NIA arrests key aide of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Landa

In a major breakthrough in the Punjab terror conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a key aide of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh alias Pavitar Batala, according to an official statement.

Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti of district Gurdaspur, Punjab, had been absconding since the arrest of weapons supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024.

He was arrested on Monday from Mumbai after extensive technical and on-ground efforts by the NIA.

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, a close associate of Landa.

Jatinder Singh was providing weapons to on-ground operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab, as per NIA investigations.

He was procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh-based supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai, who was recently chargesheeted in the case, said the statement issued by the NIA.

Investigations also 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 his plans were scuttled by NIA's search operations over the past several months, the statement said.

Jatinder's arrest marks a major step forward in NIA's efforts to dismantle the terror-gangster nexus by preventing smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives etc. and raising of funds for carrying out terrorist acts on the Indian soil, it added.