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Gangster Nexus Case: NIA Raids Over 100 Places Across 6 States

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids in Delhi-NCR, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and other states of the premises of Jaswinder Singh Multani after five cases were registered against this nexus of terror-narcotics-smugglers-gangsters.

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The National Investigation Agency reportedly conducted the raids with over 200 members of the Red Team as they spread across the 6 states to raid 100 places.

Jaswinder Singh Multani is a member of the banned separatist outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) and his associates reside in over 100 places across six states in the country, says the reports.

According to reports, Jaswinder Singh Multani was arrested in 2021 in Germany for allegedly planning the Ludhiana Court blast. His involvement in the planting of a bomb near Model Burail Jail in Chandigarh is also kept on record says the reports.

Multani reportedly is a close aide of SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and they are all involved in separatist activities.

The reports suggest that the NIA officials have said that the gangsters living abroad are funding the khalistani separatist groups allegedly to spread terror.

In another case, the name Multani is also involved in the conspiracy of killing a farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal at Singhu border during the farmers' protest in 2020-2021, reportedly.

Reports also suggest that he allegedly radicalised a person called Jeevan Singh to kill Balbir Singh Rajewal.

The Sikhs for Justice outfit was banned in 2019 for promoting separatist ideas and violent militancy in Punjab. The Government allegedly said that these groups divide communities and disturb the peace and harmony of society.

The NIA had registered three cases last year following information suggesting that terrorist outfits and their sympathisers abroad were operating as members of organized criminal gangs active in the northern states of India for targeted killings and violent criminal acts.

It has also emerged that the terror-gangster-drug smuggler network was also engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition explosives and IEDs among others across borders through a widespread interstate network of gun runners, illegal arms and ammunition manufacturers and suppliers and explosive traffickers.

The NIA has already arrested 19 members of various criminal gangs, two arms suppliers and one financier connected with the network under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Canada-based Arsh Dalla was designated as an "individual terrorist" by the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 9 this year.

(With PTI inputs)