Interpol issues red notice against gangster-turned-terrorist Rinda
The development came hours after a red notice was issued against Canada-based gangster Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar
The Interpol has issued a red corner notice (RCN) against gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, whose role is being probed in a number of terror activities in Punjab in the past few months.
The development came hours after a red notice was issued against Canada-based gangster Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar, for his involvement in the killing of Punjabi singer-politician Sidhu Moose Wala.
Suspected to be operating from Pakistan, Rinda is connected to the banned pro-Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and works in coordination with the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, according to a senior intelligence officer.
An RCN, which is issued by Interpol on the request of a member country, allows the arrest and detention of a fugitive abroad. A senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official said that after the issuance of the RCN, the process to enable Rinda’s extradition to India will begin.
Police probe into various terror attacks in Punjab has revealed that Rinda hired local gangsters to carry out grenade attacks outside the army base in Pathankot and CIA police station in SBS Nagar in November last year, outside a police post in Rupnagar district in March and the RPG attack on the intelligence headquarters in Mohali last month. His name also emerged after the recovery of IEDs from gangsters during a joint operation of the Punjab and Haryana Police in Karnal.
Rinda’s profile prepared by the intelligence wing of the Punjab Police reveals that he belongs to Sarhali village of Tarn Taran district and was living an ordinary life till 2008 when he landed in jail after a scuffle during a family feud. After getting in touch with criminals in jails, Rinda shifted his base to Nanded in Maharashtra and joined the world of crime and expanded his base to Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana.
He is wanted in around 25 cases of murder, contract killing, robbery, extortion and snatchings across Rupnagar, Patiala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. According to intelligence officials, Rinda while in India had come in contact with Khalistani operatives settled in foreign countries and the ISI in 2018. Using these contacts, he allegedly moved to Pakistan with his family using a fake passport.