NIA declares ₹15 lakh bounty on Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Sandhu

The national investigation agency (NIA) on Wednesday declared a bounty of ₹15 lakh against Canadian-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa who is wanted in a terror-related case in Punjab.

Landa, a resident of Harike village in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab, is currently hiding in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

He is involved in several terrorist activities in Punjab and arms smuggling from Pakistan.

The NIA while declaring the cash reward for any information on Landa, said the informer’s identities will be kept secret.

The NIA had registered a case against Landa on August 20 last year under Sections 120B, 121, 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 17, 18, 18-B and 38 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 (UAPA) for his involvement in unlawful activities in various parts of the country.

Notably, less than a month back, ahead of Republic Day, Delhi police had arrested two alleged associates of Landa from Punjab.

The two were identified as Rajan Bhatti and Kanwaljeet Singh alias Chinna.

In the ongoing operations against Khalistani terror-gangster nexus, police have apprehended Bhatti.

He is one of Punjab’s wanted gangsters and a close associate of another fugitive Landa Harike, deputy commissioner of police (Special Cell) Manishi Chandra had said.

Bhatti was involved in over 15 cases and was wanted in a case registered in Punjab’s Mohali.

The FIR was registered in connection with target killings and for disturbing communal harmony in Punjab on the instructions of Landa and Harvinder Singh Rinda, police said.

Based on disclosures made by Bhatti and technical analysis, Singh was also nabbed in a joint operation with Punjab police, the DCP said.