NIA Apprehends Key Associate of Terrorist Landa in Mumbai Linked to Punjab Conspiracy
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New Delhi, Dec 23 (NationPress) In a significant advancement in the Punjab terror conspiracy investigation, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced on Monday that it has apprehended a crucial associate of the designated Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh, commonly referred to as Landa, as well as gangster Bachitar Singh, also known as Pavitar Batala.
The individual, identified as Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti from Gurdaspur district, Punjab, was detained in Mumbai after being on the run since the capture of arms supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024.
His arrest was made possible through extensive technical surveillance and ground operations conducted by the NIA.
The anti-terror agency confirmed that Jatinder is associated with the terror outfit led by the foreign-based Landa, who is linked to the banned organization, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and is an aide to Batala, a close ally of Landa.
As per NIA reports, Jatinder Singh was instrumental in supplying weapons to the operatives of Landa and Batala within Punjab. He had been acquiring arms from a supplier based in Madhya Pradesh (MP), identified as Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai, who has recently been chargesheeted in this case.
Investigations revealed that Jatinder Singh had transported ten pistols from MP and distributed them to Landa and Batala's operatives in Punjab.
He intended to smuggle additional firearms from MP into Punjab, but his plans were thwarted by the NIA's relentless search operations carried out over the preceding months, the agency stated.
This arrest represents a significant advancement in the NIA's campaign to dismantle the terror-gangster network by curtailing the smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, and other materials, as well as disrupting the funding of terrorist activities on Indian soil.
The Union Home Ministry has classified Lakhbir Singh Landa, a 34-year-old gangster residing in Canada, as a terrorist under the stringent UAPA anti-terror legislation.
Landa was implicated in a rocket assault against the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in 2021, among other terror activities, as reported by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Landa fled to Canada in 2017 and is recognized by the MHA as a member of the infamous Khalistani group, BKI.
