NIA raids 18 locations in Punjab, Haryana in probe against Shahzad Bhatti-linked terror network

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried out extensive searches at 18 locations across Punjab and Haryana as part of its investigation into three terror-related cases linked to Pakistan-based terrorist and gangster-turned-terror operative Shahzad Bhatti.

In an official statement, the agency said coordinated raids were conducted across nine districts of the two states. During the searches, NIA teams examined several premises, questioned individuals believed to be connected to the investigations, and seized digital devices, documents, and other materials for further analysis. The agency said it had also gathered information relating to communication channels, financial transactions, and the activities of suspects believed to be associated with the network.

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According to the NIA, all evidence collected during the operation has been sent for forensic and technical examination. The agency has also issued notices to several individuals for further questioning as investigators attempt to unravel what it described as a larger cross-border conspiracy allegedly operated by Bhatti from Pakistan.

The searches were linked to three separate cases in which Bhatti’s involvement has surfaced during investigations. One of the cases relates to the grenade attack carried out in March 2025 at the residence of social media influencer Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar. The NIA said its probe into the incident led investigators to Bhatti’s network, following which he was chargesheeted as an absconding accused in April 2026.

Another case under investigation concerns the explosion that took place at the Women’s Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana, in November 2025. The agency stated that its inquiry revealed the involvement of Bhatti in the attack. In May 2026, the NIA filed a chargesheet against nine accused in the case, including Pakistan-based handler Sohel Ahmed alias Sohel Baloch, who is alleged to have played a key role in coordinating activities linked to the conspiracy.

The third case pertains to the car bomb blast at the Baldev Nagar police station in Ambala, Haryana, in January 2026. According to investigators, one of the accused in the case was found to have links with Bhatti. The agency believes the incident forms part of a wider terror-gangster network operating across borders and is now examining the extent of the connections between the accused and Pakistan-based handlers.

Officials said Tuesday’s searches were focused on identifying Bhatti’s associates, facilitators, financiers, and other operatives suspected of supporting the network. Investigators are also probing the financial trail, logistical support systems, and communication infrastructure allegedly used to plan and execute attacks in different parts of northern India.

The NIA said the operation was aimed at exposing the broader terror ecosystem being run by Bhatti and his associates from across the border. The agency suspects that the network has been attempting to recruit local operatives, arrange resources, and coordinate activities through a combination of criminal and terrorist channels.

The agency maintained that investigations into all three cases are continuing and that further action will be taken on the basis of evidence recovered during the searches and subsequent forensic examination. Officials believe the material seized during the raids could provide crucial leads in identifying additional members of the network and uncovering the full scope of the alleged conspiracy.