NIA files charge sheet against three gangsters-turned-Khalistani leaders

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against three dreaded gangsters-turned-Khalistani leaders – Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa – who operate from Pakistan and Canada, officials said.

The charge sheet was filed on Saturday, naming Rinda and Landa of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Dala of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), said officials. Besides, six others linked with BKI and KTF in its larger conspiracy probe against Khalistanis were also charge sheeted, added officials.

According to the NIA, they were sending money to India via MTSS (money transfer service scheme) – a personal remittances transfer facility for family maintenance from abroad – to generate funds for their terror activities in India.

While Rinda is based in Pakistan, Landa and Dala operate from Canada, where they have created their own networks of operatives to carry out terror activities in India, the agency said in a statement on Sunday.

“They have close contacts with drug smugglers and Khalistani operatives in Pakistan and other countries. 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 NIA said.

It further said the probe has revealed a “complex mechanism of fundraising for the BKI and KTF”.

“The funds were being routed to India-based associates through both informal as well as formal channels with layering and fund provisioning. MTSS or other means were being used in such a way that the identity of the real sender or receiver of funds was completely masked,” the statement added.

Rinda, according to the NIA, is a very important member of the BKI and an active Khalistani operative. “He fled to Pakistan in 2018-19 and is currently living there under the patronage of ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), and is involved in the commission of terrorist activities against India,” it said. ISI is the Pakistan intelligence agency.

According to the NIA, Rinda is involved in several offences, including the smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs into Indian territory from Pakistan. He also handles recruitment of BKI operatives, murders, raising funds for BKI through extortion, etc. in the states of Punjab and Maharashtra, said the agency.

It added that Rinda has been involved in many terrorist activities, including the RPG attack on Punjab police intelligence headquarters in May 2022, and was declared an ‘individual terrorist’ under the unlawful activities prevention act (UAPA) earlier this year by the ministry of home affairs.

Dala, NIA said, was an infamous gangster in India who fled to Canada. “In Canada, Dala came in contact with Hardeep Singh Nijjar (killed by unidentified persons in June) who was the chief of KTF, and the duo engaged in recruitment of youth and formation of terrorist gangs for carrying out extortion for raising funds for KTF and for carrying out targeted killing of businessmen and leaders of particular communities in Punjab,” NIA said. Dala was declared an ‘individual terrorist’ earlier this year.

Landa fled to Canada in 2017 and started working with Rinda against India. “He has been main accused in several terrorist incidents, including an RPG attack on Punjab police intelligence headquarters in May 2022 and an RPG attack on Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran in December 2022. He was also the mastermind of the conspiracy to kill Punjab Police sub-inspector Dilbagh Singh in August 2022,” NIA stated.

Apart from these three, NIA has named Harjot Singh, currently hiding in the US, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, suspected to be holed up in Nepal, Tarsem Singh (brother of Linda), currently based in Dubai, Gurjant Singh (hiding in Australia), and two accused – Deepak Ranga and Lucky Khokhar alias Denis (both arrested).

NIA is also investigating the links of 16 other absconding and arrested accused associated with the BKI and KTF.