NIA arrests key Khalistani operative Kashmir Singh Galwaddi from Bihar

New Delhi, May 12

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) held a key Khalistani operative, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, who had been actively involved in the 2016 Nabha jailbreak and was linked to foreign-based Khalistani terrorists, including Harwinder Singh Sandhu.

NIA carried out a joint operation with Motihari police. Galwaddi, who has been on the run since his escape from the Nabha jail in 2016, has been closely associated with Rinda and other designated Khalistani terrorists.

Galwaddi was identified as a proclaimed offender in the NIA case, which was filed to investigate the growing links between terror groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).

NIA stated that Galwaddi played a crucial role in providing shelter, logistical support, and terror funds to terrorists who had escaped to Nepal after executing various terror activities in India. Among these activities was the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters.

The NIA initiated this case suo moto in August 2022 to probe the terrorist activities orchestrated by leaders and members of these banned organisations. The investigation revealed a complex nexus between terror groups and organised criminal gangs, with both groups involved in smuggling terrorist hardware—including arms, ammunition, explosives, and IEDs—from across the border to execute terror attacks across India.

In the past two years, the NIA declared Galwaddi a proclaimed offender and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him. A cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh has also been announced by the agency for any information leading to his capture.

In July 2023, NIA filed chargesheets against nine individuals, including Sandhu and Landa. In the following months, the agency filed two supplementary chargesheets against six other individuals.

In August 2024, the NIA secured the extradition of Landa’s brother, Tarsem Singh, from the UAE, and filed a third supplementary chargesheet in December 2024