New Delhi: In a significant development in the Punjab terror conspiracy case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday arrested a key aide of designated Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh alias Pavitar Batala. Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti, a resident of Punjab's Gurdaspur, was arrested from Mumbai after extensive technical and on-ground efforts by the anti-terror agency NIA. He has been absconding since the arrest of weapons supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai in July 2024. The anti-terror agency has identified Jatinder as a member of the terror gang formed by foreign-based Landa of the banned terrorist organisation, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and an aide of Batala, a close associate of Landa. Jatinder Singh was providing weapons to on-ground operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab, as per NIA investigations. "Jatinder Singh was procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh (MP) based supplier Baljit Singh alias Rana Bhai, who has recently been chargesheeted in the instant case," NIA said in a statement. NIA investigations have further revealed that Jatinder Singh had brought ten pistols from MP and delivered them to operatives of Landa and Batala in Punjab. "He had planned to smuggle more weapons from MP into Punjab but was scuttled by 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. (ANI)
