- Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada's Surrey in June 2023
- Dalla fled India in 2017
- He was also later designated a terrorist
Days after the US Department of Justice made an indictment public in which it said that the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023 was carried out on the orders of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, it has come to light that the Khalistani terrorist had persuaded another notorious ganglord to flee India.
Nijjar, a Khalistani terrorist, was killed outside a gurdwara in Canada's Surrey in June 2023 and then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had said "agents of the Government of India" were involved in the assassination. India dismissed the claims and Canada has also walked them back since.
Indian security agencies maintain that Nijjar had long been engaged in establishing a network of banned Khalistani terrorist organisations in Canada. New Delhi had been informing the US and Canada for years that Nijjar was operating from abroad to fuel anti-India activities and, officials noted that several details revealed in the US indictment align closely with information that was previously shared.
Amidst all this, a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police Special Cell has added a new dimension to the matter. According to the chargesheet - accessed by NDTV - it was Nijjar who persuaded gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, to leave India and flee to Canada.
The chargesheet, filed in 2022 against Taranjot Singh alias Tanna, a close associate of Arsh Dalla, states that Dalla left for Canada in 2017 after his release from prison, having come under the influence of Nijjar. Dalla then established a base in Canada and began operating his criminal and terrorist network in India from there.
Dalla was later also appointed commander-in-chief of the banned organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Dalla is now a designated terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and, officials said, he and Nijjar were jointly orchestrating anti-India activities while based abroad.
Pakistan Angle
The chargesheet states that the KTF enjoyed full support from Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI. Handlers based in Pakistan would supply weapons, ammunition, detonators, and explosives to their networks within India, using tunnels along the border and drones.
Drones were also used to smuggle in large quantities of heroin and other narcotics and the proceeds from selling these drugs in India were used to finance terrorist activities, arms procurement, and gangster networks.
The Delhi Police chargesheet notes that as many veteran Khalistani terrorists were either imprisoned or became inactive, these organisations altered their strategies. They began recruiting local gangsters, incarcerated criminals, and fugitives into their networks. These individuals were lured with the promise of foreign-made weapons, sophisticated pistols, explosives, and drugs. In return, they were tasked with activities such as extortion, targeted killings, recruitment of new members, and spreading terror.
According to the document, while he was in Canada, Arsh Dalla maintained constant contact with criminals imprisoned in Punjab, Delhi, and other states across the country. He recruited young people into the Khalistani separatist movement and agencies said that his entire network operated under the instructions of Pakistan-based ISI handlers.
The Delhi Police claims that Arsh Dalla's gang was running a massive extortion network across the country. Proceeds from extortion, targeting businessmen, drug trafficking, and other crimes were funnelled into terrorist activities by procuring more weapons and establishing new modules.
The chargesheet also states that several criminal gangs across north India were interconnected through Arsh Dalla for the supply of drugs and weapons. This facilitated the ISI in strengthening its network within India and advancing its agenda. According to investigative agencies, this criminal-terrorist-narco nexus has now emerged as the single biggest challenge to the country's internal security.
The Delhi Police's investigation also revealed that terrorist organisations are now utilising local criminals instead of carrying out direct attacks themselves. These criminals are employed to carry out extortion, supply weapons, and execute targeted killings. They also conspire to target government installations, police posts, and security forces when required. In exchange, terrorist organisations provide them with foreign-made weapons, ammunition, and narcotics.
