Even as diplomatic relations with Canada nosedive, India has made it clear that there will be no soft pedalling on terror threat from pro-Khalistani outfits as it came out with documentary evidence on six most wanted Khalistani terrorists of the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) declaring cash rewards on them on Wednesday.
These terror operatives are suspected to be hiding in Canada where their accomplice Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead in June. Despite Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s provocative assertion linking Nijjar’s death to Indian intelligence operations, there is no let off in steam by Indian security agencies who want to lay hands on terrorists and bust the trans-national syndicates.
The Pakistan links of these Canada-based terrorists have also been ringing alarm bells for intelligence agencies who recently briefed National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It is learnt that Doval is personally monitoring the security concerns arising out of the stress on diplomatic ties caused by Canada’s denial of anti-India activities on its soil.
On Wednesday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) made public names, faces, addresses and terror links of the Khalistani terrorists to track them down. It declared a Rs 100,000 cash reward each for information on Lakhbir Singh Landa, who is allegedly hiding in Canada, and Harvinder Singh Rinda in Pakistan. Their other accomplices in Canada— Parminder Singh Kaira alias Pattu and Satnam Singh alias Satta and Yadwinder Singh alias Yadda—have a Rs 500,000 cash reward each.
While the NIA does not name Canada while seeking information from the public on their whereabouts, the dossiers prepared by the intelligence agencies disclose how some of them used forged passport to escape to Canada where they were even detained by Canadian authorities recently, only to be let off.
Canada-based Lakhbir Singh Landa, a native of Harike in Tarn Taran who fled to Canada in 2017-18, tops the list with an alleged long history of being involved in crimes related to murder, attempt to murder, illegal possession of arms and extortion. He is said to be an old associate of Harwinder Singh Rinda, a Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist, who masterminded the rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Punjab police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022.
Rinda is presently suspected to be living in Pakistan by acquiring an Indian passport on a fake identity. He is reportedly sheltered by Pakistan-based terrorist groups and the ISI. Landa and Rinda are involved in large-scale cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons, according to intelligence officials. Evidence with security agencies reveals that Landa arranged the shelter, an assault rifle and Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) for the two individuals who carried out the attack at Intelligence headquarters in Mohali on May 9 in 2022, through his associates based in Punjab.
The target of the trans-national terror ring is clearly Punjab where the BKI activities are aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony and spreading terror, said NIA sources.
The Canadian links tumble out with intelligence sources revealing that Satnam Singh, from Tarn Taran in Punjab and a close associate of Landa, escaped to Canada on forged passport where he was detained but eventually let off. Another associate Parminder Singh Khaira from Firozpur in Punjab, learnt to be close to Landa and Satta, also reportedly entered Canada on a forged passport. Meanwhile, Yadvinder Singh alias Yadi from Tarn Taran, is learnt to be hiding in Philippines. Intelligence sources said both Yadi and Satta were involved in the RPG attack on Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran last year.
An NIA spokesperson said the wanted terrorists are accused of commission of terror acts and activities, besides raising funds for the BKI through smuggling of terrorist hardware and narcotics into Punjab and also through extensive extortion from businessmen and other prominent individuals.
“They are also wanted in cases relating to commissioning of targeted killings, as well as targeting of law enforcement agencies in order to create an environment of terror in Punjab,” said the agency.
The NIA investigations have further shown these terrorists to be recruiting new members for the BKI by promising monetary benefits. “They have also established a network of operatives in various countries to further their terror activities,” it said.
Sources said Rinda moved from Sarhali village in Tarn Taran to Nanded in Maharashtra after committing a series of crimes since 2008 and presently has nearly 30 cases against him. He is wanted in Punjab, Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Haryana and West Bengal.
He is learnt to have made several failed attempts to attack police buildings by using foot soldiers in Punjab before using Landa and other Canada-based gangsters to mastermind the RPG attack on the intelligence headquarters. An accused in ten cases of murder, six cases of attempt to murder, seven cases of dacoities besides abductions, extortions, Arms Act and NDPS Act cases, Rinda is suspected to be running the Khalistan network from Pakistan through Canadian soil into Punjab.
