Rajasthan man, 20, having links with Pak gangster Shahzad Bhatti arrested

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Rajasthan's Barmer district for allegedly having links with Pakistani handler and gangster Shahzad Bhatti, police said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Bashir is a resident of Gagariya village near the India-Pakistan border. His arrest was made based on inputs provided by the Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

Barmer Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Nitesh Arya said a case had been registered against Bashir and he was being questioned by police. Preliminary investigation revealed his alleged links with Bhatti, a Pakistani gangster who is under the scanner of Indian security agencies.

Police said the accused would be jointly questioned by the Rajasthan ATS and other security agencies. Officials expect the questioning to shed more light on the nature of his alleged association with Bhatti and any activities linked to it.

According to investigators, Bashir had earlier worked in Gujarat and returned to his native village a few months ago. Security agencies are now probing his online activities, social media presence and communications to determine the extent of his links with Bhatti.

The arrest came as the Rajasthan ATS launched a major statewide operation targeting individuals allegedly connected to Bhatti or those suspected of maintaining contact with him through social media platforms.

The operation is being carried out under the directions of ATS chief ADG Dinesh MN and the supervision of IG Rajesh Singh. Simultaneous raids are being conducted across nearly 25 districts, including Churu, Ajmer and Dungarpur.

Sources said several suspicious individuals were earlier detained during the operation, while security agencies continue to scrutinise social media accounts and digital footprints of those under investigation.

Police said further details would emerge after the questioning of Bashir and analysis of the evidence collected during the ongoing operation.

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(with inputs from Dinesh Bohra)