NIA assures extradition of feared Khalistani terrorists Rinda and Landa

New Delhi: In a major success against the pro-Khalistan terror network, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday morning arrested a key associate of the dreaded foreign-based terrorists, Harwinder Sandhu alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, after successfully securing his extradition from the UAE.

The suspect, Tarsem Singh of Tarn Taran district of Punjab and real brother of designated terrorist Lakhbir Landa, had a non-bailable warrant of arrest (NBW) against him since June 2023. He was wanted in the NIA case RC 37/2022/NIA/DLI and was a key member of the terrorist organisation Babbar Khalistan International (BKI) and a major terror hub of designated terrorists Rinda and Landa in the UAE.

Tarsem was initially arrested in Abu Dhabi in November 2023 following the issuance of the NBW by a special court of the NIA and the subsequent Red Corner Notice by INTERPOL. He was eventually extradited from the UAE to India on Friday in accordance with due procedures of INTERPOL.

According to the NIA investigation, Tarsem was actively involved in arranging and providing terror funds to India-based associates of Sandhu alias Rinda and Landa. He was also involved in channeling terror funds through multiple routes.

The NIA registered the case on its own initiative on August 20, 2022. The case pertains to terrorist activities of leaders and members of banned terrorist organisations such as Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), BKI, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) etc., who have created a huge network of terrorist organisations across India.

These organisations work through agents/members of terrorist organisations and organised criminal gangs to smuggle arms, ammunition, explosives, IEDs etc. from across the border. They have used drug trafficking, extortion, hawala trading etc. to generate money to carry out terrorist activities on Indian soil, NIA investigations have revealed so far.