The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed its first Chargesheet against 12 accused, found to have links with pro-Khalistani outfits and Pak-based conspirators, in one of the three terror-gangster nexus cases it is investigating.
The agency said 10 other suspects are still under investigation for their role in the terror conspiracy, which included plans to eliminate certain leaders, singers and businessmen to terrorise people, extort money from them and create a sensation.
The NIA investigations have revealed linkages of the chargesheeted accused with Khalistan Tiger Force, a banned organisation, and its operative Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, a listed ‘Individual Terrorist’.
Besides being in contact with Pakistan-based conspirators, the accused were also in touch with pro-Khalistanis elements based in Canada and abroad, the NIA said.
The chargesheet filed on Tuesday in Delhi related to dismantling of the gangster-terror network, along with their funding and support infrastructure.
These gangs were conspiring to carry out targeted killings and were also raising funds to carry out these and other terror activities, as part of a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and their networks, operating from both within and outside the country.
The 12 accused chargesheeted in the case are Arsh Dala, Gaurav Patyal, Sukhpreet Buddha, Kaushal Choudhary, Amit Dagar, Naveen Bali, Chhotu Bhat, Asif Khan, Jagga Takhatmal, Tillu Tajpuria, Bhupi Rana and Sandeep Bandar.
“The Chargesheet against them followed six months of extensive searches and examination of around 100 members of different Organised Crime Support networks by the NIA at 91 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, across 25 districts, i.e. Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mohali, Muktsar, Moga, Ferozepur, Bhatinda, Sangrur, Patiala in Punjab; Gurugram, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Jhajjar, Rohtak, Rewari in Haryana: Outer North, North, Rohini, Dwarka, North-west, North-East in Delhi; and Baghpat, Bulandshahar, Pilibhit, Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh,” it said.
The searches led to seizure of large amounts of incriminating materials. The NIA has also unearthed centres created for harbouring the gang members and stocking weapons for them in various places across Haryana and Punjab.
Around 20 weapons, 527 rounds of ammunition, 195 digital devices and 281 documents among others were seized in these raids and searches.
Seven look out circulars (LOCs) and 10 non-bailable warrants (NBWs) have so far been issued as part of the investigations. Three immovable properties and three movable properties have been attached/seized under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
“It was revealed during the investigation that most of the accused were, till recently, operating their own separate gangs involved in extortion rackets. They initially transformed into a gangsters’ syndicate to expand their area of influence in other states, but soon ended up in a deadly criminal-terror nexus after being exposed to exploitation by terrorist elements,” the agency said. Sophisticated weapons and availability of a large pool of cheap shooters made the gangsters’ syndicate an attractive choice for the terrorist outfits, it said.
The case has also brought to light links of the gangsters with the music industry, singers, Kabaddi players and advocates on the lines of the pre-1993 Mumbai blasts era when extensive linkages of the underworld with the business people and the film industry had surfaced, it further said.
It has further been found that family members of many of the gangsters lodged in prisons are helping them in carrying out extortion activities from behind the bars, it added.