Pakistan-Based Gangster Shahzad Bhatti Allegedly Recruiting Indian Youths Through Social Media, Former NIA Officer Warns
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai: Indian security agencies are confronting a new threat from across the border: A Pakistan-based gangster who uses social media to recruit young Indians for violence, according to former special director general of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Atulchandra Kulkarni.
Shahzad Bhatti Allegedly Uses Social Media Influence To Build Recruitment Network
Speaking exclusively to The Free Press Journal, the retired IPS officer, who also served in Maharashtra ATS and the Intelligence Bureau, said Shahzad Bhatti has evolved from underworld figure to online influencer. Bhatti has around 250,000 followers and posts lightweight content such as reels, but his criminal network in Pakistan remains intact.
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Kulkarni said Bhatti's recruitment method is deceptively gentle. He first builds a following, then approaches individual followers, mostly young men from poor or lower-middle-class backgrounds. They are given small, seemingly harmless jobs, such as putting up posters or filming videos, in exchange for modest payments.
Former NIA Officer Warns Of Escalation From Minor Tasks To Violence
“The task goes on escalating, the money goes on escalating until recruits are drawn into terrorism. The tasks have reportedly included attacking an RSS office-bearer and killing a policeman,” he said.
Reports suggest over 300 Indian youths contacted the Bhatti network (SBN). Kulkarni said recruits are often vulnerable, with some dependent on drugs and others drawn to gun culture or easy money.
Mumbai Cyber Fraud: Kanjurmarg Retiree Loses ₹15.28 Lakh In Sextortion Scam After Accepting Facebook Friend RequestKulkarni said the ISI is believed to control the network, and that Bhatti and two or three others have been directly tasked by the agency. “It is difficult to say whether Bhatti began independently and was later co-opted, or was groomed by the ISI from the start; either is possible."
Kulkarni also pointed to Mumbai underworld connections, noting that a Mumbai gangster Munna Zingada who relocated to Pakistan is considered an associate of Bhatti. "That gives the network a sinister dimension. It cannot be taken lightly.”
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