Stepping up its crackdown on Khalistani terrorists, the NIA on Wednesday announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of five Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives, including Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias ‘Rinda’ and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias ‘Landa’.
The federal agency announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh each for Rinda and Landa and Rs 5 lakh each for Parminder Singh Kaira alias “Pattu”, Satnam Singh alias “Satbir Singh” alias “Satta” and Yadvinder Singh alias “Yadda”.
A spokesperson of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said these five terrorists are wanted in a case registered early this year related to the BKI’s terrorist activities aimed at disturbing India’s peace and communal harmony and spreading terror in the state of Punjab.
‘The wanted terrorists are accused of commission of terror acts and activities, besides raising funds for the BKI, a banned terror outfit, through smuggling of terrorist hardware and narcotics into Punjab and also through extensive extortion from businessmen and other prominent individuals.
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NIA joins Bhiwani-Prayagraj Express derailment attempt probe, surveys site in Kanpur An NIA team has joined the ongoing probe in Kanpur where a major train accident was averted by a loco pilot who brought the Bhiwani-Prayagraj Express to a screeching halt after it hit an LPG cylinder on the tracks on Sunday night, police said. According to the police, bottles of petrol and matchboxes were also found at the site hinting at a sabotage bid, the reason why a high-level team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been rushed in to join the investigations. "A team from the NIA, led by a woman IPS officer of the 2012 batch has started investigating the site where the LPG cylinder was found placed on the railway tracks," a senior police officer told PTI from Kanpur. "The NIA officials have started gathering details about the incident. They are also undertaking a survey of the entire area around the railway tracks (where the LPG cylinder was found)," Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Rajesh Kumar Singh said. ADG Railways has also arrived, a police official confirmed. "The NIA officials... asked the police to make a survey of railway tracks in the large areas believing it might be helpful in getting breakthrough into the case," he added. "A detailed press note will be issued from Delhi," an officer at the NIA control room said, when he was approached to share details of the ongoing investigations into the incident that occurred around 8.20 pm on Sunday. An FIR has been registered and teams have been formed by multiple agencies including Uttar Pradesh's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the NIA to probe the matter, officials said. The Kanpur Police has detained six people, including two local history-sheeters, in connection with the case and decided to form a Special Investigation Team, they said, adding it will also study if there are any similarities with the recent Sabarmati Express derailment in Kanpur. "An attempt was made to derail the Kalindi Express by placing the LPG cylinder on the tracks," the police said. Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Harish Chander said 4-5 grams of explosive powder apart from a bottle filled with petrol and a wick, matchboxes and an LPG cylinder which was placed on the tracks to derail the train have been recovered. He said the loco pilot saw that the LPG cylinder was placed on the tracks and applied emergency brakes. However, before it came to a halt, the train hit the cylinder, knocking it off the tracks, Chander said, adding the loco pilot informed the guard and the gateman about it. The train remained at the incident site for about 20 minutes and was again stopped at the Bilhaur station for a check, the Additional CP said. Efforts were being made to identify the culprits and they will be dealt with sternly, he said. The Railways lodged an FIR at Shivrajpur against unidentified persons, saying placing of an LPG cylinder on the tracks along with a bottle filled with petrol and a wick suggests a possible sabotage bid. A senior officer said the FIR has been lodged against "unidentified" accused under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 125 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and under provisions of the Explosives Act, 1884 and Railways Act. Top officials have formed five teams to investigate the matter. "As many as six persons, including two local history-sheeters, were detained on Monday for questioning in connection with the incident," DCP Singh said. The Kanpur Police has also decided to form an SIT, to be headed by a senior rank official, to investigate the matter. The police will study if there are any similarities in pattern and modus operandi of the recent Sabarmati Express derailment that took place about 20 days ago in the Panki area here, an officer said. Twenty coaches of the Ahmedabad-bound Sabarmati Express passenger train had derailed near Govindpuri station in Kanpur after the engine hit an object placed on the track. Officials had said agencies were investigating the possible involvement of anti-social elements in the incident. UP Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said, "All our senior officers have visited the spot and we are looking into things seriously. Whatever facts come to light, we will inform the media about them." On a question about the ATS also reaching the spot in Kanpur, the DGP said, "We will look into all the aspects and it is not possible to say anything on this without a full investigation." It has also been decided to look for "Jamatis (members of Islamic groups) in the vicinity and question them," an official source said. ATS' Inspector General of Police (IGP) Nilabja Chowdhry said the investigators will "look into every aspect" of the incident under their probe. ACP Chander said forensic experts examined the explosive powder and will suggest as to which central laboratory should be roped in for the forensic examinations. "It is too early to reach conclusions whether or not the terror groups are behind the conspiracy as police couldn't rule out any possibility," he said. The modus operandi behind an abortive attempt to derail the train showed it was an act of an "unskilled" person and it could be an insider's job too, said an official, requesting anonymity. "We also sought mobile towers' data (call detailed records containing subscribers' information) for the last six days, believing it will help police in cracking the case but several mobile service providers failed to provide it," the official added.
‘They are also wanted in cases relating to commissioning of targeted killings as well as targeting of law enforcement agencies in order to create an environment of terror in the state of Punjab,’ the spokesperson said.
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The official said investigations have shown that the five terrorists have been engaged in recruiting new members of the BKI by promising them monetary benefits.
‘They have also established a network of operatives in various countries to further their terror activities in different parts of India,” the official said.
Rinda, originally a resident of Maharashtra, is a Pakistan-based ‘listed individual terrorist’ and member of the BKI, while Landa, Khaira, Satnam and Yadvinder are residents of Punjab.
‘Any specific information leading to the arrest of the five wanted terrorists can be shared with the NIA headquarters in New Delhi or the NIA Branch Office in Chandigarh,’ the spokesperson said, sharing the telephone and WhatsApp numbers.
Meanwhile, the NIA released two lists of 54 individuals with their photographs who are wanted in the investigation of two cases, registered last year, to dismantle terror-gangster networks in the country.
The lists, one naming 11 persons and the other 43 persons, were shared by the NIA on its official account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The list included several wanted gangsters, including Goldy Brar, Lawrence Bishnoi, Anmol Bishnoi and Arshdeep Singh Gill.
‘If you have any information about properties/assets/business owned by them in their name or in name of their associates, friends and relatives, please WhatsApp,” the agency said, sharing the mobile number.