In a significant triumph for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its battle against terrorist organizations and networks, a specialized court on Thursday handed down life sentences to four militants in a terrorism conspiracy case linked to the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) group.
The terrorists convicted and sentenced by the court include the chief conspirator, Kulwinderjeet Singh alias Khanpuria, who was involved in many terrorist cases, including a bomb blast at Connaught Place and a grenade attack at Red Fort, Delhi, in the nineties.
He was also wanted in many terrorist cases, including a conspiracy to carry out targeted killings in Punjab.
Khanpuria was found to have masterminded the BKI terror conspiracy in the instant case. He had been absconding since 2019 and was arrested by the NIA at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on his deportation from Bangkok in November 2022.
He had then been carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh for his arrest and had been declared a proclaimed offender by the NIA court.
NIA investigations had revealed that Khanpuria, along with his handlers and associates, based in India and abroad, had planned and conspired to commit terrorist attacks in India. He later managed to flee from India.
According to the NIA investigation, while Khanpuria was based abroad, he came in contact with Harmeet, alias PhD, and subsequently with wanted Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) Chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, who roped him into using his India-based terrorist associates for targeting various identified individuals as well as establishments.
The NIA Special Court in Punjab’s Mohali announced the conviction of Khanpuria along with three other terrorists.
The other three accused, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday, have been identified as Sampuran Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Jagdev Singh, and Harcharan Singh.
“All four were actively involved in the criminal conspiracy to unleash a wave of terror attacks across the country, with the aim of reviving the terrorist movement in Punjab. To further their nefarious anti-India agenda, they had collected funds, arms, and ammunition, and had also conducted a recce of significant targets, including Dera Sacha Sauda Complex, security-related establishments in the Punjab, and BBMB Office in Chandigarh,” NIA investigations revealed.
NIA had chargesheeted them earlier under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 3 and 25 of the Arms Act, and Sections 17, 18, 18 B, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The case was originally registered by Punjab’s Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on May 30, 2019. It was taken over and re-registered by the NIA later, in pursuance of a Ministry of Home Affairs order dated June 26, 2019.
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