The National Investigation Agency Special Court in Punjab's Mohali has ordered the confiscation of land belonging to Pakistan-based self-styled chief of banned terror outfits, ISYF and KLF, Lakhbir Singh a.k.a Rode, under Section 33 (5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The court order stems from the registration of case on October 1, 2021, which pertains to multiple charges, including sections 3, 4, 5 & 6 of the Explosive Substances Act 1908; sections 16, 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 & 39 of UA(P) Act 1967, Section 21B, 27A, 29 of NDPS Act 1985, and section 120B of IPC.
According to officials, the case was originally registered on September 16, 2021 under Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act at City Jalalabad police station, and involves a tiffin bomb blast that occurred on September 15, 2021, around 07:57 p.m. near Punjab National Bank in Jalalabad town.
The investigations revealed that Lakhbir is the mastermind of the whole conspiracy.
“Working in collusion with his Pakistan-based ‘masters’, Lakhbir Singh played a key role in sending consignments of terror hardware, including arms, ammunition, custom-made Tiffin bombs, grenades, explosives as well as drugs, to carry out terrorist acts, particularly bomb blasts, to instil fear and terror among the people of Punjab,” said the official.
“Lakhbir Singh, a ‘listed individual terrorist’, under the UAPA fled to Pakistan around 1996/97. The NIA is investigating six cases against Rode for his active involvement in terror related activities between 2021-2023,” said the official.
“He stands accused of engaging in a wide array of terror activities. His criminal dossier includes armed attacks on law enforcement personnel, orchestrating IED and bomb blasts, targeted killings of members of the minority community, extortion, fundraising for terrorist operations, and instilling terror among the general populace,” the official said.
“To date, a total of nine accused individuals, among them Lakhbir Singh, have been formally charged in this case. The investigation in this case remains open,” the official added.