ISI may move Shehzad Bhatti to Pakistan after India ban, CBI seeks Interpol RCN
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New Delhi, Sep 17 : With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designating the Shehzad Bhatti network as a banned terrorist organisation under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and broadening the scope of investigations against it for recruiting Indian youths to execute surveillance, smuggling, and targeted attacks, Indian intelligence officials believe the gangster may be brought back to Pakistan, keeping in view India’s extradition arrangements with the UAE and Brazil, where he is believed to be operating.
An official said that while the probe against the Bhatti network is underway, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will coordinate with Interpol to seek the issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him.
The immediate priority would be to complete the investigation and file a charge sheet detailing the network’s activities and Bhatti’s alleged role. Once the charge sheet is filed, the CBI is expected to approach Interpol for issuance of an RCN against Bhatti.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that Bhatti has, in recent times, been operating from Dubai and Brazil.
"Bhatti will be immediately asked to leave and cease his activities in these countries, as India has extradition treaties with both nations. Based on the information available, he is most likely to be sent back to Pakistan, where he could be protected from the legal action India is preparing to pursue at the international level," the IB official said.
Another official said Bhatti was recruited by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while he was in Dubai and was subsequently instructed to remain there and operate his network.
Pakistan wanted to ensure that there was no trail leading back to them, which is why the decision was taken to have him operate from Dubai. However, after Indian agencies exposed his network, he was instructed to shuttle between Dubai and Brazil, the official said.
"The ISI wanted to cover his tracks and hence advised him against remaining in one location for long," the official added.
Bhatti started off as an influencer and was recruited by the ISI when his potential became known to the agency. He was told to deliberately name his network as Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) so that it would appear that this outfit is an Indian arm of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Pakistani spy agency has been seeking to link India with the TTP and portray the Afghan Taliban in a negative light. The Afghan Taliban has often been accused, without substantiated evidence, of backing TTP fighters who have carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces.
The Indian security officials tracking Bhatti’s activities and movements said he would most likely be shifted to a safe house in Pakistan.
Following this, he would be instructed to lie low and stay away from the day-to-day operations of his network, the officials said.
This is a classic ISI operation, and it has followed the same pattern in recent years. In the case of the Khalistan movement, it has had Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), operating out of the United States.
The ISI has also had similar operatives working on its behalf from Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, the officials said.
"When the heat on these operatives has gone up, they are pulled back to Pakistan or asked to shift to a country that India does not have an extradition treaty with," an official said.
The priority is to wrap up the investigation in India and file a charge sheet against Bhatti and his network.
An RCN can also be sought while the investigations are ongoing, provided there is an arrest warrant against him and the case meets the severity thresholds.
The Indian agencies do not intend to drag this process and would almost immediately move to get an RCN issued against him. Cracking the Bhatti network and having him brought to justice in India is important since he runs a very dangerous outfit.
He has recruited scores of youths to undertake terror activities in India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had cited the dangers that the Bhatti network posed to India’s security agencies and sought its elimination.
Multiple investigating agencies, working on this case, want this network to be completely wiped out, considering the dangers it poses. The youths recruited were being radicalised and, apart from surveillance and smuggling, were also instructed to disrupt communal harmony in the country, an official said.
An official said that while the probe against the Bhatti network is underway, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will coordinate with Interpol to seek the issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him.
The immediate priority would be to complete the investigation and file a charge sheet detailing the network’s activities and Bhatti’s alleged role. Once the charge sheet is filed, the CBI is expected to approach Interpol for issuance of an RCN against Bhatti.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that Bhatti has, in recent times, been operating from Dubai and Brazil.
"Bhatti will be immediately asked to leave and cease his activities in these countries, as India has extradition treaties with both nations. Based on the information available, he is most likely to be sent back to Pakistan, where he could be protected from the legal action India is preparing to pursue at the international level," the IB official said.
Another official said Bhatti was recruited by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) while he was in Dubai and was subsequently instructed to remain there and operate his network.
Pakistan wanted to ensure that there was no trail leading back to them, which is why the decision was taken to have him operate from Dubai. However, after Indian agencies exposed his network, he was instructed to shuttle between Dubai and Brazil, the official said.
"The ISI wanted to cover his tracks and hence advised him against remaining in one location for long," the official added.
Bhatti started off as an influencer and was recruited by the ISI when his potential became known to the agency. He was told to deliberately name his network as Tehreek-e-Taliban Hindustan (TTH) so that it would appear that this outfit is an Indian arm of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The Pakistani spy agency has been seeking to link India with the TTP and portray the Afghan Taliban in a negative light. The Afghan Taliban has often been accused, without substantiated evidence, of backing TTP fighters who have carried out attacks against Pakistani security forces.
The Indian security officials tracking Bhatti’s activities and movements said he would most likely be shifted to a safe house in Pakistan.
Following this, he would be instructed to lie low and stay away from the day-to-day operations of his network, the officials said.
This is a classic ISI operation, and it has followed the same pattern in recent years. In the case of the Khalistan movement, it has had Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), operating out of the United States.
The ISI has also had similar operatives working on its behalf from Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom, the officials said.
"When the heat on these operatives has gone up, they are pulled back to Pakistan or asked to shift to a country that India does not have an extradition treaty with," an official said.
The priority is to wrap up the investigation in India and file a charge sheet against Bhatti and his network.
An RCN can also be sought while the investigations are ongoing, provided there is an arrest warrant against him and the case meets the severity thresholds.
The Indian agencies do not intend to drag this process and would almost immediately move to get an RCN issued against him. Cracking the Bhatti network and having him brought to justice in India is important since he runs a very dangerous outfit.
He has recruited scores of youths to undertake terror activities in India.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah had cited the dangers that the Bhatti network posed to India’s security agencies and sought its elimination.
Multiple investigating agencies, working on this case, want this network to be completely wiped out, considering the dangers it poses. The youths recruited were being radicalised and, apart from surveillance and smuggling, were also instructed to disrupt communal harmony in the country, an official said.
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Note: The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the ap7am team.