ISI-backed BKI module exposed, MBA graduates and tech-savvy recruits used for terror ops

An investigation into an espionage-terror module uncovered by security agencies has led Delhi Police to identify Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives Manu Agwan and Maninder Billa as chief handlers, sources said.

Agwan, currently shuttling between Greece, Portugal and Germany, assumed operational charge of a section of BKI modules after the arrest of Happy Passia in the United States last year. He operates in collaboration with a group formed by Harwinder Singh, alias Rinda Sandhu, in Pakistan. Billa was last spotted in Malaysia and coordinates with Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) factions.

Agwan fled to Thailand in 2022 and later shifted to a BKI base in Portugal. Since then, he has been orchestrating attacks in Punjab and is now focusing on operations in Delhi, sources said.


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Shift in recruitment tactics

The investigation has also exposed a shift in recruitment strategy by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Unlike earlier modules that targeted marginalised or uneducated individuals, the latest network involved “bright, young minds,” including MBA graduates and tech-literate professionals working alongside labourers, drivers and farmers in activities such as arms trafficking, narco-smuggling and surveillance.

MBA graduates led ‘corporate’ layer

At the top of the module was Atul Rathee, a resident of Rohini in northwest Delhi and an MBA graduate from New Zealand, who allegedly led a double life, according to additional commissioner of police (special cell) Pramod Kushwaha. He was assisted by Rohit, another MBA graduate, who accompanied him on missions to Punjab to collect foreign-made weapons.

Technical backbone and support network

Manpreet Singh, a BCA graduate, handled the digital operations of the network, acting as a liaison with overseas handlers, managing ammunition distribution and procuring SIM cards using fraudulent identities.

The investigation revealed a diverse support structure, with Ajay, a graduate, and Salwinder Singh, a DJ operator, providing operational assistance. Wallpaper workers Anmol and Sahil were used to install CCTV cameras at multiple locations for remote monitoring.

Narco-terror and espionage link

A second unit focused on narco-terrorism and military espionage. Gurjeet Singh, a farmer, and Boota Singh, a smuggler, allegedly used cross-border family links to conduct reconnaissance of Indian Army cantonments. They worked with Rimpledeep Singh, a driver, and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy, who handled tasks ranging from laundering drug proceeds to planning surveillance of security forces.

Financial and digital trail

The network’s activities were funded through illegal arms proceeds as well as UPI accounts to maintain a semblance of legitimacy. Although operatives used encrypted platforms to communicate, digital forensics enabled investigators to trace their activities.

Authorities said analysis of digital footprints helped dismantle the multi-layered network that sought to recruit and use Indian youth for terror activities.

(With inputs from TOI)