New Delhi, May 11 – In a significant breakthrough in its crackdown on Khalistani terror networks, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a key operative linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda. The accused, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, was apprehended from Motihari in Bihar with the help of local police, the agency said in a statement.
Kashmir Singh, a resident of Ludhiana, Punjab, was one of the hardened criminals who escaped during the high-profile Nabha jail break in 2016. Since his escape, he had been actively associated with designated Khalistani terrorists, including Rinda, and played a critical role in aiding terror activities, the statement noted.
Kashmir Singh: A Key Link in BKI's Nepal Network
According to the NIA, Kashmir Singh served as a vital node for Babbar Khalsa and Rinda’s terror operations in Nepal. He had been providing shelter, logistics, and funding support to associates of Khalistani terrorists who had fled to Nepal after committing terror acts in India. One such attack was the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) strike on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters.The anti-terror agency declared him a proclaimed offender in its ongoing 2022 terror conspiracy case and had issued multiple non-bailable arrest warrants. A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh had also been announced for information leading to his capture.
NIA’s Ongoing Crackdown on Khalistani Terror-Criminal Nexus
The NIA had suo moto registered the terror conspiracy case in August 2022 to investigate the growing nexus between banned Khalistani outfits like BKI, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), along with organized crime syndicates. The investigation revealed smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, and IEDs from across the border to execute terror attacks in India.In July 2023, the agency filed a chargesheet against nine accused, including Rinda and fellow Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa. This was followed by two supplementary chargesheets against six more accused.
Further progress was made in August 2024 when the NIA successfully extradited Landa’s brother, Tarsem Singh, from the UAE. A third supplementary chargesheet was filed against him in December the same year.
The arrest of Kashmir Singh is expected to provide critical leads in dismantling the remaining networks of Khalistani extremists operating within and beyond Indian borders.