In the Mohali RPG attack case, the Canada-Khalistan link crops up again

Pro-Khalistan groups such as the Sikhs for Justice have been trying to rake up sentiments and revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab.

New Delhi, May 14: The Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Wing headquarters in Mohali was the handiwork of the pro-Khalistan outfit Babbar Khalsa and the ISI, the police said.

Director General of Police (DGP_, V K Bhawra said that six people involved in the case had been arrested, three of whom were outsiders. The police arrested Jagdeep Kang, Kanwar Bath, Baljit Kaur, Anantdeep Singh Sonu and Baljinder Singh. The sixth is Nishan Singh a resident of Kuala, he also added.

The key conspirator has been identified as Lakhvir Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran. He has been in Canada from 2017, the DGP said. Singh a gangster is a close aide of one Harwinder Singh, who was close to Babbar Khalsa International chief, Wadhwa Singh and the ISI.

The Canadian link to the Khalistan movement has often been spoken about. Last December, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against four operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force in connection with cases of targeted killings.

The probe revealed that accused Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, a designated terrorist had along with Arshdeep Singh formed a gang and recruited the other accused.

Their intention was to threaten and extort money from businessmen based in Punjab. They also effected the targeted killing to disturb communal harmony in Punjab. Both Nijjar and Singh are currently in Canada.

In the same month the NIA filed a chargesheet against three Khalistan Liberation Force terrorists in connection with the killing of Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee who was murdered.

The anti-India sentiment from Canada is a well known fact. Pro-Khalistan groups such as the Sikhs for Justice have been trying to rake up sentiments and revive the Khalistan movement in Punjab.

The biggest concern for the Indian security agencies of late has been the Sikhs for Justice. This proscribed outfit has a strong presence online and has been able to radicalise several persons to fight against the government of India.

In November a team of the National Investigation Agency reached Canada on to probe the funding routes for pro-Khalistan groups which have been instrumental in creating unrest in India. The NIA team also discussed with Canadian authorities the findings of the probe against terror groups such as the Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Zindabad Force, Sikhs for Justice and Khalistan Tiger Force.

Last year the NIA widened the ambit of its probe in connection with the Sikhs for Justice (SJF). Sources tell OneIndia that there have been a lot of funds that have been channelised in the past couple of months. Over USD 1 lakh has been collected in the name of the farmer protests, the official cited above said.

The source further added that the agencies are looking into the source of funding. While there is no harm in collecting funds in the name of the protests, the NIA is looking to find if money is being collected in the name of the protests, but is being diverted to fund separatist activities of the SJF.

The probe was ordered after the SJF, a proscribed organisation arranged protests in front of Indian missions abroad. After the financial trail was found the ambit of the probe was widened.

The probe was handed over the NIA after the foreign nations where the protests were organised did not take action. The NIA after a recent amendment has foreign jurisdiction and hence was handed over the probe. Investigations have found that funds have been coming in from Canada, US and UK. The official cited above said that this money is being collected by the SJF in the name of the protests. However not all is going towards the protests. A good part of it is being diverted towards subversive and propaganda activities of the SJF.