Two ISI operatives arrested for planning grenade attacks, target killings in Delhi-NCR

New Delhi: The Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested two operatives allegedly working at the behest of Pakistan-based gangster and ISI proxy Shahzad Bhatti, with the police unearthing a criminal conspiracy to carry out firing, grenade attacks and target killings in the Delhi-NCR region, an official said on Tuesday.

The accused, identified as Rajveer (21) and Vivek Banjara (19), both natives of Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, were apprehended by the Special Cell.

"Their arrest foiled planned attacks in the national capital and adjoining areas. The arrests exposed a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Bhatti, who, along with other ISI-linked handlers, was recruiting young people through social media platforms and deploying them for targeted acts of violence in Delhi-NCR," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi said in a statement.

The officer said that a case in this regard was registered on March 31 following inputs about a plan to execute grenade attacks and targeted killings in the region.

"Vivek Banjara was first traced and arrested from Dabra in Gwalior on April 16. During interrogation, he disclosed details about his associate Rajveer, leading to the arrest of Rajveer from the Sarai Kale Khan area of Delhi on April 18," the officer added.

The police said Rajveer was allegedly preparing to target a prominent hotel in Delhi-NCR on the directions of his handler Shahzad Bhatti, when he was apprehended. One pistol and six live cartridges were allegedly recovered from his possession. Additionally, two mobile phones containing incriminating videos and voice notes linked to the conspiracy were seized.

Sharing profiles of the accused, the police said Rajveer, a resident of Dabra in the Gwalior district, is a young recruit who came in contact with Bhatti's network through social media.

"He was directly handled by an associate of Bhatti, identified as "Rana Bhai", and was assigned key operational responsibilities. He allegedly played a central role in coordinating movements, collecting weapons and executing planned attacks," the officer said.

He further said that Vivek Banjara, also from the Gwalior district, was introduced to the network by Rajveer. Investigators said he assisted in logistics and reconnaissance and was actively involved in facilitating travel, receiving weapons and documenting criminal acts on the instructions from handlers.

Both accused were lured with the promises of easy money and were gradually drawn deeper into the criminal network. "In March, Rajveer was instructed to send an associate to Ahmedabad to collect weapons. Accordingly, Vivek travelled there, though the delivery could not materialise. Bhatti had arranged Rs 5,000 for his stay," the officer said.

Subsequently, on April 9, the duo travelled to Amritsar, where they allegedly received a pistol, 15-20 live rounds and Rs 20,000. They were tasked with opening fire at a club in Zirakpur in Punjab, which had allegedly received extortion threats from Bhatti.

On April 11, Rajveer allegedly attempted to carry out the firing but failed due to a mechanical issue in the weapon. Vivek recorded a video of the incident to send to their handler. Rajveer later concealed the weapon while returning to Delhi and shared its location with Bhatti, the police said.

"After spending a few days in Delhi-NCR, he travelled to Punjab again, where he collected another pistol and ammunition before returning to the capital. Further investigation is underway to identify other members," the officer said.