Chandigarh: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried out searches at 18 locations across Punjab and Haryana as part of its investigation into three terror-gangster network cases linked to Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti.
According to an official statement, NIA teams conducted coordinated raids across nine districts in the two states and questioned several individuals to gather information related to the ongoing investigation.
During the searches, investigators seized multiple digital devices, documents and data linked to communication networks, financial transactions and the activities of individuals under the agency’s scanner. The seized material has been sent for detailed scrutiny, including forensic and technical examination, to uncover the broader cross-border terror conspiracy.
The agency also issued notices to certain individuals, directing them to join the investigation for further questioning. The move is part of NIA’s efforts to dismantle the network allegedly being operated by Bhatti from Pakistan.
Officials said the raids were aimed at identifying Bhatti’s associates and others suspected of involvement in the terror conspiracy connected to all three cases under investigation.
NIA’s probe has linked Bhatti to the grenade attack on the residence of social media influencer Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar in March 2025. In April this year, the agency filed a chargesheet against Bhatti, who remains absconding, along with another accused in the case.
Investigators have also found Bhatti’s alleged involvement in the explosion at the Women Police Station in Sirsa, Haryana, in November 2025, and the blast at 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 Ambala case pertains to a car bomb explosion, where one of the arrested accused was found to have been in contact with Bhatti, according to the agency.
The NIA said investigations into all three cases are continuing as part of its efforts to trace every link in the terror-gangster network and identify those involved in facilitating attacks from across the border.
