By Dharmesh Prajapati
The Special Cell of Delhi Police busted a criminal conspiracy to carry out firing, grenade attacks and target killings in the Delhi-NCR and arrested two operatives allegedly linked to Pakistan-based ISI proxy Shahzad Bhatti, officials said on Tuesday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Rajveer (21) and Vivek Banjara (19). Both are residents of the Gwalior district in Madhya Pradesh.
“Their arrest foiled planned attacks in the national capital and adjoining areas. The arrests exposed a larger conspiracy orchestrated by Bhatti, who, along with other ISI-linked handlers, was recruiting young people through social media platforms and deploying them for targeted acts of violence in Delhi-NCR,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Praveen Kumar Tripathi said in a statement.
According to the police, the two operatives got in touch with the gangster via social media and were being groomed to execute major crimes, such as targeted killings, shootings, and grenade attacks.
“He was directly handled by an associate of Bhatti, identified as “Rana Bhai”, and was assigned key operational responsibilities. He allegedly played a central role in coordinating movements, collecting weapons and executing planned attacks,” the officer said.
The Special Cell said that it had received inputs about a plan to execute grenade attacks and targeted killings in the national capital region, and a case was registered on March 31, 2026, and an investigation was initiated.
The police said that Banjara was first apprehended from Dabra in Gwalior on April 16.
“During interrogation, he disclosed details about his associate Rajveer, leading to the arrest of Rajveer from the Sarai Kale Khan area of Delhi on April 18,” the officer said.
The police said Rajveer was allegedly preparing to target a prominent hotel in Delhi-NCR on the directions of his handler Shahzad Bhatti, when he was apprehended. One pistol and six live cartridges were allegedly recovered from his possession. Additionally, two mobile phones containing incriminating videos and voice notes linked to the conspiracy were seized.
The police said that both the accused were lured with the promises of easy money and were gradually drawn deeper into the criminal network.
In March 2026, Rajveer was ordered to procure weapons from Ahmedabad. Vivek was dispatched for this purpose, but the deal could not be finalised. Subsequently, on April 9, the duo traveled to Amritsar, where they procured a pistol, ammunition, and Rs 20,000 in cash.
They were tasked with opening fire at a club in Zirakpur in Punjab, which had allegedly received extortion threats from Bhatti.
On April 11, Rajveer allegedly attempted to carry out the firing but failed due to a mechanical issue in the weapon. Vivek recorded a video of the incident to send to their handler. Rajveer later concealed the weapon while returning to Delhi and shared its location with Bhatti, the police said.
“After spending a few days in Delhi-NCR, he travelled to Punjab again, where he collected another pistol and ammunition before returning to the capital. Further investigation is underway to identify other members,” the officer said.
Currently, the police are investigating the entire network and identifying other potential members involved.