UP ATS Arrests Two Alleged ISI-Recruited Operatives Linked to Pakistan-Based Gangster Shahzad Bhatti
The Uttar Pradesh Anti Terrorist Squad has arrested two young men accused of being recruited and radicalised by operatives allegedly linked to Pakistan’s intelligence network to carry out terror-related activities in India.
The accused have been identified as Daniyal Ashraf, 23, a resident of Barabanki, and Krishna Mishra, 20, from Kushinagar.
According to ATS officials, both were allegedly in contact with Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti and were being prepared as sleeper cell operatives to execute attacks at sensitive locations across Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country.
In a statement issued by the DGP Headquarters, the ATS said intelligence agencies had been receiving inputs that Pakistan-backed terror networks were actively targeting Indian youth through social media platforms such as Instagram.
These groups allegedly used online platforms to influence vulnerable young people, radicalise them, and gradually turn them into foot soldiers for terror operations.
Officials claimed the wider objective behind such recruitment was to spread fear, disturb communal harmony, and threaten the unity and sovereignty of the country.
The ATS further alleged that Shahzad Bhatti, described by officials as an “ISI proxy”, along with his associates, had been luring Indian youths through social media by offering money, emotional manipulation, and promises of recognition.
According to investigators, the recruits were being encouraged to attack important institutions and individuals in India.
Following electronic surveillance and physical monitoring, ATS teams arrested Krishna Mishra on Tuesday, while Daniyal Ashraf was taken into custody a day later.
During the investigation, officials alleged that the two accused were in direct contact with Bhatti, his aide Abid Jatt, and another associate identified as Hammad.
Investigators claim the accused were acting on their instructions and were allegedly planning attacks on police stations, security establishments,s and other sensitive locations in Uttar Pradesh and other Indian cities.
A case has now been registered against both accused at the ATS Police Station in Lucknow.
According to ATS officials, examination of the accused persons’ mobile phones revealed several alleged links with Pakistani operatives.
Investigators claimed they found contact numbers of the gangsters stored in the devices along with voice recordings, video call data, text, and social media conversations exchanged between the accused and the foreign handlers.
Officials further alleged that Krishna Mishra’s WhatsApp account contained a group call involving Daniyal, Abid Jatt, and several suspicious Indian and foreign numbers, where anti-national discussions allegedly took place.
The ATS also claimed that on the instructions of Pakistani handlers, Daniyal had allegedly recorded videos of a police station located in another state and shared the footage along with location details.
Investigators further alleged that he provided details of other important institutions and sought money and weapons to execute terror activities.
Officials said another accused associate, Hammad, allegedly sent a PDF image of Abid Jatt to Daniyal with instructions to print multiple copies and paste them at prominent locations.
In another disturbing revelation, ATS officials claimed the Pakistani gangsters had allegedly instructed the accused to target a “uniformed person” and send them a video of the attack.
Investigators said they recovered a reconnaissance video in which Krishna and two others were allegedly assigned the task of shooting at a person in uniform.
During interrogation, both accused reportedly told investigators that they first came in contact with the foreign operatives through Instagram. According to ATS officials, Shahzad Bhatti allegedly promised to make them “heroes” in India if they followed his instructions.
The ATS said it recovered a country-made 9 mm pistol along with cartridges from Daniyal Ashraf, while a country-made .315 bore pistol and ammunition were allegedly seized from Krishna Mishra.
The arrests come weeks after a similar crackdown by the Delhi Police Special Cell, which claimed to have dismantled another criminal network allegedly linked to Shahzad Bhatti.
In that case, two operatives from Madhya Pradesh were arrested for allegedly planning terror-style shootings targeting hotels and clubs in the Delhi-NCR region.
According to police agencies, Shahzad Bhatti is believed to be operating from Dubai. Investigators suspect his involvement in last year’s grenade attack outside the City Police Station in Gurdaspur.
He has also allegedly been linked to several organised criminal activities, including illegal arms trafficking, bomb-making operations, and the supply of weapons and ammunition to multiple countries, including India, the United States, Canada, and the UAE.
