The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) declared Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist after discovering his involvement in crimes such as murder, extortion, targeted killings, and terrorism. According to MHA notification, Gill is associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and is accused of various offences, including targeted killing, extortion for terrorism funding, attempted murder, inciting communal strife, and spreading terror in Punjab. The UMHA in a statement said that Arsh Dalla has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 due to his involvement in cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons and association with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Arshdeep Singh Gill, who is originally from Ludhiana but currently resides in Canada, has been accused in various cases by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including targeted killing, extortion for terror funding, attempted murder, inciting communal unrest, and inciting fear among the people of Punjab. This marks the fifth individual to be designated as a terrorist in the past week, all of whom are based in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. According to UMHA, Gill is closely connected to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and is involved in running terror modules on behalf of Nijjar. Gill has been involved in crimes such as murder, extortion, and targeted killings, as well as terror financing and the large-scale smuggling of drugs and weapons across borders. As a result, the Central Government has added Gill as a terrorist under section 35 of the UAPA. This will make Gill the 53rd individual to be designated as a terrorist under the Act.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on September 24, filed a supplementary ‘challan’ in the designated court at Mohali District of Punjab in the case of the targeted killing of a Hindu priest by terrorists in Phillaur Tehsil (revenue unit) in Jalandhar District in January 2021. The NIA has in its charge sheet named one Gagandeep Singh alias Gaggu resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, who is a member of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) led by Canada-based Hardeep Nijjar. Gaggu, on the instructions of Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh, an associate of Nijjar, extended help to other assailants in executing the plan for the targeted killing. Gaggu was the supplier of arms and ammunition to the gang members who were charge-sheeted in July 2022.

Khalistani terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on multiple terror charges raised the 80 feet high Khalistan flag towering above Tricolour at the Indian Embassy in Vancouver.

According to sources, a National Investigation Agency (NIA) team will soon leave for Germany to investigate a case against Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) member Jaswinder Singh Multani, who is allegedly planning attacks in Mumbai and other parts of India with the support of operatives from Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and his Punjab-based associates. The NIA had last month registered a case under criminal conspiracy charges and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against Multani and other operatives of the SFJ for “conspiring to carry out terror attacks in India and revive militancy in Punjab”. However, the NIA made it clear that this case has no connection with the blast at Ludhiana’s district and sessions court complex that took place on 23 December 2021. The source said, “Multani is in contact with “ISI operative Jibran as well as a Pakistan-based smuggling network involving history-sheeters Rana Taseem, Imran and others, and is actively pursuing a conspiracy to carry out attacks in Mumbai and other parts of India, with support of his Punjab-based associates”. “Multani’s associates include Jagdish Singh Bhura of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), deputy chief of KZF Gurmeet Singh, who is also associated with SFJ, Ranjeet Singh Pakhoke of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Sukhdev Singh Heran and Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Babbar Khalsa International, and KTF members Paramjit Singh Pamma and Ranjeet Singh Neeta,” the source added. However, Multani has denied his involvement in terrorism conspiracies.

Three accomplices of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, an aide of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, were arrested with two hand-grenades and two pistols from Chogawan village in Moga district on January 7. The arrested persons were identified as as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Varinder Singh alias Vinda and Baljeet Singh. According to police, they had planned to attack a church in Moga to disturb the law-and-order situation. A .9mm pistol, a magazine and six cartridges were recovered from Gurpreet Singh, while a .9mm pistol, two magazines and 12 cartridges were found with Varinder Singh and two hand-grenades were recovered from Baljeet Singh. “During interrogation, they said that they were in regular touch with Arsh Dala, who provided them the grenades to throw at a religious place. He had also given them money for this task,” Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Charanjeet Singh Sohal said.

Punjab Police arrested a suspected Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative, who they believe was one of the main shooters involved in the murder of a follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda and the attempted murder of a priest, identified as Kamaljeet Sharma along with four .315 bore pistols with 10 live cartridges from near village Nathuwala Jadid in Moga District. Earlier, Police arrested two of his associates Lovepreet Singh and Ram Singh from Moga on May 22. Police claim the trio had been found acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who has been notified as a ‘designated terrorist’ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the central government.

