Bhiwandi: A fresh anti-terror investigation has brought Bhiwandi under the spotlight after investigators uncovered evidence suggesting that operatives linked to a suspected Pakistan-backed network allegedly carried out reconnaissance of the Narpoli Police Station and transmitted the footage to handlers across the border.
According to information shared by Mumbai News, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) found that the Narpoli Police Station in Bhiwandi was among the locations allegedly placed under surveillance by members of the network.
The investigation revealed that one of the accused, identified as Daniyal Ashraf, allegedly recorded an 18-second video of the Narpoli Police Station and a nearby bridge. Investigators claim that the footage was subsequently transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers identified as Shahzad Bhatti and Abid, both of whom have been described as Pakistani gangsters.
The development emerged during an ongoing probe into an alleged cross-border intelligence-gathering network. According to investigators, the accused were tasked with collecting information related to police establishments, security arrangements and other sensitive locations. Authorities claim that the suspects were receiving detailed instructions online and were operating under the direction of handlers based in Pakistan.
Ashraf and another accused, Krishna Mishra, were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad from Barabanki and Gorakhpur, respectively. The arrests were made as part of a wider operation targeting suspected modules allegedly linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti.
According to the Uttar Pradesh ATS, four separate modules connected to Bhatti's network have been uncovered so far. The agency stated that a total of 13 youths have been arrested during the investigation.
Officials allege that the network was actively recruiting young individuals and assigning them intelligence-gathering tasks. The accused were reportedly instructed to monitor law enforcement facilities, security deployments and other strategically important locations and relay the information to their handlers.
Investigators have further claimed that Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti has links to Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan, raising concerns about the broader implications of the network's activities.
Security agencies are continuing their investigation to determine the full extent of the alleged network, identify additional operatives and ascertain whether surveillance of other sensitive installations was also carried out.
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