An NIA court in Mohali has issued an order for the confiscation of land situated in Punjab's Moga district, which belongs to the designated terrorist Lakhbir Singh, also known as Rode.
Lakhbir Singh is the self-styled leader of the banned Khalistan Liberation Front, based in Pakistan.
Under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the court, mandated the confiscation of land located in Kothe Gurupura (Rode) village under the jurisdiction of the Smalsar Police station. This section empowers a judge to seize both movable and immovable property of a proclaimed offender involved in serious criminal activities.
This order is linked to a case registered by the NIA on January 1, 2021, encompassing various sections of the UAPA, the Indian Penal Code, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Lakhbir Singh, who is the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bindrawale, initially faced charges by the Punjab Police in connection with his alleged involvement in a tiffin bomb blast incident on September 15, 2021, in Jalalabad town, Fazilka district, Punjab. Investigators contend that Lakhbir Singh, also known as the self-styled Chief of the proscribed terrorist organization International Sikh Youth Forum, orchestrated the entire conspiracy.
The investigation revealed his collaboration with his 'masters' based in Pakistan and his pivotal role in dispatching shipments of terrorist equipment, including arms, ammunition, custom-made tiffin bombs, grenades, explosives, and drugs. These were intended for carrying out acts of terrorism, particularly bomb blasts, to instill fear and terror among the people of Punjab.
Lakhbir Singh, classified as a 'listed individual terrorist' under the UAPA, fled to Pakistan around 1996-97. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been investigating six cases against him for his active involvement in terrorist activities spanning from 2021 to 2023.
His charges encompass a wide range of terrorist activities, including armed assaults on law enforcement personnel, orchestrating IED and bomb blasts, targeted killings of members of the minority community, extortion, fundraising for terrorist operations, and sowing fear among the general populace.
Additionally, the NIA has filed charges against him in cases related to terrorism.
