On November 18, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested the most-wanted terrorist Kulwinderjit Singh alias Khanpuria from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi when he arrived from Bangkok. He had been absconding since 2019.

Singh has been associated with terrorist outfits like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Khanpuria escaped in 2019 having a Rs 5 lakh bounty on his head. 

The arrested terrorist was involved and wanted in many terrorist cases, including the conspiracy to carry out targeted killings in Punjab. In the 1990s, he was also involved in grenade attacks in various states and a bomb blast case in New Delhi’s Connaught Place, the NIA said in a press release dated November 21.

Investigations have revealed that Khanpuria is the chief conspirator and mastermind behind the conspiracy to carry out terrorist attacks in India by targeting establishments connected with Dera Sacha Sauda and those belonging to police and security in Punjab, it further said.

Khanpuria also targeted senior officers of Bhakra Beas Management Board, Chandigarh, with an overall objective of creating terror in Punjab and across the country. Khanpuria had also carried out reconnaissance of some of the targets, it added.

The case was first filed on May 30, 2019, at Police Station State Special Operation Cell in Amritsar. On June 27, 2019, the NIA re-registered the case.

Khanpuria, along with his handlers and associates, based in India and abroad in different South-East Asian countries, had planned and conspired to commit terrorist attacks in India, the press release stated.

Khanpuria later managed to flee from India, as per the press release.

“While he was based abroad, he first collided with Harmeet alias PhD, and now with wanted Pakistan-based ISYF Chief Lakhbir Singh Rode to use his India-based terrorist associates for targeting the identified individuals as well as establishments,” the counter-terrorism agency said.

Khanpuria was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by the NIA Special Court, Punjab, following which, a Lookout Circular (LOCu) was issued, and a Red Corner Notice was issued by Interpol against him, the press release read.

Notably, four co-accused conspirators of Khanpuria had already been arrested after recovering arms and ammunition from their possession.