Three listed Khalistani ultras chargesheeted
New Delhi, July 23
The NIA today said it had filed a chargesheet against nine, including three “listed Khalistani terrorists” associated with banned outfits — the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) — in the gangster-terrorist nexus case.
The three “listed terrorists” are Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, of the BKI, Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dala, of the KTF and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, of the BKI (all based abroad). They allegedly created their own networks of operatives to indulge in subversive activities in the country.
The NIA, in a statement, said they also had close contacts with drug smugglers and Khalistani operatives in Pakistan and other countries. “They have been recruiting, motivating and handling their associates in India to carry out terrorist activities, extortion and cross-border smuggling of weapons and drugs into India,” the NIA said.
The NIA said it found a complex mechanism of fund-raising for the BKI and the KTF. The NIA was also investigating the links of 16 other absconding and arrested accused associated with the BKI and the KTF, it said.
“In 2018/19, Rinda fled to Pakistan illegally and has been living there under the patronage of the ISI,” the NIA said. The NIA said Rinda was involved in many terrorist activities, including the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in May 2022. He was declared an “individual terrorist” in 2023 by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Arsh Dala was a gangster who went to Canada and came in contact with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, chief of the KTF,” the NIA said. Dala was declared an “individual terrorist” in 2023.
Landa was initially involved in criminal and gangster-related activities. In 2017, he left for Canada and continued his activities from there. He came in contact with Rinda and started working for the latter and the BKI.
Landa is the main accused in a number of terror incidents, including the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters and the RPG attack on the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran in December 2022.
Other foreign-based BKI nodes chargesheeted by the NIA are Harjot Singh (US), Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, accused in the Nabha jailbreak case, and Tarsem Singh (Dubai). Gurjant Singh is living in Australia.
Other chargesheeted men are Deepak Ranga and Lucky Khokhar, alias Denis, who were recruited by foreign-based handlers for terror activities in India. Ranga was used by accused Rinda and Landa for carrying out the RPG attack in Mohali.
Hiding in Pak, Canada
- Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, of the BKI (in Pakistan)
- Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dala, of the KTF (Canada)
- Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, of the BKI (Canada)
Subversive activities
- The NIA said they created their own network of operatives to indulge in subversive activities in the country
- They also had close contacts with drug smugglers and Khalistani operatives in Pakistan and other countries
