NIA chargesheets Babbar Khalsa associate in Punjab terror conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key associate of Khalistani terrorists Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa, in a Punjab terror conspiracy case.

The chargesheet was filed on October 21 against Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, of Tarn Taran (Punjab) before the NIA special court in Mohali.

The NIA has identified the accused as an associate of foreign-based individual designated terrorists Harwinder Sandhu and Lakhbir Singh of the banned terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

Investigations by the anti-terror agency have reportedly established his role in a conspiracy hatched by BKI terrorists to unleash terror in Punjab and other parts of the country.

The accused was allegedly involved in a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Sarhali police station in December 2022, as per NIA investigations, which have revealed that he had remained in contact with his foreign-based handlers from jail, and even after his release from jail in that case.

Investigations have further found that Gurpreet had conspired to raise funds for the BKI and its operatives in India through large-scale extortion from businessmen on the directions of Lakhbir Singh.

He had recruited vulnerable youth for the BKI and had carried out recce of the targets identified by Lakhbir Singh and had made attempts to eliminate those targets.

The NIA, which had seized an illegal weapon from the accused’s house during a search operation in January this year, has charged him under various Sections of the UA(P) Act, IPC and Arms Act.