NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a chargesheet against eight accused, including Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Shehzad Bhatti, in connection with the IED car bomb blast at the parking area of Baldev Nagar police station in Ambala, Haryana, earlier this year.According to a statement issued by the NIA, the chargesheet was filed before the Special NIA Court in Panchkula. Besides Bhatti, the accused named in the chargesheet are Karamjit Singh alias Tony, Akash, Soureb alias Sobi alias Sourab, Raman Kumar, Satyam, Sukhdev Singh alias Sukha, and Amarjeet Singh alias Ambi, according to news agency PTI.The agency outlined the roles of the accused and detailed the conspiracy allegedly masterminded by Bhatti to target the Baldev Nagar police station with the aim of spreading terror by attacking police establishments.According to the NIA’s findings, Bhatti, who is wanted in several terror-related cases, had set up operational modules in India and tasked local operatives with arranging logistics and explosive materials to carry out attacks on police establishments.The statement said Akash acted as Bhatti’s main India-based operative and coordinated the planned attack along with other accused. Investigators found that the Baldev Nagar police station was selected after reconnaissance of multiple potential targets.According to news agency PTI, the NIA said some of the accused parked a vehicle loaded with gas cylinders and explosive substances inside the police station premises and also recorded videos of the scene for dissemination and publicity purposes.The investigation further revealed that Bhatti had allegedly recruited and radicalised the accused through social media platforms and encrypted communication channels. The agency said digital, electronic, documentary and forensic evidence established that the accused remained in contact with the handler during the planning and execution of the attack.The NIA said its ongoing probe has uncovered a network involving recruitment, financing, operational coordination, procurement of explosive materials and execution of the terrorist act, allegedly carried out under Bhatti’s direction.
