NIA chargesheet reveals complex world of Khalistani terror fundraising | India News

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against nine individuals, including three notorious ‘listed terrorists’ associated with banned terror outfits Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), in a gangsters-terrorists nexus case.

The chargesheet reveals their international nodes involved in the recruitment and handling of India-based terror operatives, as well as a complex mechanism of fundraising for the two outfits.
The three individuals charged – Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias ‘Rinda’ of BKI, Arshdeep Singh alias ‘Arsh Dala’ of KTF, and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias ‘Landa’ of BKI – are based outside the country and have created their own networks of operatives to carry out terror activities in India.

According to the NIA, they have close contacts with drug smugglers and Khalistani operatives in Pakistan and other countries.
Through this intricate 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.
The NIA also revealed that they have linkages with major gangs operating in north India, including local gangsters, organized criminal syndicates and networks.
The investigation has further exposed a complex mechanism of fundraising for the BKI and KTF.
The funds were being routed to India-based associates through both informal and formal channels, with layering and fund provisioning.
The use of MTSS (Money Transfer Service Scheme) and other means masked the identity of the real senders or receivers of the funds, making it challenging for authorities to track the transactions.
The chargesheet also names six other associates working for the Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Tiger Force, who are involved in supporting the terrorist activities of the outfits.
Among the charged individuals, Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias ‘Rinda,’ is a key member of BKI and a Khalistani operative who fled to Pakistan illegally in 2018-19.
He is currently living in Pakistan under the patronage of ISI and is involved in various offenses, including smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, and drugs into Indian territory from Pakistan.
He is also responsible for recruiting BKI operatives, carrying out murders, and raising funds through extortion in Punjab and Maharashtra.
Arshdeep Singh, alias ‘Arsh Dala,’ was an infamous gangster in India who later moved to Canada, where he came in contact with Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the proscribed terrorist organization KTF. Together, they recruited youth and formed terrorist gangs to carry out extortion and targeted killings in Punjab.
Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias ‘Landa,’ initially involved in criminal and gangster activities, left for Canada in 2017, where he joined BKI and was the main accused in several terrorist incidents, including RPG attacks on Punjab Police Intelligence headquarters and a police station in Tarn Taran.
The NIA is also investigating the links of 16 other absconding and arrested accused associated with the BKI and KTF, further unraveling the international network of these terror groups.
The chargesheeted operatives based in foreign countries include Harjot Singh in the US, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, suspected to be in Nepal, Tarsem Singh in Dubai, and Gurjant Singh in Australia, among others.
The revelations from this chargesheet shed light on the dangerous international nexus of Khalistani terror groups and their sophisticated fundraising operations, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance and international cooperation in combating terrorism.
(With inputs from PTI, IANS)