Diplomatic tensions have escalated between India and Canada after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in killing Khalistani terrorist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in his country on June 18.
While India denied Trudeau’s allegations, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 20 announced cash rewards on five Khalistani terrorists of the Babbar Khalsa International, including Pakistan-based Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, who is suspected to be residing in Canada.
The entire episode has yet again sparked a debate on the Khalistani movement, which has spread its tentacles in India and abroad. Probe into a case in Pune unearthed an alleged social media network of Khalistani operatives and their plans to carry out a bomb blast in the country.
Arrest by the Pune unit of ATS
Based on specific inputs, the Pune unit of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a truck driver, Harpal Singh, 50, alias Raju alias Happy alias Pratap Singh, from the Chakan area in Pune’s outskirts on December 2, 2018.
During searches, ATS sleuths recovered a countrymade pistol and five live cartridges from Harpal, a native of the Ropar district in Punjab. He was residing in Bellary, Karnataka, at the time of his arrest. Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) were invoked in this case.
The police alleged that Harpal Singh, a school dropout, worked as a driver on an 18-wheeler trailer but was active on social media. It is suspected that he was indoctrinated by the Khalistani social media operatives based in UK and Pakistan, who were promoting “Referendum 2020”, a movement that was gathering online support for declaring Punjab as a separate Khalistan nation by 2020.
During the investigation, on December 24, 2018, the ATS took custody of accused Mohiuddin Siddiqui alias Moin Khan, whom the Punjab Police already arrested from Sirhind with possession of a pistol and cartridges. Khan was in contact with Harpal Singh, the police said.
As per court records, Khan was lodged in Tihar Jail between 2013 and 2016, when he came in contact with Jagtar Singh Hawara, a Khalistani extremist convicted for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh.
Khan allegedly showed willingness to join Hawara, so after being released from jail, he got a call from an unknown number, instructing him to send a friend request to Facebook (FB) group “Khalistani Zindabad Khalistan”. The police said Khan’s “friend request” was accepted, and then through the FB group, he developed contact with Harpal and Gurjeet Singh Nijjar, 42, a key accused in this case.
A probe revealed that Harpal and Gurjeet allegedly “motivated” Khan on Facebook by discussing atrocities committed against the Muslims and Sikh people in India and convinced him to work for the Khalistani movement. At the time of Harpal’s arrest, the Facebook group had about 2,315 followers. It was later blocked by the investigators.
NIA takes over probe
The NIA took over the probe in this case on January 10, 2019. It arrested the accused Sunder Lal Parashar of Rajouri Garden, New Delhi, in this case on April 24, 2019, for allegedly supplying a countrymade pistol to the accused Moin Khan, who further delivered it to Harpal Singh, which was subsequently recovered from his possession. Police alleged that Gurjeet had arranged funds and asked Khan to procure a pistol and ammunition in October 2018.
In May 2019, the NIA filed a chargesheet in this case. The agency alleged that Harpal, Khan and Gurjeet had conspired to commit terrorist activities for the formation of “separate Khalistan State”.
Native of Ajnala in Amritsar Rural in Punjab, Gurjeet was hiding in Cyprus but was arrested at IGI airport in Delhi on December 22, 2020. Investigators alleged that Gurjeet used Facebook, WhatsApp & IMO for pro-Khalistani activities. He allegedly provided international sim cards from Cyprus to other accused in India.
The NIA alleged that the accused posted on social media videos and images containing praises of slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, convict Jagtar Singh Hawara, images and videos of Operation Blue Star of 1984, pro-Khalistani posts related to terror group BKI with “sole intention to motivate like-minded Sikh youths and others to join the Khalistan movement in India” with the ultimate objective of “separate Khalistan State”.
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The NIA alleged that in pursuance of said conspiracy, the accused also arranged illegal firearms. Also, as stated in the court papers, the NIA probe transcribed that the accused had “plan to carry out a bomb blast” in the country in 2020.
Accused plead guilty, convicted by special court
On January 13, 2023, Harpal and Gurjeet pleaded guilty before the special court in Mumbai “willingly and voluntarily without any pressure”. On June 7, 2023, special judge A M Patil convicted both under relevant sections of the IPC, the Arms Act and the UAPA, and sentenced them to five years of rigorous imprisonment. The trial against the other two accused in this case is on.
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