NEW DELHI: Making another breakthrough in the Punjab terror conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a key aide of designated Khalistani individual terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa from Mumbai.
Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti, also an associate of gangster Pavitra Batala, has been absconding since the arrest of weapons supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024, and was arrested today from Mumbai after extensive technical and on-ground efforts by NIA, said an official.
The anti-terror federal probe agency has identified Jatinder as a member of the terrorist-gangster nexus formed by foreign-based Landa of the banned terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and an aide of Batala, a close associate of Landa.
The officials said the NIA in its investigation of the case found that Jatinder was providing weapons to on-ground operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab.
"He was procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh (MP) based supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai, who has recently been named in the charge sheet in the instant case," said another official.
Investigations have further revealed that Jatinder had brought ten pistols from MP and delivered them to operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab, he said noting that the arrested accused had planned to smuggle more weapons from MP into Punjab but was scuttled by the NIA's sustained search operations over the past several months.
Jatinder’s arrest marks a major step forward in NIA’s efforts to dismantle the terror-gangster nexus by preventing the smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives etc. and raising funds for carrying out terrorist acts on Indian soil, the official said.