CHANDIGARH: The Ministry of Home Affairs has designated gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa, a Canada-based member of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) as an individual terrorist under Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
As per the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs Landa backed by a cross-border agency was involved in the terror attack through a shoulder-mounted Rocket Propelled Grenade on the balding of Punjab State Intelligence Headquarters at Mohali. He has been involved in the supply of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), arms, sophisticated weapons, and explosives from across the border to various modules for carrying out terrorist activities in the state of Punjab.
Landa has also been involved in various criminal cases related to the raising of terror modules, extortion, killings, planting IEDs, smuggling of weapons and narcotics and using funds or proceeds thereof for terrorist acts in Punjab and other parts of the country. An open-ended warrant has been issued against Landa and he is a subject of a Look Out Circular, it added.
Sources said that Landa was declared a proclaimed offender on July 27, 2023, as he had fled to Canada in 2017 as he was reportedly sponsored by his sister. He is believed to be residing in Edmonton in Alberta in Canada.
He also involved in the RPG attack at the Sarhali police station in Taran Taran and some 20 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, arms act and under NDPS Act are registered against him. The Punjab Police has already attached four kanal land belonging to Landa at his native Kirian village in Tarn Taran.
Sources said that Landa who hails from Harike in Tarn Taran district of Punjab has close ties to several Khalistani terrorists based in Canada, including Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice, late Hardeep Singh Nijjar of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Harvinder Singh, also known as Rinda, a gangster based in Pakistan besides others.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had already announced an award of Rs 15 lakh on him as he is wanted by the NIA in a case related to the grenade attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022.