Plans of terrorist attacks in India; Nijjar, a terrorist with links to Pakistan

NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies report that Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was killed in Canada, had planned terrorist attacks in India and received weapons training in Pakistan. The information in the report came out at a time when the diplomatic crisis between India and Canada over Nijjar's killing is intensifying. Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) seized the assets of Nijjar and another Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in Punjab yesterday.

Nijjar escaped to Canada on a fake passport in 1996 and planned terrorist attacks in India from there. In 2014, Nijjar planned to attack the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda religious group in Sirsa, Haryana, which is critical of the Sikh community. However, Nijjar could not reach India as he did not get a visa. Instead, he used Khalistan terror modules to carry out several attacks and killings in Punjab. It was also found that he provided funds for terrorist activities in India.

Started as a truck driver

Intelligence has released information since Nijjar arrived in Canada with a passport bearing the false name Ravi Sharma. Nijjar started as a truck driver. Since 2012, Nijjar has been an associate of Pakistan's Khalistan Tiger Force chief Jagtar Singh Tara, the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh. He came to Pakistan in 2012. ISIS provided two weeks of weapons training to him and he became a bomb expert later. He came to Pakistan many times later. On his return to Canada, Nijjar joined the drug and arms-trafficking mafias to finance terrorism. He planned a terrorist attack in Punjab with Tara and created a terrorist group in Canada. They received weapons training in British Columbia in 2015. He devised a terrorist attack plan with Punjab underworld leader Arsh Deep Singh Gill.

Anti-Indian activity in Canada too

• Indian diplomats were threatened.
• A terrorist training centre was established in British Columbia.
• Nijjar became the operational chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force.
• He became the president of the Canadian chapter of Sikhs for Justice.
• Nijjar had planned to kill former Punjab DGP Mohammad Ishhar Alam, Shiv Sena leader Nishant Sharma and Baba Mann Singh Ji Pehowa Wale.

Properties confiscated by NIA

NIA visited Nijjar's house in Jalandhar and issued a notice to confiscate the property. Banned Khalistan organization Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's agricultural land in Amritsar and house in Chandigarh were confiscated. He was declared a fugitive in 2022.