New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a major investigation into the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) recruitment case in Punjab after receiving inputs that a jailed KTF member Kamaljeet Sharma has been recruiting youths from Punjab and its adjoining places into the terror outfit.
The counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Home Ministry has provided the information to the NIA that five KTF leaders based in different countries have been looking after the entire recruitment process as well as the collection of extortion money.
The NIA has also been informed that KTF is working in close collaboration with the Bambiha criminal gang to commit terrorist activities in India.
Government documents in possession of ETV Bharat said that Baljeet Singh alias Baljeet Maur based in UAE, Gurjant Singh in Australia, Prince Chauhan in Canada, Aman Purewal in the USA and Bilal Mansher from Pakistan, who are active KTF members have conspired with their associates to smuggle arms and narcotics into India, raise funds for activities of KTF through extortion and targeted contract killings to create terror in Punjab.
“A large part of the terror funds required for maintaining, managing and handling of this wide network of terror operatives of KTF in India and abroad comes from extortion of money from the businessmen based in Punjab and the neighbouring States and a large part of such funds are being diverted by them to the weapon suppliers, smugglers for procuring arms and ammunition and narcotics as well as their active terror operative based in India for planning and executing various terror acts in Punjab and neighbouring States,” the government document said.
It said that there is an extensive use of Hawala channels and Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) platforms by these terrorists and their associates for the movement of these funds. “These funds are used for furthering the terror and violence-related activities of KTF and for carrying out terror activities in India,” it said.
According to the document, the foreign-based KTF operatives are regularly recruiting new cadres with the help of Kamaljeet Sharma, who is lodged in the central jail in Patiala.
“He is recruiting jailmates to be part of KTF,” the document said. It further said that the operatives of KTF are working in close collaboration with the Bambiha criminal gang to use the network including resources and logistics of the gang for the commission of terrorist and criminal activities in India.
It is worth mentioning that the Bambiha gang, an arch-rival of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was run by Davinder Singh Sidhu, alias Davinder Bambiha. Although Bambiha was shot dead in an encounter in September 2016 his close aides now operate from prison and run an extortion racket across Punjab.
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