sent to their handler.
Following this, Rajveer concealed the weapon somewhere along the route and transmitted its location to his Pakistani handlers. After spending a few days in Delhi, he went to Faridkot, where he was supplied with another pistol and six cartridges. He then returned to Delhi with the intention of targeting a major hotel but got caught by the Special Cell before he could carry out the attack.
An investigation into this entire network is in progress to identify the other individuals, the Delhi Police said.
