NEW DELHI: The anti-terror federal probe agency NIA has arrested one Baljeet Singh alias Rana Bhai alias Balli, a key aide of Canada-based designated individual Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, in connection with its probe into a major terrorist network case involving supply of deadly weapons, officials said on Friday.
The arrested accused Balli, hailing from Badwani district of Madhya Pradesh, was nabbed on Thursday from Punjab. He was found to be a major weapons supplier to the gangster syndicate working for Landa in Punja, the officials said.
They said that the weapons supplied by Balli were used to carry out large-scale terror activities, including extortions from businessmen as well as others in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi.
As part of its investigation into the case, the NIA had earlier arrested one Gurpreet Singh Gopi, identified as an associate of Landa and of another Khalistani terrorist named Satnam Singh Satta, officials said.
“Investigations into the case, registered by NIA suo moto on July 10 last year, revealed that Baljeet Singh alias Balli had provided weapons to Satta too as part of the larger conspiracy of various banned Khalistani terrorist organisations to destabilise India by unleashing violent acts in Punjab and other places in northern India,” a senior agency official said.
“Both Landa and Satta are believed to be operating from foreign soil to promote terror in India,” the official said, adding that further investigation in the case continues as part of the NIA’s crackdown on the Khalistani terrorist outfits.