Punjab Police arrested two operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Ravi and Ram Singh alias Sonu from the rear side of Senior Secondary School near railway crossing Mehna in Moga district on May 22. The duo allegedly involved in several heinous crimes in the last one year, including the murder of a sect follower and firing on a priest. They were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name incidentally figured in the list of Khalistani operatives that was handed over by Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the latter’s visit to India in 2018. With their arrest, police also foiled a plan to kill another sect follower, who they were targeting to take revenge in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases. Three 0.32 bore pistols with 38 live cartridges and one 0.315 bore pistol with 10 live cartridges, along with two magazines, were also recovered from the suspects. The DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed that “Besides, Nijjar, three of their other KTF’s co-conspirators, identified as Arshdip, Ramandip and Charanjit alias Rinku Bihla, are hiding out in Surrey (BC) Canada, while one, Kamaljeet Sharma alias Kamal, is still absconding.” He said while Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh and Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge went to Canada legally in 2019 and 2017 respectively, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku Bihla had gone there illegally in around 2013-14. The DGP also said investigations were in progress to unravel further links of the accused and trace other previous crimes in which they might have been involved.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against 16 foreign-based Khalistanis, who are members of the banned US based secessionist organization - Sikh for Justice (SFJ), before a NIA special court in New Delhi. The chargesheet relates to a case pertaining to an alleged organised conspiracy by the 16 accused to launch a concerted secessionist campaign under the banner of 'Referendum 2020' for the creation of ‘Khalistan’. The charge-sheeted accused are – Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (resident of New York, USA), Avtar Singh Pannun (New York, USA), Gurpreet Singh Baagi (UK) Harpreet Singh alias Rana Singh (New York, USA), Paramjit Singh alias Pamma (UK), Sarabjit Singh Bannur (UK), Amardeep Singh Purewal (California, USA), J S Dhaliwal (Canada), Kulwant Singh Mothada (UK) Dupinderjit Singh (UK), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Canada), Kulwant Singh alias Kanta (UK), Harjaap Singh alias Japhi Singh (California, USA), Sarabjit Singh aliasSabi Singh (California, USA), Jatinder Singh Grewal, (Canada) and S Himmat Singh (New York, USA). In a statement, the NIA said, “Investigation in the case has revealed that Sikhs for Justice, a secessionist outfit floated in the garb of ‘Human Rights advocacy group’ with its offices in various foreign countries like the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia etc, is a frontal organization of Khalistan terrorist outfits operating from foreign soils including Pakistan. Under this campaign, numerous social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube Channels and a number of websites have been launched, which are being used to propagate sedition as well as enmity on the grounds of region and religion, to radicalise impressionable youth, to cause disturbance to peace and harmony and to raise funds for terrorist activities.”

Two unidentified persons shot dead a prominent dera follower, Manohar Lal, who is a member of 25 members committee of Dera Sacha Sauda and is father of Jatinderbir Singh Jimmy, who is an accused in a sacrilege incident, near the bus stand at Bhagta Bhaika in Bathinda in Bathinda District. Bathinda SSP Bhupinderjit Singh Virk said that police teams have started a probe and are working on all angles, so far, the identity of the accused is not ascertained but hope that soon police would arrest the accused.

Government of India declared nine individuals, including pro-Khalistani leader and the key member of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA]. Pannun, who organized the Khalistan 2020 referendum, has been seen actively running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youngsters in his home state of Punjab to join militancy. The others who have been designated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) as individual terrorists under the UAPA include Paramjit Singh (Babbar Khalsa International), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Khalistan Tiger Force), Gurmit Singh Bagga (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Wadhawa Singh Babbar (Babbar Khalsa International), Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force), Bhupinder Singh Bhinda (Khalistan Zindabad Force). Following an amendment in the UAPA recently, the UMHA declared a total of 13 persons as individual terrorists till date. In an official statement the U said, “These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil. They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilising the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan Movement.”

According to reports, the pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and their activities has been earning criticisms across several nations and this is evident from various incidents that are taking place in recent times. The latest is an ugly incident at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Surrey, BC Canada where Hardip Singh Nijjar, President of the gurdwara was involved in a brawl. Sukhi Chahal, CEO and chairman of California-based JDS Unified LLC said that “In a May 28, 2020 tweet, one of my latest questions put to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, self-styled Legal Adviser of so-called 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ) was to comment on the recent reported fight between Hardeep Nijjar and others at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara Surrey, BC Canada.” He said, “Hardeep Nijjar is learnt to be a ‘proclaimed Offender’ and a wanted criminal in India." “I fail to understand why such criminals are at all allowed to enter other countries and granted asylums as in Nijjar’s case. How do such criminals manage to occupy important positions of Gurdwaras abroad?”, asked Chahal.

The Government of India banned the pro-Khalistan radical group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) for five years and declared it as an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The US-based secessionist outfit with the primary objective of establishing an independent and sovereign country has its top leadership based in US, UK and Canada, with just 8-10 active members and negligible support base in India. SFJ enjoys strong online presence through social media accounts run in its own name or by its leaders — main promoter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a New York-based attorney, apart from Hardip Singh Nijjar and Paramjit Singh Pamma who are principal proponents of “Referendum 2020” in Canada and UK respectively. A senior Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) official said all the major Sikh bodies consulted ahead of the five-year ban had supported the action and that the Centre had largely relied on the “material” sent by Punjab Government to impose the ban.