Khalistani outfit leader, his aide on NIA’s wanted list

NEW DELHI: The NIA has put Lakhbir Singh Rode, head of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), a banned Khalistani outfit, and his Pakistani associate Habib Khan on its “most wanted” list and declared a ₹5 lakh reward each, on them, people in the know of matter said.

Along with Pakistani spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Rode has been regularly sending consignments of small and large firearms, heroin and explosives packed in tiffins (lunchboxes) from across the border to Punjab to carry out blasts and target political leader, said a senior NIA officer, requesting anonymity. “Operating from Lahore, Pakistan, Rode in last couple of years has activated several workers of Khalistani network, who, in coordination with smugglers, pick these consignments from near the border areas,” the officer added.

Besides Rode —nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed in Operation Bluestar — and Khan, NIA has also declared a reward of ₹2 lakh on another absconding associate Gurcharan Singh, he said.

Rode was declared “most wanted” in the September 15, 2021 bomb explosion in Jalalabad town of Punjab’s Fazilka district, in which terrorist Binder Singh was killed, a second NIA officer said.

On March 15 this year, NIA filed a charge sheet against Rode, Habib Khan alias ‘Doctor’ and four others — Sukhwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Ranjit Singh, and Parveen Singh.

Apart from ISYF, other Khalistani outfits like Khalistan Zindabad Force and Khalistan Liberation Force are also extensively using Pakistani drones with the help of ISI to arm a movement to destabilise Punjab, the first officer quoted above said. Multiple assessments by Indian agencies and border guarding force have warned that use of commercial drones is a serious threat.