Overview
- The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a gazette notification on Wednesday adding the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) to the UAPA First Schedule as the 46th listed organisation, formally designating it a terrorist group.
- The government invoked Section 35(1)(a) of the UAPA to enable charges tied to membership, support, terror financing and conspiracy against people linked to SBN.
- The notification cites allegations that SBN ran cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics, carried out grenade and IED attacks, and used digital platforms to radicalise youth and petty criminals.
- Security agencies had already taken coordinated action ahead of Independence Day, detaining about 253 people across 14 states, filing more than 80 FIRs and making over 200 arrests with reported seizures of explosives, firearms and surveillance gear.
- Officials say the network is run by Shahzad Bhatti and is believed to operate from abroad with alleged ISI backing, which means India will need extradition or mutual legal assistance to pursue him internationally and may press for cooperation from Gulf states such as the UAE.