NIA court declares six gangster-turned-terror operatives proclaimed offenders

Aspecial NIA court here has declared six ”gangster-turned-terrorist mafia operatives”, based out of Canada and Pakistan, proclaimed offenders, an official of the federal agency said on Tuesday.

The six accused are Canada-based Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge, Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa and Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Lakhbir Singh Rode and Wadhawa Singh Babbar, the official said.

The NIA on July 22 filed a charge sheet against nine accused, including Dala, Landa and Rinda, in a case registered suo motu on August 20 last year.

The case relates to terror activities of proscribed pro-Khalistan terrorist organizations such as Khalistan Liberation Force, Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation. According to NIA, they along with other operatives of terror outfits and organised criminal gangs active in various parts of the country were engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware, including arms, ammunition, explosives and custom-made ready-to-use IEDs, and other types of contraband, including drugs, from across the border.

The official said investigations have revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to smuggle terrorist hardware across international borders for use by their associates in carrying out terrorist acts in the Indian territory.

They were also involved in the recruitment of terrorist cadres in India and raising funds for proscribed organizations, the official said.