New Delhi, Aug 25 : The Delhi Police has stepped up surveillance in view of intelligence inputs that Pakistan-based terrorist Shahzad Bhatti may be planning to carry out a blast in the capital’s peripheral areas or target police personnel during the upcoming BRICS Summit, an official said on Tuesday.
As part of the preventive exercise, police are monitoring the activities of more than 2,000 people including proclaimed offenders, suspects out on bail and those who were released for want of evidence, a senior police officer, who did not wish to be named, told PTI.
The intelligence assessment has raised concerns over a possible attempt to carry out a low-intensity attack intended primarily to create panic and attract attention during the BRICS Summit, rather than cause extensive casualties, the officer said.
“Intelligence and analysis suggest that Shahzad Bhatti is planning an attack in Delhi. While major installations and important areas receive ample security cover, it is not possible to secure every nook and corner. The intention behind the blast appears to be grabbing headlines rather than the impact itself,” he added.
Another input pertains to a possible attack on police personnel in Delhi-NCR or neighbouring areas, the officer said, adding that Bhatti could seek the assistance of members of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) — a proscribed pro-Khalistan outfit — for executing the plan.
The threat assessment comes weeks before India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit on September 12 and 13. The gathering, which will bring leaders and senior delegations of member countries to Delhi, has prompted security agencies to strengthen surveillance and preventive measures across the capital.
The latest intelligence inputs are also being viewed against the backdrop of a recent nationwide crackdown on Shahzad Bhatti’s criminal network. The Centre recently launched a major counter-terror operation against the syndicate, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah saying more than 200 suspected operatives were arrested ahead of Independence Day.
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs said over 80 cases have been registered against alleged members and associates of the network under provisions related to terrorism, illegal arms, explosives and narcotics.
The crackdown has also yielded improvised explosive devices, firearms, ammunition and grenades bearing markings of Pakistan’s ordnance factories. Security agencies have also found equipment allegedly used for surveillance, according to the ministry.
Bhatti, who operates from Pakistan, has been under the scanner of Indian agencies for allegedly building a network of recruits and criminal associates in India through online platforms. Investigators have linked him to a number of cases involving grenade attacks, explosives and targeted violence in northern India.
Agencies suspect that the network relies on local recruits for carrying out reconnaissance, arranging logistics and executing attacks after receiving directions from handlers based abroad.
Police and intelligence agencies have been particularly concerned over the use of encrypted communication platforms and social media to identify and recruit potential operatives.
The security concerns are not restricted to Delhi. Intelligence agencies have separately alerted Punjab Police about a possible threat to military establishments in Amritsar region, with an input naming two alleged Pakistan-based operatives and claiming that reconnaissance of Khasa Cantonment and the Budha Theh military establishment near Beas had been carried out.
The Amritsar alert has heightened concerns, particularly after a low-intensity IED blast near the boundary of Khasa Cantonment on May 5. However, investigators have not established any connection between the explosion and the latest intelligence input.
In Delhi, police are monitoring actions of the suspicious persons and analysing intelligence inputs to identify possible local facilitators and links to overseas handlers, the officer said.
Security agencies are expected to further tighten surveillance in the capital’s border and peripheral areas as the summit approaches, while maintaining heightened security around key installations and venues.
The latest inputs are being treated as preventive intelligence alerts and do not, by themselves, indicate an attack is imminent, the officer added.
