In a major breakthrough, the Punjab police thwarted a major attempt being made to revive the Khalistan movement.
Two operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Harvinder Rinda and Harpreet Singh, alias Happy Passia, were arrested by the police following intelligence inputs. During the course of the investigation, it was learnt that they were operating in Punjab on the directives of a foreign-based handler. The Ministry of Home Affairs had designated Rinda as a terrorist in 2023.
With this development, the police have solved several cases relating to terror, including the Ajnala police station case in which the two accused planted an IED on November 23, 2023. Following the arrest, the police recovered two hand grenades, a pistol, ammunition, and a motorcycle.
Rinda’s Network
Rinda is no small fry, and his arrest has solved a major headache for the police. He not only coordinated with his handlers abroad but was also successful in carrying out attacks in Punjab.
The police say that his network was deep-rooted and investigations are underway to uncover the same. The police are also trying to ascertain the links between Rinda and Ramanjit Singh, alias Rammi, who was extradited from Hong Kong in connection with the Nabha jailbreak case. In this case, gangsters had dressed up as policemen before they broke into the high-security prison and secured the release of six gangsters.
Rammi is an operative of the Sikhs for Justice, which is headed by the US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
In a major breakthrough, Punjab Police has solved a series of three recent terror incidents orchestrated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI, leading to the arrest of two accused.
All three attacks were claimed by BKI, specifically attributed to… pic.twitter.com/MAFM45kZnl
— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) December 13, 2024
The Nabha jailbreak case was a major operation. Not only did it result in the release of six gangsters, but was quoted by the handlers of the Khalistan movement as a motivational event to recruit youngsters into these terror groups.
Although the BKI and Sikhs for Justice are two different entities, they work towards the same cause. Rinda was liaisoning with both outfits. The Sikhs for Justice would provide the funds and also carry out propaganda, while the BKI would carry out attacks on the ground.
Rinda would report to his handlers abroad and had links with terrorists in Canada, Pakistan and Hong Kong. His brief was to carry out attacks and establish the Khalistan movement in Punjab once again.
Links to ISI
Intelligence Bureau officials tell Organiser that the busting of this module is yet again a sign that the agencies in Bharat have managed to handle the menace. The major frustration among the Khalistanis abroad is that they have managed to grab attention but have failed in their primary motive, which is to revive the movement in Punjab.
When the ISI took these elements into their fold following a crackdown in the 1990s, it was decided that they would have international operations. The propaganda machinery would operate from Canada, the US, and the UK, while the logistics and handling of the operations would be overseen from Pakistan. The ISI still houses a large number of terrorists from the Khalistan movement who had fled in the 1990s.
In order to attain a high success rate, the ISI trained the Khalistanis and the operatives of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba together for several years. They shared common training camps. The modus operandi of both these terror outfits is the same, but the area of operation is different. The Khalistan terrorists focused on Punjab while the Lashkar-e-Tayiba concentrated on Jammu and Kashmir.
Gangster-Terror Nexus
On Wednesday, the police solved another case relating to the BKI. Sachin Taliban, a native of Char village in Uttar Pradesh, revealed during his questioning that he is a henchman of Satwinder Singh, alias Satjingder, alias Goldy Brar, who is a notorious gangster.
During the probe, he revealed that it was the BKI that carried out the crude bomb attack in Gurugram. Days after blasts at a bar owned by singer Badshah in Chandigarh, an explosion was reported outside two nightclubs in Sector 29 Gurugram.
The probe revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s associates had called the club operators via WhatsApp and demanded crores of rupees and also a stake of 30 per cent in the business. The bombs were hurled after their demands were not met.
This case goes on to prove how the gangster-terror nexus works. The gangsters task the Khalistan terrorists to undertake crimes and acts of terror. It is the gangsters who provide the logistics and funds for these terrorists. It serves two purposes. One of the gangsters gets to throw his weight around. Secondly, the Khalistan elements too are happy as they get to spread terror in their attempt to revive the movement.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been probing this nexus for some time now. It has identified the likes of Lakbhir Singh Landa alias Linda, and Bishnoi, among others, as the major players in this nexus. Landa is a member of the BKI and an associate of Bishnoi and Goldy Brar. He has been handling the terror-criminal syndicate from Canada. He was also found to be conspiring and commissioning the execution of several prominent social, religious, and political persons.
Based out of Canada, Landa has also been providing shelter to criminals, the NIA said. He was also instrumental in the RPG attack on the Punjab Police State Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali. The RPG attack on the Sarhali police station in Tarn Taran was also his plan. Landa is also in close touch with Khalistan elements based in Nepal and Hong Kong.
They are executing/conspiring with various gang leaders lodged in jails to threaten and terrorise singers, industrialists, political functionaries, sportspersons, etc., and to extort money from them, even resorting to eliminations and killings if they fail to pay up. These absconders have been providing safe havens to the absconding associates of these gang leaders. The money so extorted is used for furtherance of the terrorist activities and for providing logistic support to various gangs, including the Bambiha gang, active in India. They have been actively involved in arranging funds for carrying out terrorist activities and procurement of terror hardware, the NIA said in a statement.
Operation Dhvast
Operation Dhvast is an ongoing operation by the NIA to crack down on the terror gangster nexus. The NIA has raided over 324 locations so far across six states and Union Territories with the help of the Punjab police. A team of the NIA even visited London to probe the vandalism that took place at the Indian High Commission.
On its radar are Arsh Dalla, Bishnoi, and Landa, among others. The NIA has been focusing mainly on the logistics, funding, and hawala operations of this syndicate.
During the course of the investigation, it came to light that many involved in this syndicate have been operating out of jails. This led the NIA to focus on such operations during which several persons came under its radar.
