Khalistani terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda has died in Pakistan, according to reports.
Harwinder Singh Rinda is accused of being involved in the rocket propelled grenade (RPG) attack on Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in May and in the Ludhiana court blast in December 2021. He is also said to be involved in other crimes.
India Today cited Punjab Police sources as saying that Rinda was admitted to a hospital in Lahore for 15 days due to kidney failure and he died there. However, Punjab's Bambiha gang has also claimed responsibility for Rinda's killing.
The Tribune reported that Rinda was hospitalised following suspected drug overdose. It reported that he was first admitted to a hospital in Lahore and was later shifted to a military hospital.
Who was Harjinder Singh Rinda?
Harjinder Singh Rinda was a drug smuggler, arms supplier, and a Khalistani terrorist.
The Khalistan movement refers to the armed movement to separate Punjab from India to turn into a Sikh nation called Khalistan. Several Khalistani organisations are blacklisted by the Indian government and Khalistanis waged a bloody insurgency for Punjab in decades, which only ebbed in 1990s.
Besides the RPG attack on Punjab Police and Ludhiana court blast, Rinda's involvement in also suspected in in a hand-grenade attack at the crime investigation agency office in Nawanshahr in November 2021, a case related to the seizure of arms and explosives from a vehicle in Haryana in May, and many cases in Maharashtra, Chandigarh, Haryana, and West Bengal, according to India Today.
Rinda was listed A+ gangster and was originally from Nanded, Maharashtra, according to The Tribune.
The reports say Rinda served as a bridge between terrorists and gangsters and that he assumed leadership positions after the death of Harpreet Singh alias Happy PhD.
The Tribune reported Rinda was 35-years-old and had moved from Nanded to Sarhali village, Tarn Taran district.
Rinda's first crime was reported in 2008. He was sentenced to life in that case. He was released on bail in 2014. Following his release, he continued his crimes.
"In 2016, Surinder alias Satta brother of Rinda was murdered by Dilbagh Singh, etc., due to personal enmity in Maharashatra’s Nanded. In the same year in order to avenge the murder of his brother, he [Rinda] first abducted Dilbagh Singh from Shri Hargobindpur and killed him and threw his body in river and in second revenge killing he murdered one Bachiter Singh in Nanded and later murdered Manpreet alias Mannu in Maharashatra’s Wazirabad," reported The Tribune.
The report said Rinda was wanted in at least 30 known criminal cases, including around 10 cases of murder, six cases of attempted murder, seven cases of dacoities/snatchings besides abductions, extortions, Arms Act, and NDPS Act cases.
It further said that Rinda is believed to have escaped to Indonesia on a fake identity before settling in Pakistan.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh on Rinda.
Rinda linked with Sidhu Moosewala murder accused
Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala was shot dead in May in Punjab. It has since emerged that gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar were involved in Moosewala's killing. Rinda has been associated with Bishnoi.
The weapons used in the RPG attack and Moosewala's killing came around the same time from Pakistan, and Bishnoi had also aided Rinda's personnel in the RPG attack, according to a report by India Ahead.
"Many of the shooters involved in the Moosewala murder and RPG attack knew the two plots were being planned simultaneously and the arms for both the RPG attack and Moosewala murder came from Rinda in Pakistan, almost within days of each other," said the report.
