Hapur (UP), March 19 Two individuals allegedly linked to a criminal network based in Pakistan were arrested from the Dhaulana area of Hapur district for allegedly sending photos, videos, and location details of religious sites and key locations to their handlers across the border, police said on Thursday.
The accused have been identified as Azeem Rana, a resident of Peeplehda in Dhaulana, and Azad Rajput from Jai village in Meerut district. The Dhaulana police arrested both men, and two mobile phones were recovered from their possession, officials said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Rana ran a dry fruits stall at a mall in Delhi, while Rajput worked as a contractor at a pipe factory in Gurugram.
According to Superintendent of Police Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, the duo was in contact with a network linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti, which was backed by the ISI, through social media platforms since December 2025.
During interrogation, the accused admitted to sharing photographs, videos, and location details of a metro station area in west Delhi, a nearby temple, and adjoining residential colonies with their handlers. They also allegedly sent similar information related to a temple in the Bisrakh area of Greater Noida, police said.
The suspects were in regular contact with their handler via social media and messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, and had also conducted reconnaissance of a prominent temple in Delhi, officials added.
Police said the information was being shared on the instructions of the Pakistan-based handler, raising suspicions of a possible larger conspiracy targeting religious places. Authorities suspect that the information could have been intended for planning a major terror attack, similar to past incidents.
The arrests were made following inputs from central intelligence agencies. Afterwards, multiple agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), joined the probe and began questioning the accused.
Officials said efforts are underway to identify other members of the network and trace the links of the accused. Police are also verifying the local contacts of the duo in the Dhaulana area.
