5 Khalistan sympathisers on list given to Canadian PM

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 24

An accused wanted in Ludhiana Shingar Cinema blast case and another accused of funding the recent target killings of politico-religious leaders feature prominently on the list of nine Canada-based alleged Khalistan sympathisers, which was submitted to Canadian PM Justin Trudeau by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh.

The Punjab Police have shared only about half of the names with the media claiming that the rest of the names were included on the basis of intelligence inputs on their anti-India activities.

The names include six alleged members of the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and three belonging to the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) or the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).

The alleged mushrooming of Khalistan sympathisers in Canada has been an issue of serious concern between Indian and Canadian governments. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also raised the issue yesterday besides the Punjab government, which had gone to the extent of denying meeting with some alleged Khalistan sympathising ministers in the Trudeau government.

Police sources have shared six names. There persons have been booked in several cases. They are Gurjeet Singh Cheema, Gurpreet Singh Peet, Gurjinder Singh Pannu, Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Malkit Singh. Other names cannot be disclosed as it can compromise ongoing investigation against them.

Malkit Singh, based in Surrey, is accused of supplying weapons to a terror module. Another Surrey resident, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, belonging to the Khalistan Tiger Force, is wanted in Ludhiana’s Shingar Cinema blast. He is accused of supplying money to different terror modules.