The NationalInvestigation Agency (NIA) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) on Fridayreportedly recovered a tiffin bomb, RDX and pistols from the residence offormer Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, the brother of Khalistaniseparatist Lakhbir Singh Rode, sources said.
The NIA conducted araid at Rode’s home in Jalandhar after receiving intelligence whileinvestigating the ‘tiffin bomb drop’ case, in which a tiffin box fittedwith an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was dropped using a drone in Punjab'sAmritsar on August 8.
Jasbir Singh Rode hadplayed a significant role in the anti-farm law agitation on the 26th of Januarythat turned violent. He was summoned for questioning earlier by theNIA on the 18th of January but the former Jathedar had claimed that it was amove to crush the agitation.
“Around 20-25 policeofficials and personnel came by scaling an outer wall of the house. Theyknocked on the door and when I asked them the reason for the midnight raid,they said they needed to take away my Son Gurmukh Singh,” Rode told.
“Then they wentupstairs to Gurmukh’s bedroom and searched it thoroughly for around an hour.They did not find anything. The police said they wanted to confront Gurmukhwith another person so they were taking him away. They came again and said theywanted to search again. They told me that I could also accompany them toGurmukh’s room upstairs but I said my health does not allow as I underwentstent implantation on August 7," he added.
The former Akal Takhtjathedar said, "The police came down after some time with two-threecarry-bags stating that they have found these. I pointed out that they hadalready searched his room thoroughly".
He confirmed that after taking Gurmukh away, police also raided ‘Ajj Di Awaaz’office and left around 4.15am.
Rode said that he was informed that he would be produced at Phagwara court byevening.
Lakhbir Singh Rode isthe chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). There has been noconfirmation from the NIA yet. There are reports that the Intelligence Bureauwas also involved in the operation. Further investigations into the matter arereported to be underway.