Early Times Report
Jammu, May 15: Security agencies have intensified surveillance of several notorious gangsters in Jammu following revelations that some local criminals may have links with Dubai-based gangster-turned-terror operative Shahzad Bhatti, who is accused of smuggling narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir and supporting anti-national activities.
The stepped-up monitoring comes a day after Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat issued a stern warning to Bhatti, describing him as an accomplice of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in pushing drugs into India.
Addressing a press conference in Srinagar on Thursday, the DGP said, “A warning to Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti, who is ISI’s acolyte and partner in pumping narcotics into India; we will hunt and hound you and your associates, and decimate your evil infrastructure.”
Highly placed sources said investigators have launched a detailed probe into the activities of several hardened gangsters from the Jammu region who are suspected of maintaining links with criminal syndicates operating in other states, particularly Punjab.
According to sources, the inquiry gained momentum after the arrest of Raman Kumar, a Jammu resident accused of maintaining direct contact with Bhatti and assisting his network. Following Kumar’s interrogation, security agencies widened the investigation to include more than a dozen local gangsters.
“Intentionally or otherwise, some gangsters from Jammu are in touch with Shahzad Bhatti, who is operating from Dubai,” sources said, adding that investigators are examining both criminal and financial linkages.
Sources further revealed that certain Jammu-based gangsters had allegedly developed contacts with criminals in Punjab to procure illegal firearms. In exchange, these networks are suspected of using local operatives to facilitate anti-national activities, including logistics, financing and narcotics distribution.
In a significant breakthrough against a Pakistan-backed terror network, the State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), SAS Nagar, arrested Raman Kumar alias Golu, a resident of the Gangyal area of Jammu, for his alleged association with Bhatti.
Investigators believe Kumar was a close associate of the Dubai-based gangster and provided both logistical and financial support to activities linked to Bhatti’s network in India.
According to police, Kumar remained in direct contact with Bhatti through social media platforms, including Instagram and WhatsApp. Investigators also linked him to the Ambala police station blast, alleging that he transferred funds to the perpetrators on Bhatti’s instructions.
Kumar was initially arrested on January 21 in connection with an Arms Act case registered on December 10 last year at the SSOC police station in Mohali. After obtaining a production warrant, the SSOC team brought him from Ambala Central Jail to Punjab, where a district court remanded him to further custody for sustained interrogation.
During questioning, Kumar told investigators that he runs a meat shop in Gangyal and had local rivalries. He said he first came into contact with Bhatti through Instagram and remained in regular communication with him.
Investigators said Bhatti allegedly arranged the delivery of a .30 bore pistol to Kumar through one of his operatives, although specific targets had not yet been communicated. Acting on Kumar’s disclosure, the SSOC team recovered the weapon.
Police also confirmed that Kumar had previously been arrested by Haryana Police in connection with the Ambala police station blast, which investigators believe was carried out at Bhatti’s direction.
Security agencies are now examining whether local gangsters in Jammu were knowingly or unknowingly being used as part of a broader network involving narcotics trafficking, arms smuggling and terror financing. Officials said surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations would continue, and strict action would be taken against anyone found to be associated with Bhatti’s criminal infrastructure. |
