The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three “individual terrorists” associated with banned Khalistani outfits Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and exposed their international nodes which were involved in handling of India-based terror operatives, an official said on Sunday (July 23).
Six other associates working for both Khalistani outfits were also named in the chargesheet filed before a special court today, which underlined the mechanism of fund-raising for BKI and KTF, a spokesperson of the agency said. The NIA said that it is also looking into the links of 16 other absconding and apprehended accused linked to both outfits.
The spokesperson said the three notorious gangsters-turned-terrorists and drug-smugglers — Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias ‘Rinda’, Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias ‘Landa’ of BKI and Arshdeep Singh alias ‘Arsh Dala’ of KTF — are based outside the country and have created their own networks of operatives there to carry out terror activities in India.
“Through this complex network of operatives based abroad, 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. “They also have linkages with major gangs operating in north India, including local gangsters, organized criminal syndicates and networks,” the spokesperson said.
According to the agency, Rinda is an important member and operative of of BKI. “In the year 2018-19, he fled to Pakistan illegally and is currently living there under the patronage of ISI, and is involved in the commission of terrorist activities against India.
“Rinda is involved in various offences like smuggling of arms, ammunition explosives and drugs into Indian territory from Pakistan, recruitment of BKI operatives, murders, raising funds for BKI through extortion in the states of Punjab and Maharashtra,” the spokesperson said.
The agency said other foreign-based chargesheeted operatives of BKI include Harjot Singh who is currently in the USA, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, who is absconding in the Nabha Jailbreak case and suspected to be presently in Nepal, and Landa’s broyher Tarsem Singh, currently in Dubai.
Gurjant Singh, who is hiding in Australia, is amongst the foreign-based nodes of KTF who has been chargesheeted, the spokesperson said, adding other accused chargesheeted are Deepak Ranga and Lucky Khokhar alias ‘Denis’, who were recruited by foreign-based handlers for carrying out terror activities in India.
