The Indian government on Wednesday added Bhatti Network to its list of banned terror organisations, bringing the total number of groups prohibited under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to over 100. The designation was made by the Home Ministry through an official notification, citing the group's involvement in activities that threaten India's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Bhatti Network, which operates primarily from across the border in Pakistan, has been linked to several terror-related activities including the financing and mobilisation of individuals for militant training and operations. Intelligence agencies had been tracking the group for some time before the decision to ban it was taken.
Under the UAPA, once a group is notified as a terror organisation, any active support for it — whether through fundraising, recruitment, or membership — becomes a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to life. Authorities also gain wider surveillance and search powers over the group's associates and financial networks.
Senior home ministry sources indicated that the notification came after intelligence inputs were evaluated by an expert committee constituted under the UAPA. The group has been accused of carrying out propaganda activities aimed at radicalising vulnerable populations, particularly among youth in certain regions, and channeling resources towards designated individuals and cells within India.
India has been continuously strengthening its legal and institutional framework to counter cross-border terrorism since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Adding groups like Bhatti Network to the ban list is seen as part of a broader effort to plug gaps in the intelligence-to-action pipeline, ensuring that emerging threats do not escape scrutiny.
The move comes amid heightened sensitivity around organised terror financing networks operating from Pakistan-based locations, which have historically been linked to multiple violent incidents on Indian soil. Authorities are expected to now take action against individuals connected to the group, including freezing accounts and launching investigations.
Civil liberties groups have in the past raised concerns about the use of the UAPA, arguing that bans should be accompanied by transparent judicial review. However, government officials maintain that the notification followed due process and extensive vetting by investigative agencies.
