India has filed a dossier in Canada on Khalistani groups, claiming that Justin Trudeau’s government is giving sanctuary to banned terrorist groups. According to top intelligence sources, India said Canada was a hub for gangsters and Khalistani groups based in Pakistan and that a number of deportation requests were pending with Canadian authorities, but unanswered. .

India has expressed concerns over recent events and developments involving pro-Khalistani groups in Canada.

A painting “celebrating” the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards toured the city of Brampton in Canada on June 4, 2023. This parade was organized by Khalistani groups at the occasion of the 39th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. The Indian government strongly disapproved of the plan and termed it vote-bank politics.

Intelligence sources said Khalistani elements in Canada are not limited to protests but have also been involved in physical assaults and violence, several cases of which will be investigated by Indian federal agencies.

Sources said that wanted accused seated in Canada had masterminded murders and terrorist activities in Punjab and other parts of India. They carried out these tasks with the help of gangsters lodged in Delhi and Punjab jails, sources said.

Extradition requests pending in Canada

Sources said several requests from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for extradition and deportation of terrorists and pro-Khalistani elements were pending with the Canadian government, but they are not ready to cooperate in any investigation.

These accused are wanted in cases of terrorism, murder and other related crimes, according to sources.

The main demands relate to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa (originally from Tarn Taran in Punjab), for whom the agency has announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh.

Deepak, a close aide of Landa, was arrested for allegedly carrying out a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May 2022. Deepak has been implicated in several crime cases terrorist and criminal acts, including murder.

Landa’s aide Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, is also based in Canada and linked to the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

Another aide, Hardeep Singh Nijjar – a “designated” terrorist with links to the banned group “Sikhs For Justice (SFJ)” – was shot dead by two attackers in Surrey on June 18.

Dalla was designated as an “individual terrorist” by the Interior Ministry on January 9, 2023. In February, the NIA arrested six people in connection with terrorist, gangster and drug trafficker nexus cases, including Dalla’s associate Dalla, Lucky Khokhar, a resident of Bhatinda. (Punjab). He had supplied arms and ammunition to Dalla’s men in Punjab. These weapons were used to kill one Paramjit Singh in Jagraon (Punjab) in January.

Another accused wanted by the agency is Canada-based Satwinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, who is accused of murdering Pradeep Kumar, a follower of Dera Sacha Sauda, ​​in Faridkot in November 2022. He also works for Landa.

In 2022, Sidhu Moose Wala, who had migrated to Canada and returned to India to contest the Punjab national elections, was shot dead in India. His murder was claimed by Canadian gangster Goldy Brar.

Sources said no action was being taken against elements like US-based SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is also trying to create communal discord using social media platforms. He was booked by the NIA in December 2020, along with Nijjar and Paramjit Singh Pamma, who live in the UK.

Khalistani Groups in Canada

1. International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF)

2. Babbar Khalsa

3. Khalistan Tigers Force (KTF)

4. Sikh for Justice (SFJ)

5. Dal Khalsa

Terrorists in Canada

1. Hardeep Singh Nijjar (dead)

2. Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal

3. Parvkar Singh Dulai

4. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (SFJ leader)

Radicalization centers

1. Surrey, British Columbia

2. Brampton, Ontario

3.Toronto, Ontario

4. Montreal, Quebec

Indian concerns referred to the Government of Canada

1. Financing of terrorism

2. Radicalization of young people

3. Hate speech and incitement to hatred

4. Violence and intimidation

Sources said the Canadian government is giving space to extremists, separatists and those who advocate violence. The Canadian government must recognize that it has a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of its citizens, both at home and abroad, Indian sources said.

India said Canada should take the threat of Khalistani extremism seriously and take concrete steps to confront it. There have been numerous attacks on Indian temples, but not once has the Trudeau government shown its commitment to Hindus, sources say.

Sources said the presence of the Khalistani in Canada is a complex issue, with concerns over radicalization, terrorism and diplomatic tensions between India and Canada.