Nijjar, Arsh Dalla Lured 'Vulnerable' Youth From Punjab To Canada, Ensnared Them In Khalistani Cause: NIA Chargesheet

Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was designated as a global terrorist in the chargesheet filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Court in July 2023. The chargesheet also revealed that Nijjar along with his accomplice gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla recruited youngsters from Punjab to commit terror acts in exchange for their settlement in Canada. They lured the shooters to commit terror acts in exchange for "arranging visas, splendid jobs and handsome earnings" in Canada, read the chargesheet as quoted by IANS.

Notably, Nijjar, head of the banned Khalistani organisation, the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed by unidentified gunmen in a gurdwara parking in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. His murder prompted a diplomatic furore after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused involvement of Indian espionage agencies in the killing of Nijjar- a Canadian citizen. Diplomatic ties hit an all-time low after India strongly rejected the allegations calling them 'motivated and baseless' and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in retaliation for a similar step by Canada.

Investigations have unveiled that Nijjar and Arsh lured individuals into committing terrorist acts, promising them visas, lucrative jobs, and substantial earnings in Canada. Initially, their motivation was to threaten and extort money from businessmen in Punjab, but they were subsequently radicalized to carry out violent acts against people of different faiths. NIA also revealed that Nijjar, the chief of KTF, conspired with other Canada-based gangsters, including Arshdeep, to form a terrorist group operating in Punjab and other regions.

"The global terrorists Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Arshdeep Singh a.k.a Arsh and others formed a terrorist gang. They conspired to kidnap and kill the people of other faiths to create a sense of fear and disaffection among different sections of society in the state of Punjab," the charge sheet read.

"A significant number of these "vulnerable" young individuals, initially brought to Canada for various roles such as plumbing, truck driving, or serving in religious capacities within more than 30 gurdwaras controlled by pro-Khalistan factions in places like Surrey, Brampton, and Edmonton, became ensnared in the separatist cause. They were subsequently exploited to orchestrate anti-India demonstrations and host radical religious gatherings in Canada," said the sources as quoted by IANS.

Sources further claimed that students who complete their studies in Canada but struggle to secure suitable employment are particularly vulnerable to such radical groups.

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Sources have revealed that pro-Khalistan extremists offer shelter and low-paying jobs using resources from gurdwaras for their support. When the ISI-backed Khalistani group 'Sikhs For Justice' struggled to gain backing for their 'Punjab Independence Referendum' anti-India campaign, Nijjar and his associates recruited these individuals to create the appearance of campaign success.

Certain pro-Khalistan political parties in India allegedly demanded one to two lakh rupees in exchange for providing a 'letter' to young people. They would then use these letters to falsely claim political asylum in Canada, stating they faced religious persecution in India. Consequently, many of these individuals end up joining pro-Khalistan groups in Canada. It's important to note that obtaining a Canadian visa is a lengthy and challenging process for genuine travellers.

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NIA has also provided details of recent terror cases attributed to KTF in its charge sheet. In March 2021, Nijjar allegedly ordered the killing of a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, leading to NIA re-registering the case. According to the federal probe agency, Arshdeep Dalla, on Nijjar's instructions, hired two hitmen to assassinate a Dera Sacha Sauda follower over the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib.

The chargesheet from NIA also made explosive revelation that the arrested individuals, Kamaljit Sharma, Ram Singh, Lovepreet Singh, and Gagandeep Singh, were part of a deeply rooted conspiracy orchestrated by Hardeep Nijjar and Arshdeep to kidnap and murder people from different religious backgrounds.