NEW DELHI: Two suspected operatives, allegedly working under the direction of Pakistan-based gangster and ISI-linked handler Shahzad Bhatti, have been arrested. The accused were recruited through social media and involved in a criminal conspiracy to execute target killings and firing incidents in the Delhi-NCR region.
According to the police, the accused have been identified as Rajveer (21) and Vivek Banjara (19), both residents of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
Police got intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based gangster Bhatti and other ISI proxies, in collusion with certain India-based accomplices, were hatching a criminal conspiracy to execute grenade attacks and target killings in the Delhi-NCR region and adjoining areas.
Based on information, Banjara was traced to Dabra in Gwalior and arrested on April 16. His interrogation led to the arrest of main accused Rajveer on April 18 from Sarai Kale Khan. He was preparing to fire upon some prominent hotel in the Delhi/NCR area as directed by his handler, Bhatti, DCP (Special Cell). Praveen Kumar Tripathi said.
One pistol, six live rounds, and two mobile phones containing incriminating videos and voice notes were recovered from them. Investigation revealed that Rajveer was recruited on social media by ‘Rana Bhai’, an associate of Bhatti. Later, Rajveer introduced Banjara to Rana and Bhatti.
In March, Bhatti directed Rajveer to send someone to Ahmedabad to collect weapons. Rajveer sent Banjara to Ahmedabad; however, the delivery could not materialise. Bhatti had arranged Rs 5000 for the stay of Banjara in Ahmedabad, the DCP said.
Later, as directed by Bhatti, Rajveer and Banjara went to Amritsar on April 9 and received one pistol, 15 to 20 live rounds and Rs 20,000 from a location. The weapon was delivered to Rajveer to fire upon one club in Zirakpur, SAS Nagar, which had received extortion threats by Bhatti.
On April 11, Rajveer opened fire on the club; however, he could not complete it due to some mechanical issue in the pistol. Banjara had also made a video of the incident to send it to Bhatti.
Rajveer hid the weapon at some location on his way to Delhi and sent coordinates of the place to Bhatti. Rajveer, after remaining in Delhi for three to four days, went to Faridkot and received a pistol and six live rounds from a person sent by Bhatti. He returned to Delhi to target some prominent hotels, the DCP added.