India Designates Shahzad Bhatti Network as Terror Group Amid Nationwide Crackdown
India's Home Ministry has designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist group, following a two-year expansion of the Pakistani social media influencer's criminal and terror operations across 14 States.
According to reporting by Vijaita Singh in The Hindu, Indian security authorities have escalated their response to a cross-border criminal network operated by Pakistani social media influencer Shahzad Bhatti. The Union Home Ministry officially designated the 'Shahzad Bhatti Network' (SBN) as a terrorist organization under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), marking the 46th outfit to face such a designation under Section 35(I) of the legislation.
The designation follows an extensive, multi-state security operation. Ahead of India's Independence Day celebrations, law enforcement detained or arrested more than 200 suspects linked directly or indirectly to the SBN in a coordinated countrywide counter-terror sweep. Security officials report that Bhatti, who currently operates from the United Arab Emirates, transitioned over the past year from organized criminal enterprises into direct terror-related activities after being tapped by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence due to his digital reach.
Bhatti's online presence is characterized by frequent video posts on Instagram and Facebook, typically featuring traditional attire, expensive cars, snooker tables, and boastful background music enhanced by visual filters. His Instagram accounts commonly end with the numeric identifier '333'. Prior to the nationwide raids, Delhi Police blocked 125 Instagram accounts connected to the influencer. Since October 2025, law enforcement agencies have registered 15 First Information Reports and arrested 69 individuals, with approximately two-thirds of those arrests concentrated in the States of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
The network's activities initially surfaced in the border State of Punjab as an effort by Bhatti to cultivate fear, notoriety, and regional influence. Over the past two years, however, the footprint of his operations expanded significantly, ultimately reaching 14 States. Beyond Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, investigators have found SBN links in Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Kerala.
Law enforcement officials detailed the methods by which the network recruited vulnerable participants. Investigators noted that recruits were often economically disadvantaged, poorly educated young men approached through social media platforms. Incentives offered by the network included monetary compensation, promises of relocation to the Gulf, or assistance in resolving personal grievances. A Uttar Pradesh police officer stated that recruits were initially offered small sums ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 to place public posters featuring Bhatti's likeness to project a gangster image and foster intimidation.
As recruits demonstrated a willingness to undertake greater risks, the assigned tasks escalated in severity. According to police accounts, operatives were directed to paste posters glorifying Bhatti and his associates, place extortion calls, install Chinese-manufactured CCTV cameras near sensitive locations such as railway stations, air bases, and arterial roadways for live-streaming back to Pakistan, and plant explosives or throw grenades near critical installations. In specific instances, online manuals detailing the fabrication of petrol bombs and improvised explosive devices were transmitted to operatives in Punjab. Funding for these operations reportedly originated from Central Asian countries and was transferred directly to local bank accounts, with handlers occasionally exploiting religious sentiments alongside financial motivations.
The Home Ministry notification formally stated that the SBN poses a severe threat to India's internal security, communal harmony, and democratic framework. While omitting specific case details, the Ministry's notification cited nine categories of offenses under various legal frameworks, including the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Information Technology Act of 2000, the Explosives Substances Act, the Official Secrets Act of 1923, the Immigration and Foreigners Act of 2025, the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act of 2007, and the UAPA. The government maintains that the primary objective of the SBN has been to enlist impressionable youths and domestic criminals to facilitate the cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives, and narcotics.
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