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The NIA investigations revealed the links of the accused persons to the outlawed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and several other pro-Khalistani terrorist organizations.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday i.e. March 24 filed chargesheet against jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar, and 12 others for their alleged "links to the outlawed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and several other pro-Khalistani terrorist organizations".
The NIA stated that Bishnoi, who is in custody since 2015, has been operating his terror-crime syndicate from the jails along with Canada-based Goldy Brar, who is an accused in the November 2022 murder case of Pradeep Kumar, a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, in Faridkot .
“The Lawrence Bishnoi terror-crime-extortion syndicate was also responsible for providing killers for the Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack case on Punjab State Intelligence HQs at Mohali, which was carried out on directions of Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, a Pakistan-based BKI terrorist”, NIA's press release stated.
The 14 chargesheeted accused persons are:
The NIA investigations also revealed that Goldy Brar was found to have direct links with Lakhbir Singh @Landa, another BKI operative working closely with Rinda. Lakhbir Singh @Landa is also an accused in the Mohali RPG attack, as well as the December 2022 RPG attack on Police Station Sirhali in Tarn Taran, Punjab. "Investigations against Landa and three others are continuing", the press release stated.
The NIA press release stated that all 14 accused persons had been charged with criminal conspiracy to unleash a wave of terror and carry out targeted killings of well-known social and religious leaders, movie stars, singers, and businessmen. “Investigations have further revealed that besides having links with conspirators in Pakistan, the accused were also in contact with pro-Khalistani elements based in Canada, Nepal, and other countries”, it added.
“NIA has seized a huge cache of 9 illegal and sophisticated weapons, 14 magazines, 298 rounds of ammunition and 183 digital devices and other incriminating material in raids across 74 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chandigarh, and Delhi in the case. The investigating agency had conducted large-scale searches over a period of six months and examined around 70 members of different Organized Crime Support networks during the course of its investigations”, the federal agency’s press release read.
“Seven LOCs and 5 NBWs have so far been issued in the case by the NIA, which has also attached/seized 7 immovable properties under Section 25 UA(P) Act and frozen 62 bank accounts. The investigations further led the NIA to the hideouts set up across Haryana and Punjab, which were being used to harbour the gangsters and store weapons”, it further read.
Notably, on March 21, the NIA filed a chargesheet against 12 accused persons, before the NIA Court in Delhi in one of the three terror-gangster nexus cases. The accused persons have been found to have “links with pro-Khalistani outfits” and “Pak-based conspirators”.
The accused in that case were identified as Arsh Dala, Gaurav Patyal, Sukhpreet Buddha, Kaushal Choudhary, Amit Dagar, Naveen Bali, Chhotu Bhat, Asif Khan, Jagga Takhatmal, Tillu Tajpuria, Bhupi Rana and Sandeep Bandar.
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