Nation

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Bulandshahr/Lucknow, June 19: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested two suspects from Bulandshahr for their alleged involvement in anti-national activities. According to officials, the accused were involved in a serious conspiracy that included creating sleeper cells through social media platforms, spreading fear and panic among local residents, and conducting reconnaissance of sensitive locations.

Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash stated on Thursday that the arrests were made as part of the ATS’s ongoing crackdown on the terror network allegedly linked to Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti and his associate and handler Abid Jatt. The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammad Omar and Faizan, both residents of Akbarpur village in Bulandshahr district.

Preliminary investigations and intelligence inputs gathered by the ATS, the two accused had allegedly been operating secretly as sleeper cell members while concealing their identities in Bulandshahr. Investigators claim that they were in direct contact with Pakistani-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti and handler Abid Jatt, a revelation that has raised serious security concerns among intelligence agencies.

The investigation further revealed that their primary assignment was allegedly to paste posters of Pakistani don Abid Jatt in different parts of Bulandshahr, record videos of those activities, and send the footage to contacts in Pakistan. The suspects were reportedly promised a substantial amount of money in return for carrying out these activities. Officials believe that the main objective behind the operation was to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation among the general public.

Apart from spreading propaganda, the accused were also allegedly assigned the task of conducting surveillance of sensitive and strategically important military locations, including Army cantonment areas. During the operation, ATS officials recovered several posters of Abid Jatt, videos, and other digital evidence from the possession of the arrested suspects, which are now being examined as part of the ongoing investigation.

The Uttar Pradesh ATS, along with central security agencies, is currently carrying out extensive interrogation of the two suspects to determine the nature of instructions they had allegedly been receiving from Pakistan. Investigators are also trying to trace the extent of this network’s presence across western Uttar Pradesh and identify whether more individuals are connected to the alleged conspiracy.

Security officials believe that further questioning could reveal major details about the network’s operations, financial links, and possible plans. The investigation remains active, and authorities have indicated that more arrests or significant revelations may emerge in the coming days as the probe moves forward.