NEW DELHI: Lakhbir
Singh
Landa, a gangster operating from
Canada
, has officially been declared a
terrorist
by the ministry of home affairs, amidst ongoing diplomatic tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa.
The 34-year-old is associated with the Khalistani organization
Babbar Khalsa
International (BKI). He is a son of Niranjan Singh and Parminder Kaur, originally hails from VPO Harike in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, which is close to the Pakistan border.
The development follows Canadian PM Justin Trudeau's earlier allegation of Indian complicity in the assassination of the noted Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.
The MHA has issued a notification mentioning that
Lakhbir
Singh Landa has close associations with pro-Khalistan elements in Canada. This includes links with Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, and Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force, among others.
As per the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the central government is authorized to list individuals in the Fourth Schedule if they are suspected of involvement in terrorism, the MHA explained in its statement.
Currently residing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, Landa is identified as a member of the Babbar Khalsa International, a group recognized as a terrorist organization under the said Act.
The MHA accuses Landa of orchestrating a rocket-propelled grenade attack on Punjab's State Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali and supplying Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), weapons, and explosives for terrorist activities in Punjab.
Additionally, Landa is implicated in numerous criminal cases involving terror module creation, extortion, and murders. He is also accused of smuggling weapons and narcotics to finance terrorist activities in Punjab and other parts of India.
The MHA further states that Landa and his associates have been actively plotting to destabilize peace in Punjab through targeted killings, extortions, and other subversive acts.
An open-ended warrant has been issued against
Landa
, who has been on a lookout circular since June 2021.
This decision follows the NIA's earlier identification of Landa as the key planner behind multiple terrorist attacks in Punjab, including the 2022 RPG attacks on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters and the Sarhali police station.
In August, an NIA Special Court ordered the seizure of Landa's property in Kirian village, Tarn Taran district. He was declared a Proclaimed Offender in July 2023.
Initially engaged in gang-related crimes, Landa has been continuing his anti-India activities from Canada, as per official reports.
(With input from agencies)
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