National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has registered a case against several "pro-Khalist elements" and Germany-based Sikhs For Justice operative Jaswinder Singh Mult for hatching conspiracy with Pakist Intelligence agency ISI's operatives to carry out terror attacks in Mumbai and other parts of India.
As per NIA, a case has been registered under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 121A (conspiracy to commit offence) of Indian Penal Code and sections 10, 13, 17, 18 and 18B of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 against Mult and his other associates late on Thursday following Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order.
In an official statement, the NIA said that the case relates to criminal conspiracy hatched by Mult with several other "pro-Khalist elements located abroad for radicalizing, motivating and recruiting youths in Punjab on ground and online through social media platforms to propagate their ideology with the aim to secede Punjab from the Union of India".
"They have been involved in raising funds to procure arms, ammunition and explosives by using smuggling networks in Punjab to revive terrorism in Punjab," said NIA.
"Mult has also been in contact with ISI operatives to carry out terror attacks in Mumbai and other parts of India. Pursuant to the registration of the case, requisite actions as per law for the expeditious investigation of the case have been initiated," the NIA said.
The anti-terror agency's move comes following a series of reports that exposed the Khalist terrorists plans to cause large-scale disturbance in poll-bound Punjab in cahoots with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI.
Mult, a prominent member of the designated terror group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), has allegedly been linked to the Ludhiana court blast case.
Mult was held by police in Germany on December 27. He has been residing in Erfurt, Germany.
A police officer said that during the investigation names of two suspects residing in Pakistan and Germany, both from banned Sikh orgzations, have emerged. Sikhs For Justice is a designated terror group in India.
Intelligence agencies had earlier alerted about Harvinder Singh Sandhu, a Babbar Khalsa terrorist who is currently in Pakistan, and Mult, a close associate of SFJ's Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, residing in Germany, about their involvement in the Ludhiana blast.
Mult recently came to notice for allegedly arranging and sending weapons consignments comprising explosives, hand grenades from across the border to Punjab. These weapons were sent with the help of his Pakistan-based operatives and arms smugglers.
He has been allegedly planning to carry out terrorist activities in Punjab by using the smuggled consignments through gangsters and extremists in the state.
Mult is also learnt to be closely connected with Khalist leaders like Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Pamma, Sabi Singh, Kulwant Singh Mothada and others.
( With inputs from ANI )
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