Nine Arrested in India Over Alleged ISI-Backed Plot to Attack Delhi Temple, Haryana Military Camp

Indian police have arrested nine alleged operatives linked to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Shahzad Bhatti module in a crackdown on planned attacks across northern India, according to sources cited by PTI. The suspects were apprehended in multiple states during the Delhi Police Special Cell's 'Gang Bust Operation 2.0', with weapons recovered from their possession.
The investigation revealed that the suspects conducted reconnaissance on a historic temple in Delhi, with plans to open fire on security and paramilitary personnel stationed there. Photographs of the site were allegedly transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers via social media. Attacks on police personnel at multiple locations in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh were also under preparation.
A popular dhaba on the Delhi-Sonipat highway, frequented by travelers and security forces, was identified as another target, with plans to detonate hand grenades to maximize casualties. Separately, a military camp in Hisar, Haryana, was under surveillance, and video footage was reportedly shared with ISI-linked operatives in Pakistan.
The arrests follow the March 31 registration of a case based on intelligence about Bhatti's network planning large-scale criminal acts in Delhi-NCR. Two earlier arrests in April—Rajveer, 21, and Vivek Banjara, 19, from Madhya Pradesh—had exposed links to Bhatti, described as a Pakistan-based gangster and ISI proxy.
The investigation is ongoing, with the Delhi Police Special Cell coordinating with state agencies to trace additional associates and dismantle the network. Further legal proceedings and forensic analysis of seized materials are underway.