E-Paper
Who was Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, Bhindranwale's nephew, died in Pakistan?
Lakhbir Singh Rode had been running the banned outfit Khalistan Liberation Force from Pakistan and was suspected of running his operations from Lahore.
Khalistani separatist leader Lakhbir Singh Rode died in Pakistan, confirmed his brother Jasbir Singh Rode. The 72-year-old self-styled chief of the banned outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation had been running his operations from Pakistan for several years.
Lakhbir Singh Rode was the nephew of slain Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed by Indian security forces inside the Golden Temple in Amritsar during Operation Blue Star, ordered by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Lakhbir Singh Rode has been listed as a terrorist by the Indian government under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He had initially fled the country to reside in Dubai, and later moved to Pakistan.
Rode had been running the banned outfit KLF from Pakistan for several years, and was suspected of running his operations from Lahore. Here is all you need to know about Lakhbir Singh Rode.
Lakhbir Singh Rode: 5 points about the Khalistani leader
- Lakhbir Singh Rode was the chief of KLF, a banned outfit in India. He was also the primary organiser of Khalistan Zindabad Force cell near the India-Nepal border, responsible for creating disturbances.
- Rode had confessed several times that he had been working closely with the Pakistani government to launch attacks against India. He was arrested with 20 kg of RDX and said that it was given to him by a councillor in the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu.
- Lakhbir Singh was named as the mastermind of the Air India 182 bombing on 23 June 1985 during a confession by militant Talwinder Singh Parmar to the Punjab police. However, this claim is not yet proven.
- According to the Indian government's dossier on Lakhbir Singh, he is responsible for smuggling and supplying arms and explosives to Punjab across the border to target VVIPs across India.
- Lakhbir Singh's son Bhaggu Brar is currently living in Canada, and has been accused of carrying out terrorist activities in Punjab. He used to regularly travel to Pakistan to provide arms and funds to his father. He has also been accused of promoting anti-India activities in Canada.
