NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has exposed the Khalistani network operating globally and has filed a chargesheet against three notorious individuals associated with terror activities. The listed individual terrorists are Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, along with six other associates. These individuals have connections with the banned terror outfits Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and are involved in recruiting and handling terror operatives in India.
The agency is also investigating the links of 16 other absconding and arrested individuals associated with BKI and KTF. These gangsters-turned-terrorists, now based outside India, have established networks to carry out terror activities, extortion, and cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs into India. They have affiliations with major gangs operating in North India, local gangsters, organised criminal syndicates and networks.
Investigations have revealed a complex mechanism of fundraising for BKI and KTF, involving both informal and formal channels with layering and fund provisioning.
Harwinder Singh Sandhu, also known as Rinda, is a significant BKI member and Khalistani operative who fled to Pakistan illegally in 2018-19. He is currently living there under the patronage of ISI and is involved in commissioning terrorist activities against India. Rinda has been involved in various offenses, including smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, and drugs into India, recruitment of BKI operatives, murders, and raising funds for BKI through extortion in Punjab and Maharashtra. He was declared an 'individual terrorist' by the Centre in 2023.
Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, a former gangster from Moga, Punjab, left for Canada where he came in contact with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of KTF. Together, they recruited youth and formed terrorist gangs to carry out extortion and targeted killings of businessmen and community leaders in Punjab.
Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, known as Landa, from Tarn Taran, initially involved in criminal and gangster activities, went to Canada in 2017 and came in contact with Rinda. Landa became the main accused in several terrorist incidents, including RPG attacks on Punjab Police Intelligence headquarters and Sarhali Police station in December 2022. He was also the mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill Punjab police sub-inspector Dilbagh Singh in August last year.
Other foreign-based chargesheeted operatives of BKI include Harjot Singh in the USA, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, suspected to be in Nepal, and Landa's brother Tarsem Singh, currently in Dubai. Gurjant Singh, hiding in Australia, is among the foreign-based nodes of KTF.
