NIA to court: Terrorist Rinda still absconding

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

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Chandigarh, December 3

Contrary to the media reports claiming terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, died due to drug overdose in Pakistan, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has got a proclamation under Section 82 of the CrPC issued against him from a special NIA court, Panchkula.

The NIA said Rinda had been absconding and his whereabouts could not be known. The matter came to light on December 1, when the court was hearing a case related to the seizure of three IEDs, and arms and ammunition at Bastara toll plaza in Karnal. The court was apprised that the NIA made “sincere efforts to execute the warrant of Rinda’s arrest, but he couldn’t be apprehended”. The NIA’s counsel submitted that the presence of Rinda couldn’t be secured by adopting the ordinary process and sought the issuance of the proclamation.

If an accused doesn’t appear before the court even after the proclamation, he can be declared a proclaimed offender. Sudhir Parmar, Special Judge, NIA, issued the proclamation against Rinda for January 11, 2023.

On October 31, the NIA filed a chargesheet against six accused in the case. Three IEDs, one pistol with two magazines, 31 rounds and Rs 1.30 lakh were seized from Ferozepur residents Gurpreet Singh, alias Gopi, Amandeep Singh, alias Deepa, Parminder Singh, alias Pinder, and Ludhiana resident Bhupinder Singh on May 5.

They were reportedly going to deliver the consignment, hidden in a specially designed cavity in their Innova vehicle, in Adilabad, Telangana.

The NIA claimed the weapons were sent by Rinda from Pakistan through drones for executing terrorist acts in India.