NIA Chargesheets Key Aide of BKI Terrorist in Punjab Arms Case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against Jatinder Singh alias Joti, a key aide of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa. Singh is accused of illegally procuring firearms from Madhya Pradesh and supplying them to Punjab-based gangsters to further BKI's terror activities. He was arrested in Mumbai in December 2024. Investigations into Landa and other foreign-based accomplices continue.
Unpacked:
Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is a Khalistani militant organization aiming to establish an independent Sikh nation called Khalistan in Punjab. Founded in 1978, BKI has carried out armed attacks, assassinations, and bombings, most notably the 1985 Air India Flight 182 bombing. It is designated as a terrorist group by India, the US, Canada, the UK, and others.
Lakhbir Singh Landa is a key leader of BKI, considered a major figure coordinating the group’s operations from abroad. He is alleged to orchestrate terror activities in India, often using local accomplices and cross-border networks to supply arms and support to gangsters and militants.
Illegally procuring firearms from Madhya Pradesh suggests BKI’s strategy of exploiting domestic arms networks to arm Punjab-based gangsters. This enables the group to bypass international arms trafficking risks and more easily supply weapons for terror activities in India, furthering their operational reach and threat level.
Indian authorities, including the NIA, continue to investigate and prosecute BKI operatives and their accomplices. Internationally, BKI is banned and listed as a terrorist entity in multiple countries, with ongoing efforts to dismantle its networks, restrict funding, and seek extradition of leaders based abroad.