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NIA raids 10 places in Punjab, Haryana in crackdown on Khalistan Tiger Force
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 10 locations in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday morning in a case linked to banned terrorist outfit Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)
BATHINDA : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 10 locations in Punjab and Haryana on Tuesday morning in a case linked to banned terrorist outfit Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
Officials familiar with the matter said the central agency searched houses of people suspected to be associated with Canada-based fugitive and KTF operative Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dalla.
The raids came a day after Dalla was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by a NIA court in Mohali for alleged conspiracy to kill Kamaldeep Sharma, a priest at a temple at Bharsinghpur village near Phillaur on January 31, 2021.
A press statement by the central agency said 10 premises of associates of Dalla and his close aide and absconder, Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, currently living in the Philippines, were raided.
A spokesperson of NIA said that Dalla, an ‘individual designated terrorist’, and Peeta are continuously recruiting new cadres in India to carry out the activities of the banned terrorist organisation KTF.
“Both are raising funds for the banned terrorist organisation through extortion and other means, and carrying out smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives from across the border,” reads the statement.
The NIA had registered a suo motu case on August 20 last year under various sections of Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against Dalla’s associates Amritpal Singh, alias Ammy, of Chand Nawan village in Moga and Amrik Singh of Feruke village in Ferozepur.
The NIA arrested the duo on May 20 this year from Indira Gandhi International Airport after they were deported from Manila.
On Tuesday, the NIA teams conducted raids at nine locations in Ferozepur and Muktsar and also conducted searches at the house of a suspect in Kaithal district of Haryana. Officials privy to the matter said one person was arrested by the NIA from Ferozepur.
People familiar with the development say incriminating material was also seized from suspects’ possession, which is being examined.
“During the search, data from the electronic devices was collected and suspects were asked about their and their family members’ bank transactions. All details are being examined for further leads,” said an official.
Dalla escaped to Canada in 2020 after killing one of his associate Sukha Lamme.
Sitting in Canada, he runs a network of gangsters involved in extortion, killings and other crimes in Punjab. He has his associates in Manila, Malaysia, Canada and Pakistan.
Dalla is wanted in 35 FIRs pertaining to murder, loot, extortion and spreading terror registered against him in Punjab, according to police records.
He is also involved in targeted killings in the state and supplying arms and ammunition --- RDX, IEDs, AK-47s --- to terror modules and gangsters.
Pesticides dealer’s house searched in Kaithal
KARNAL: The NIA also conducted searches at the residence of a pesticides dealer at Chuhadmajra village of Kaithal district.
The NIA team reached the village on Tuesday morning and the raid lasted for around four hours. Though no arrest was made, it is learnt that the team took his bank records for further investigation.
Kaithal superintendent of police Abhishek Jorwal said the raid was conducted at one location and the local police assisted the NIA team.
Last month, NIA teams had conducted raids at two locations in Karnal and Kurukshetra districts as part of its probe into terrorists-gangsters nexus.