NIA arrests key Khalistani operative in Bihar

New Delhi, May 11 (IANS) In a significant breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, a key Khalistani operative and one of the escapees from the high-profile 2016 Nabha jail break. The arrest was made in Motihari, Bihar, in a joint operation with local police.

Kashmir Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab, had been on the run since the jailbreak and was closely linked with foreign-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda.

He was also a central figure in Rinda’s Nepal-based terror network, responsible for providing shelter, logistical support, and terror funding to Khalistani operatives.

According to the NIA, Singh had been actively involved in aiding terrorists who fled to Nepal after executing attacks in India, including the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters.

His arrest is linked to the NIA’s ongoing probe in case which was initiated suo moto in August 2022 to dismantle the growing nexus between proscribed Khalistani groups and organised crime syndicates.

The investigation has revealed how terrorist outfits such as BKI, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) were smuggling arms, explosives, and IEDs from across the border to carry out attacks within India.

Singh’s role as a key facilitator in this network had led the NIA Special Court to declare him a proclaimed offender. He had been evading arrest despite multiple non-bailable warrants, and a reward of Rs 10 lakh had been announced for information leading to his capture.

The NIA had earlier filed chargesheets against several accused, including Rinda and his associates. The arrest of Kashmir Singh marks a major success in the agency’s efforts to crack down on Khalistani terror outfits and their international support networks.

Further investigation is underway to trace additional links and operatives within the nexus.

This development is expected to significantly hamper the operational capabilities of Khalistani terror groups active across the Indo-Nepal region.

--IANS

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