NIA arrests extradited key aide of suspected Khalistani terrorists Harwinder Sandhu, Lakhbir Singh

NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough against the pro-Khalistan terror network, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a key associate of dreaded foreign-based terrorists Harwinder Sandhu alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, following his successful extradition from the United Arab Emirate (UAE).

According to the officials, the arrested suspect is Tarsem Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran district in Punjab, the real brother of ‘Designated Individual Terrorist’ Lakhbir Landa. Tarsem had a non-bailable arrest warrant against him since June last year.

“Tarsem, wanted in a case registered by the NIA, was a key member of the proscribed terrorist organisation Babbar Khalistan International (BKI) and a major terror hub of designated terrorists Rinda and Landa in the UAE,” a senior official said.

The official said Tarsem was “originally arrested in Abu Dhabi in November last year, following the issuance of the NBW by a special court of the NIA and the subsequent Red Corner Notice by INTERPOL. He was finally extradited from the UAE to India on Friday, in accordance with the due procedures of INTERPOL.

The CBI’s Global Operations Centre worked with the NIA and INTERPOL NCB – Abu Dhabi to secure the return of RCN national Tarsem from the UAE.

“The CBI received a red notice from the General Secretariat of INTERPOL on November 13 last year on the request of the NIA and it was sent to all INTERPOL member states to locate and arrest the suspect,” a senior official of the agency said. He added that the RCN national was located in the UAE through INTERPOL and a security mission of the NIA had been sent to the UAE to return him to India.

The anti-terror agency officials said that the NIA in its investigation has found that Tarsem was actively involved in arranging and providing terror funds to India-based associates of Rinda and Landa. He was also involved in channeling terror funds through multiple routes, they added.

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

According to the officials, these organisations are working with agents and members of terror organisations and organised criminal gangs to smuggle arms, ammunition, explosives and IEDs across the border. They have also used drug trafficking, extortion and hawala trade to generate money for terrorist activities on Indian soil, the NIA has found in its investigation so far.