Maharashtra ATS arrested 21-year-old Yash Singh from Navi Mumbai for allegedly scouting sensitive locations including Chabad House Synagogue in Colaba under instructions from foreign criminal handlers.
The Navi Mumbai unit of the Anti-Terrorism Squad detained Singh, a resident of Airoli, after uncovering his communications with international criminal networks via social media. Investigators said that Singh gathered photographs of Jewish individuals, foreign nationals, and their corporate properties, along with vehicle details and precise location data, in exchange for money.
According to Divya Marathi, the suspect operated on instructions from overseas handlers to collect intelligence on Jewish citizens and foreign businesses in Mumbai, paying specific attention to Nariman House in Colaba.
Pudhari News reported that the suspect transmitted sensitive photographs, foreign national details, and exact locations through encrypted messaging applications. Additional reports from the source material note that the suspect was 20 years old according to initial regional releases, and that operations targeted individuals linked to Israeli and Jewish sites.
During the investigation, authorities established links between Singh’s activities and a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act at the Thrissur East police station in Kerala. My Mahanagar said that a Kerala Police team traveled to Navi Mumbai and took custody of the suspect after coordinating with state investigators regarding an individual previously arrested under Section 18 of the UAPA.
State ATS officials said that the operation ties into a pattern where criminal syndicates, including a network linked to Pakistan-based operative Shahzad Bhatti, target unemployed or financially distressed young adults through Telegram, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Lokmat reported that the Ministry of Home Affairs designated the Shahzad Bhatti network as a terrorist organization under the UAPA in September 2026, following grenade attack investigations involving the handler in Jalandhar and Sirsa. Source reporting outlines that Bhatti is 45 years old and operates from Lahore and Dubai, while investigators have tied his associates to preliminary intelligence gathering that preceded more severe violent incidents.
