'Those Arrested Are From CJP': After India Crackdown, Shahzad Bhatti Says '3000 Of My Men Still Free'

News india 'Those Arrested Are From CJP': After India Crackdown, Shahzad Bhatti Says '3000 Of My Men Still Free'

'Those Arrested Are From CJP': After India Crackdown, Shahzad Bhatti Says '3000 Of My Men Still Free'

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Last Updated: August 20, 2026, 08:14 IST

In a video, Bhatti offers support, including legal and financial assistance, to people associated with the CJP who contact him.

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The Shahzad Bhatti network has increasingly been tasked with recruiting and directing operatives inside India, say sources. (File)

Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terror operative Shahzad Bhatti has attempted to push back against India’s claims of a major crackdown on his network, publicly denying that those arrested were his associates and claiming that thousands of his men remain active.

Bhatti’s video comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said security agencies had dismantled the ISI-backed Shahzad Bhatti Network in coordinated operations across 14 states. More than 250 people were detained and over 200 arrests were reported, with agencies recovering weapons, explosives and surveillance equipment.

Read More: Unlike Typical Jihadists: How Shahzad Bhatti Turned Petty Criminals Into Potential Terror Operatives

In the video, Bhatti reportedly claims that the arrested individuals were members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), including people associated with the Jantar Mantar protests, and not his operatives. He challenges the Indian government to publicly show the faces of those arrested, along with the weapons allegedly seized from them, and asks authorities to establish where those weapons were manufactured.

Bhatti claims that even after the arrests, around 3,000 of his men remain free. He also offers support, including legal and financial assistance, to people associated with the CJP who contact him. The claims could not independently be verified.

The timing and tone of the video are significant. Intelligence sources have described Bhatti’s network as heavily dependent on social media for recruitment, radicalisation and operational communication. Investigators have previously alleged that Indian youths were approached online, sometimes with small payments for propaganda activities and larger sums for violent assignments.

That makes a public show of defiance potentially important for the network itself. A prolonged silence after a large-scale crackdown could undermine Bhatti’s image among prospective recruits. By denying the arrests, questioning the government’s version and boasting about thousands of men still being available, he appears to be attempting to project continuity rather than defeat.

The Jantar Mantar angle also comes amid investigations into alleged attempts by Pakistan-linked modules to exploit recent protests. Punjab Police had earlier said an ISI-backed module planned an attack at Jantar Mantar and that some accused had travelled to Delhi during the protests.

Against this backdrop, Bhatti’s latest video can be viewed as more than a denial. It combines rejection of the official narrative with an attempt to reassure supporters and keep communication channels open.

For Indian agencies, the challenge now is not merely arresting operatives but disrupting the digital ecosystem that enables recruitment, radicalisation and remote coordination. Bhatti’s latest messaging suggests that even after a significant operational setback, the battle over influence and recruitment is continuing online.

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About the Author Manoj Gupta Group Editor, Investigations and Security Affairs, Network18

First Published: August 20, 2026, 08:14 IST

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