Singh, was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and had connections to the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). He is the brother of Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, also known as Landa, who is currently in Canada.
Tarsem was a key member of the terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and served as an important link for terrorists Rinda and Landa while operating in the UAE. He was initially detained in Abu Dhabi in November 2023, following a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) issued by the NIA and an Interpol Red Corner Notice. After following all of Interpol’s due processes, Tarsem was extradited from the UAE to India on Friday.
According to the NIA, Tarsem and his associates, who are based abroad, have been recruiting and motivating people in India to engage in terrorist activities, extortion, and smuggling weapons and drugs across borders. These foreign operatives are connected to major gangs in North India, including local gangsters and criminal networks.
The NIA’s investigation also uncovered a complex fundraising system for the BKI and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), whose leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was killed in Canada last year. Another key figure, Harwinder Singh Sandhu, also known as Rinda, is a former gangster who became an important BKI member and Khalistani operative.
Rinda fled to Pakistan illegally in 2018-19 and is now under the protection of the ISI, where he continues to engage in terrorist activities against India. He is involved in smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, and drugs into India, recruiting BKI operatives, committing murders, and raising funds through extortion in Punjab and Maharashtra.
Landa, who initially started with criminal activities, moved to Canada in 2017 and continued his operations from there. He was also the mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill Punjab Police SI Dilbagh Singh in August 2022.