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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted Jatinder Singh, a key aide of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Lakhbir Singh also known as Landa and dreaded gangster Pavittar Batala in a Punjab terror conspiracy case. Jatinder Singh alias Joti, hailing from Gurdaspur district of Punjab, was arrested by NIA from Mumbai on December 23, 2024 in the case, said NIA in a statement. NIA found during the investigation that Jatinder was involved in illegal procurement and supply of firearms from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab-based gangsters. He was facilitating the supply of weapons to ground operatives of Batala, a close associate of Designated Individual Terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa. Batala's foreign-based associates were coordinating Jatinder's operations in India. The weapons were being used by Batala's operatives in Punjab to promote BKI's criminal-terror activities. It was further found during NIA investigations that Jatinder used to procure illegal weapons from a known arms supplier, Baljeet Singh alias Rana Bhai, in Madhya Pradesh. Baljeet had already been arrested and chargesheeted by the NIA. The accused were using virtual numbers and encrypted applications to avoid detection by LEAs. NIA is investigating the role of Landa as well as designated terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and their foreign-based accomplices in the conspiracy.
On June 12, NIA searched 15 locations linked with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror organisation in Punjab and Haryana. The places searched include Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Pathankot, Kapurthala and Rupnagar districts of Punjab and Sirsa in Haryana in connection with the January 2025 grenade attack at a police post in Amritsar district of Punjab, said the NIA in a statement. NIA said a host of incriminating materials, including mobiles and digital devices and documents, were seized during the searches, and are being examined for further clues to the terror syndicate of BKI. As part of its investigation, NIA, which took over the case in April 2025 and re-registered it as RC-09/2025/NIA/DLI, on June 12 searched the premises of accused and suspects linked to Mandeep as well as Sarwan Singh alias Bhola, currently based in USA, and his brother Mandeep Singh alias Makka. (ANI)
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