In a major victory for National Investigation Agency (NIA) in its fight against the terror outfits & networks, the NIA Special Court, Mohali, on Thursday sentenced to life four terrorists in a terror conspiracy case related to the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) outfit.
The terrorists convicted and sentenced by the court include the Chief conspirator, Kulwinderjeet Singh @Khanpuria, who was involved in many terrorist cases, including a bomb blast at Connaught Place and a grenade attack at Red Fort, Delhi, in the nineties.
He was also wanted in many terrorist cases, including a conspiracy to carry out targeted killings in Punjab.
Khanpuria was found to have masterminded the BKI terror conspiracy in the instant case (RC-14/2019/NIA/DLI). He had been absconding since 2019 and was arrested by the NIA from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on his deportation from Bangkok in November 2022. He had then been carrying a reward of Rs. 5 lakh for his arrest and had been declared a proclaimed offender by the NIA court.
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NIA investigations had revealed that Khanpuria, along with his handlers and associates, based in India and abroad, had planned and conspired to commit terrorist attacks in India.
He later managed to flee from India. While he was based abroad, he came in contact with Harmeet @PhD, and subsequently with wanted Pakistan-based ISYF Chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, who roped him into using his India-based terrorist associates for targeting various identified individuals as well as establishments.
The other three accused convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment today have been identified as Sampuran Singh, Ravinderpal Singh, Jagdev Singh and Harcharan Singh.
All four were actively involved in the criminal conspiracy to unleash a wave of terror attacks across the country, with the aim of reviving the terrorist movement in Punjab.
To further their nefarious anti-India agenda, they had collected funds, arms and ammunition, and had also conducted recce of significant targets, including Dera Sacha Sauda Complex, security-related establishments in Punjabband BBMB Office in Chandigarh, NIA investigations had revealed.
NIA had chargesheeted them earlier under Sections 120B, 121, 121A, 122 & 123 of IPC, Sections 3 & 25 of Arms Act, and Sections 17, 18, 18 B, 20, 38 & 39 of UA (P) Act. The case was originally registered by State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, on 30th May 2019. It was taken over and re-registered by NIA later in pursuance of MHA order dated 26th June 2019.