Mohali blast mastermind Landa is prolific criminal
Wanted for 18 heinous crimes in Punjab, he fled to Canada in 2017; was involved in infamous Patti-double murder case of 2021
TARN TARAN: Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa (33), who has been named as the key handler of the rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack at Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali on May 9 has been a pain in the neck for the Punjab Police for the past 11 years.
Landa, a resident of Harike Pattan village in Tarn Taran district, had provided RPG, AK-47 and local network of criminals for logistic support to carry out attack in Mohali, said Punjab director general of police Punjab director general of police VK Bhawra at a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday.
Landa, who fled to Canada in 2017, is a close aide of Pakistanbased gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh, alias Rinda, and had joined hands with a pro-Khalaistan terror organisation Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
Took to crime in 2011
The first case was registered against Landa for murder bid and under the Arms Act at Harike Pattan in July 2011. He is facing 18 criminal cases, including of murder, attempt to murder and drugs smuggling, in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Moga and Ferozepur districts. Punjab Police had registered the last case against Landa under kidnapping charges in Moga in May 2016 before he fled to Canada.
A-category gangster
According to a police official, who didn’t wish to be named,
Landa remained inactive from 2016 to 2020.
The ‘A-category’ gangster’s name resurfaced in May 2021 in the high-profile Patti double murder case.
Amandeep Singh, alias Aman Fauji, who was close friend of former SAD minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon’s right hand Gurmukh Singh
Ghulla, and his accomplice Prabhjit Singh of Patti, were shot dead by two car-borne men when they were returning after paying obeisance at a tomb in Patti on May 27, 2021.
In the double murder case, Tarn Taran police had arrested a close associate of the then Congress MLA Harminder Singh Gill, Malkiat Singh, alias Laddu (former vice-president of a Patti truck union) and one Paramjit Singh, alias Pamma. Malkiat had ‘confessed’ to the police that notorious gangster Daya Singh, alias Preet Sekhon, had executed the killings at the behest of Landa.
Malkiat and Pamma were close associates of Landa, police had said.
The police investigation had found that Landa had got Fauji killed by giving Rs 6 lakh to gangster Sekhon.
After the double murder, Landa became active and several more cases were registered against him in Amritsar and Tarn Taran for issuing ransom threats to traders, doctors and prominent personalities.
In October 2021, the Tarn Taran police booked Landa for demanding Rs 50 lakh ransom from one Jagit Singh, owner of a fuel station at Chohla Sahib. In the follow-up investigation of this case, the police visited Landa’s Harike home, but he was too quick to attack the cops.
On October 31, 2021, Landa threatened Punjab cops of dire consequences through a Facebook post.
Tarn Taran police want red corner notice against Landa
After the Patti double murder case, the Tarn Taran police had also written to the central government for getting a red corner notice (RCN) issued against Landa.
However, the notice is yet to be issued. “Once the red corner notice is issued, we will start the process to extradite him,” said a police official.