Four held for allegedly plotting terror attack in Delhi at ISI handler’s behest

New Delhi: Delhi Police’s Special Cell has arrested four men from Punjab and Delhi for allegedly plotting a terror attack in the national capital under the direction of Pakistan-based ISI handler Shahzad Bhatti, officials said Thursday.

The accused — identified as Shubdeep Singh, 23, Gurjant Singh, 22, Sajan Singh, 28, and Gaganpreet, 24 — were allegedly acting on instructions from handlers across the border and had been assigned terror-related tasks in Delhi. Three of the accused are from Punjab, while Gaganpreet was arrested in Delhi, NDTV reported quoting officials.

Police said they recovered two foreign-made pistols, nine live cartridges and five mobile phones during the operation.

The arrests followed specific intelligence inputs, prompting the Special Cell to launch coordinated raids across Delhi and Punjab. The operation was carried out by teams led by Inspectors Satish Rana and Ashok under the supervision of ACP Vivek Kumar Tyagi.

Shubdeep Singh was first arrested in Amritsar, where police recovered a foreign-made pistol, ammunition and mobile phones. His questioning led investigators to Gurjant Singh and Sajan Singh, who were subsequently arrested from different locations in Punjab. Gaganpreet was later apprehended in Delhi.

During interrogation, the accused allegedly admitted to being in regular contact with Pakistani handlers through foreign phone numbers to avoid surveillance by Indian security agencies. Investigators also alleged that the group received consignments of weapons and narcotics dropped by drones from across the international border.

Police claimed Gaganpreet had conducted reconnaissance of police stations and religious sites in Delhi and had been tasked with carrying out a firing incident in the city as part of the alleged conspiracy.

According to investigators, Shubdeep Singh, alias Vishal, is from Tarn Taran district near the India-Pakistan border. He was previously arrested in a narcotics case and is alleged to have received drone consignments carrying weapons and drugs.

Gurjant Singh, alias Rishi, also belongs to Tarn Taran, while his cousin Sajan Singh, alias Honey, is from Amritsar. Police alleged both were involved in receiving arms consignments delivered by drones and have earlier been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Investigators further alleged that Gaganpreet, a resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, remained in contact with Pakistani handlers through social media and was instructed to record videos of police establishments and other sensitive locations in Delhi to aid future planning.

A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway.