As part of a new strategy to hit out at the finances of terrorist organisations, the NIA has forfeited the seized assets including Rs 7,80,000 in cash and a Toyota Innova Car of four aides of Pakistan-based ‘listed Khalistani terrorist’ Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda following an order from the Panchkula special court.
The NIA special court approved the agency’s application seeking the forfeiture of the property and the Toyota car which were used in transporting arms, ammunition, explosives and narcotics across India.
This is the first time the NIA had proactively sought the properties of terrorists to be ‘forfeited to the State’ under section 26 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after being attached as proceeds of terrorism.
Forfeiture of properties is a major new tool in NIA’s strategy to dismantle the terrorist ecosystem in the country. The NIA has adopted this strategy to squeeze the financial resources of the terrorist outfits as well as their operatives and associates. The agency has already attached several terrorist-linked properties and the process of their forfeiture is under way in various different courts, the NIA said in a statement.
In this case, NIA special court has approved the terror agency’s application seeking the forfeiture of the property, including Rs.7,80,000 in cash and a Toyota Innova Car (DL1VB-7869), which was used by the accused for transporting arms, ammunition, explosives and narcotics across India, it said
The Haryana Police had, on May 5, 2022, seized three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one Pistol with two magazines, 31 rounds of ammunition and Rs 1.30 lakh in cash from the four accused, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Amandeep Singh alias Deepa, Parminder Singh alias Pinder and Bhupinder Singh.
They were going to deliver the consignment to Adilabad, Telangana, in the Innova car, in which a specially designed cavity had been created to hide the arms and cash.