Chandigarh/New Delhi, June 22: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against Jatinder Singh alias Joti, a close associate of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and notorious gangster Pavittar Batala, in connection with a terror conspiracy case in Punjab.
Jatinder, a native of Gurdaspur district in Punjab, was arrested from Mumbai on December 23, 2024, in what investigators describe as a key breakthrough in uncovering a transnational network of arms smuggling and terror financing.
According to the NIA, Jatinder played a critical role in illegally procuring and supplying firearms from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab-based gangsters aligned with Batala. These weapons were allegedly used by Batala’s operatives to further the violent agenda of the banned terror outfit BKI.
“Jatinder was operating under the guidance of Batala’s foreign-based handlers, who were actively coordinating logistics and communications,” an NIA official said. “He facilitated the flow of arms to ground-level operatives engaged in criminal and terror-linked acts.”
Investigations also revealed that Jatinder sourced weapons from a known arms dealer, Baljeet Singh alias Rana Bhai, based in Madhya Pradesh. Baljeet has already been arrested and chargesheeted in the same case.
To evade detection, the accused used encrypted messaging platforms and virtual phone numbers. The NIA said these tactics were designed to conceal the supply chain and protect the identities of conspirators operating across national and international borders.
The case is part of a broader probe into the terror networks run by Landa and another designated terrorist, Harwinder Singh alias Rinda. Both figures are suspected of managing arms and funding channels from abroad, with operatives like Jatinder executing operations on Indian soil.
The agency said investigations are ongoing to unravel the full extent of the conspiracy and to identify additional foreign-based accomplices.
