New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday declared a cash reward of Rs 15 lakh against absconding terror accused Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, news agency ANI reported.
According to the report, a resident of Harike village in Punjab's Tarn Taran district, Landa is currently residing in Edmonton, Alberta in Canada, and is wanted in cases related to unlawful activities of proscribed terror organisations across the country.
Last year in December, Punjab Police arrested four accomplices of Lakhbir Landa and seized four country-based weapons, along with magazines and bullets.
According to reports, one of the arrested persons, identified as Gurlal Singh, was wanted by the counter intelligence in a case of seizure of explosives. He had been evading arrest for the past several months. Besides Gurlal, others who were arrested include Rajbir Singh Raja, Armandeep Singh alias Lakha, and Gurlal Singh - all residents of Tarn Taran area in Punjab.
Apart from his alleged involvement in several crimes, Lakhbir Singh Landa is accused of being involved in the Mohali and Sarhali Kalan RPG attacks as well as the killing of Gurjant Singh. The police have claimed that the Sarhali attack was carried out under the directions of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence.
The first case against Lakhbir Landa is said to have been under the Arms Act over 10 years back. As per reports, he was already facing 18 criminal cases, including of murder, attempt to murder and drugs smuggling. Landa’s main area of influence is Tarn Taran district. He also wields some influence in Amritsar Rural and Ferozepur, police said.
In 2017, Landa is said to have fled to Canada, where his wife has been living.
A report by Hindustan Times quoted a police officer who said that Lakhbir Singh was inactive between 2016 and 2020.