Shehzad Bhatti is a Pakistan-based underworld operative who functions as a high-value asset for the ISI.
Investigators identified Ali as the primary mastermind behind the September 13 hand grenade attack in the Jalalabad City station area of Fazilka district. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
By fusing underworld logistics with ISI-backed terror mandates, Bhatti’s network actively seeks to disrupt peace and reignite militancy across India’s western border region, sources said. NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough against cross-border terrorism, law enforcement agencies have apprehended Kulwant Ali, a key handler linked to Pakistan-based operative Shahzad Bhatti and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Ali, a native of Ferozepur in Punjab, was rounded up from Faridabad in Haryana following a targeted counter-terrorism operation by an intelligence agency and Fazilka (Punjab) police. Furthermore, he was wanted in connection with the seizure of 8kg RDX explosives in Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar district, pointing to a wider sabotage network active across northern India. Security agencies are currently interrogating Ali to probe his operational linkages with the ISI and his role in facilitating Bhatti’s regional terror footprint. Bhatti is a Pakistan-based underworld operative and terrorist who functions as a high-value asset for the ISI. Emerging from transnational organized crime syndicates, Bhatti transitioned into cross-border terrorism by leveraging extensive criminal networks spanning Pakistan, the Gulf region, and South Asia. Operating under the patronage of Pakistani intelligence, Bhatti orchestrates drone drops of military-grade weaponry, foreign arms, narcotics, and high explosives like RDX into India’s border states. His syndicate works in close alignment with pro-Khalistan outfits and local criminal gangs, effectively blurring the lines between organized crime and state-sponsored proxy warfare targeting Indian internal security. In India, Bhatti’s network relies heavily on localized sleeper modules, radicalized youth, and logistics handlers based predominantly in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Haryana. Operatives like Kulwant Ali act as vital nodes within this framework, handling logistics, receiving contraband dropped via uncrewed aerial vehicles across the International Border, and managing hawala funding channels. Bhatti uses end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms and international Virtual Private Networks to coordinate targeted grenade attacks, police station strikes, and extortion rackets remotely. Download the TOI App.