New Delhi: The NIA team on Monday arrested a key member of designated Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh alias Pavitar Batala marking a breakthrough in the Punjab terror conspiracy case. While probing the case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the accused from Mumbai after an extensive search operation. The accused was absconding since July 2024. The agency officials are interrogating the accused to determine the details regarding his other terror group members.

According to the NIA, the arrested terror suspect has been identified as Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti, a resident of Punjab’s Gurdaspur. Singh was absconding since the arrest of weapons supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024. The probe agency made extensive technical and on-ground efforts resulting in subsequent arrest of the accused from Mumbai. 

The anti-terror agency has identified Jatinder as a member of the terror gang formed by foreign-based Landa of the banned terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and an aide of Batala, who is a close associate of Landa.

The NIA, in its statement, stated that accused Jatinder Singh was providing weapons to on-ground operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab. Further it was revealed that he was procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh-based supplier Baljit Singh, who has recently been chargesheeted in the instant case.  

The NIA investigations have further revealed that Jatinder Singh had brought ten pistols from MP and delivered them to operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab. He had planned to smuggle more weapons from MP into Punjab but was scuttled by NIA’s sustained search operations over the past several months.

A senior NIA official stated that Jatinder’s arrest marks a major step forward in NIA’s efforts to dismantle the terror-gangster nexus by preventing smuggling of arms, ammunitions, explosives etc. and raising of funds for carrying out terrorist acts on the Indian soil.

Further probe into the matter is being carried out.