The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted coordinated searches at 18 locations across Punjab and Haryana as part of its ongoing probe into three terror-gangster nexus cases linked to Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti. According to an official statement from the NIA, teams carried out raids in nine districts across the two states, questioning several individuals to gather information pertinent to the investigation.
Searches and Seizures
During the searches, NIA investigators seized multiple digital devices, documents, and data related to communication networks, financial transactions, and the activities of individuals under scrutiny in the three cases. The agency stated that all material collected has been sent for detailed scrutiny, including forensic and technical analysis, to uncover the broader cross-border conspiracy behind the terror-gangster network.
Notices and Investigation
The anti-terror agency has served notices to several individuals, directing them to join the investigation for further questioning. This move is part of the NIA's ongoing efforts to identify and dismantle the larger conspiracy behind the cross-border terror-gangster network allegedly operated by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti. The NIA emphasized that the searches were focused on identifying Bhatti's associates and others linked to the terror conspiracy related to all three cases.
Key Developments
The NIA's investigation has traced the March 2025 grenade attack at the residence of social media influencer Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar, Punjab, to Shahzad Bhatti. In April 2025, the NIA chargesheeted Bhatti as an absconder, along with one other accused in that case. Furthermore, the investigation revealed that Bhatti orchestrated the explosion at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana, in November 2025, and the blast at the Baldev Nagar police station in Ambala in January 2026.
- In the Sirsa case, the NIA filed a chargesheet against nine accused, including Bhatti and another Pakistan-based handler, Sohail Ahmad alias Sohail Baloch, in May 2026.
- The Baldev Nagar case involves a car bomb explosion, where one of the arrested accused was found to have been in contact with Bhatti, according to investigators.
The NIA stated that investigations into all three cases are ongoing, with the aim of identifying and dismantling the entire terror network and tracing all links connected to the attacks.
