Why was Shahzad Bhatti Network designated as a terrorist group under UAPA? | Explained

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The story so far : On September 16, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) as a terrorist group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The MHA said in a notification that the outfit, through its terrorist activities, poses a “serious threat to the democratic system, communal harmony, and internal security of the country”.

Shahzad Bhatti, a social-media influencer and a Pakistani gangster is said to be the prime suspect behind the arrest of over 200 suspects in a countrywide counter-terror operation across the country ahead of Independence Day . Bhatti, who speaks Punjabi and regularly posts video on Instagram and Facebook, currently operates from the UAE, and over the past one-year has graduated from “organised crime” to “terror-related activities”. Several of his Instagram accounts ending in “333” have been flagged by security agencies. Before the pre-Independence Day pan-India raids and arrests against the SBN, Delhi Police had blocked 125 Instagram accounts related to Bhatti.

Detailing the reach of the network, Dehi Police said that since October 2025, the police registered 15 FIRs and arrested 69 accused, two-thirds from Punjab and U.P . Most were poorly educated, economically vulnerable individuals recruited via social media for money, Gulf relocation, or resolving personal issues. Monetary incentives generally outweighed ideology, police said. Multiple handlers assigned recruits tasks including reconnaissance, attacks, funding and logistics. The network’s Delhi-NCR targets included security personnel, political offices, businesses and activists.