EDShahzad BhattiRSSNIAUAPA
ED Files Money Laundering Case Against Shahzad Bhatti Network Over Ranchi RSS Attack
Published: September 17, 2026
ED registered a money‑laundering case against the Pakistan‑based Shahzad Bhatti Network for the June 16‑17, 2026 bomb attack on the RSS office in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The filing follows an August 2026 raid that detained 253 people across 14 states, and the NIA has already seized multiple financial accounts linked to the network.
ED registered a money‑laundering case against the Pakistan‑based Shahzad Bhatti Network for the June 16‑17, 2026 bomb attack on the RSS office in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The case stems from investigations that linked the network to the two petrol bombs thrown in the Nirvanpur area, and the alleged routing of funds through a Dubai‑based handler named "Rana Sahib".
The attack, the first of its kind on a RSS premises, triggered a joint probe by the NIA and state police. Saif Ansari and Aman Ansari were the first two accused arrested, and investigators say they were recruited by associates of Shahzad Bhatti.
On Wednesday, Home Minister Amit Shah declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The notification lists the network’s involvement in smuggling arms, explosives and narcotics, as well as in recruiting and radicalising youth across India.
In August 2026, security agencies carried out a multi‑state crackdown that detained 253 people across 14 states, registered over 80 FIRs and arrested more than 200 individuals linked to the network. The NIA has already searched premises in Punjab and Haryana, seizing financial documents that tie the network to the Ranchi incident.