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| Shahzad Bhatti: Moosewala murder link, Lawrence Bishnoi rivalry form 'hybrid terrorism' trail | | |  Early Times Report
New Delhi, Sept 16: From a local criminal to stooge of ISI involved in "hybrid terrorism", Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti over the years built a cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling network. He also happened to be a key man behind the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022.
The government on Wednesday declared Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Bhatti, 45, a resident of Lahore, currently in Dubai, is an absconding suspect in many Indian investigations.
According to the sources, Bhatti is affiliated with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and acts as a "proxy" for the agency, orchestrating cross-border terror modules and commanding a smuggling syndicate involving arms, narcotics and hand grenades.
His alleged links to the 2022 murder of Moosewala and rivalry with groups linked to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi form a key part of his criminal trail, they said.
Bhatti was accused of supplying the weapons used in the singer's assassination, sources said.
He was also allegedly involved in the 2024 murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, with sources saying he assisted Zeeshan Akhtar, a key conspirator in the case, in fleeing India and settling in Azerbaijan.
Bhatti also claimed responsibility for a grenade attack at the residence of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu in Jalandhar on March 15, 2024, allegedly because Sandhu had spoken against Islam.
His name has been linked to a bomb blast at Baldev Nagar Police Station in Ambala district on January 10, 2026, and two low-intensity blasts at BSF headquarters in Jalandhar and Amritsar Cantonment on May 5, 2026, they said.
Bhatti uses social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to influence and recruit unemployed Indian youth for criminal activities.
He allegedly lures recruits with money to conduct reconnaissance and carry out targeted strikes, they said.
Despite being based in Dubai, Bhatti is suspected of maintaining an international network, including contacts in the US, Canada and Europe, sources said.
He is suspected of using a Moroccan passport for international travel.
Bhatti's activities represent a convergence of organised crime, social media-based recruitment and cross-border terror networks. The allegations against him have not been legally proven and the cases remain under investigation. |
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