Khalistani terror cells thrive in Canada: Indian intel report

After 2014, when Indian security agencies contacted their Canadian counterparts with information regarding Khalistanis seeking refuge in Canada, Ottawa responded that they could not take intelligence from India since there was no established procedure in place. The Indian NIA signed an MoU with the RCMP in 2020 in accordance with FBI-RCMP practice, but little changed as the Justin Trudeau administration continued to give Khalistanis a safe harbor for vote-bank politics.

Concerns concerning the existence of a Khalistan terror network operating in Canada have recently been raised by recent discoveries by Indian intelligence. The dossier, which was given by Indian officials, names various Canadian citizens who are allegedly connected to the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), both of which are prohibited organizations.

Indian Intelligence on Gurjit Singh Cheema

Gurjit Singh Cheema, a 50-year-old Canadian citizen who is originally from Punjab, is reportedly an ISYF/KLF member who is actively connected to the “Singh Khalsa Sewa Club” in Toronto. Cheema is a truck driver that resides and works in Brampton, Ontario.

According to reports, Cheema traveled to India in 2017 to operationalize a module. He is accused of inspiring and radicalizing Gurpreet Singh Brar and Sukhmanpreet Singh after arriving in India. The dossier also states that Sarabjit Singh was persuaded to enroll in the module by Cheema.

Cheema is also charged with providing money and locally manufactured handguns to members of the module in Punjab, both of which are said to have been utilized for terrorist actions. Cheema is said to have procured a weapon shipment from the other side of the border for members of the ISYF module in May 2017 with the aid of Pakistan-based Lakhvir Singh Rode and the late Harmeet Singh, aka PhD, a KLF agent.

Indian Intelligence on Gurjinder Singh Pannu

The intelligence report also makes note of a 28-year-old Canadian citizen named Gurjinder Singh Pannu. Pannu is an ISYF/KLF activist who presently calls East Hamilton, Ontario, home. She is closely connected to the Toronto-based “Singh Khalsa Sewa Club.”

The dossier claims that in March 2017, Pannu sent money to ISYF module members in India so they could buy weapons developed in the country and carry out their operations. Additionally, he is charged with providing money to a man by the name of Balkar Singh in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, to help arrange the shipment of locally produced weapons to module members in India.

Along with Gurjit Singh Cheema, Pannu is suspected of helping Pakistan-based Rode and PhD locate a weapon shipment from the other side of the border for ISYF module members in May 2017.

Indian Intelligence on Gurpreet Singh Brar

One of the many pro-Khalistani individuals identified in the intelligence report is Gurpreet Singh Brar, a 38-year-old Canadian citizen with the passport number H1820001. Cheema is another active member of the “Singh Khalsa Sewa Club,” which is where he presently resides in Surrey, British Columbia.

The information in the file suggests that Satpal Singh, who oversaw Brar and Cheema’s formation of the subclub “Singh Khalsa Sewa Club Dagru” in Punjab. Gurpreet Singh is accused of indoctrinating and inspiring others to engage in terrorist acts while he was in India in March 2016.

Gurpreet Singh is charged with giving orders to gather firearms, which were allegedly acquired from Cheema and other places. The members of the ISYF module in Punjab were supposed to utilize these weapons.

Khalistani terror activities in Canada: Trudeau turned a blind eye

The dossier released by the Indian intelligence agencies contains terrifying information about the Khalistan terror network operating in Canada. It also reveals how people were radicalized and trained for carrying out terrorist acts in India with connections to well-known Khalistani elements and organizations abroad.

Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, a native of Chakk Kalan in Ludhiana, Punjab, who immigrated to Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, in 2012 and eventually settled there permanently, is one of the important players in this network. The report describes his development from a regular immigrant to a radicalized person with a risky intent.

Mandeep Singh started visiting Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Surrey soon after arriving in Canada, where he was exposed to anti-India statements by extremist leaders and supporters of Khalistan. He also read a lot of extremist writings and publications that extolled terrorists who had been killed. His ultimate purpose was to join the militant movement and exact revenge on those responsible for the murders of Sikh adolescents in Punjab during the militant era.

When Mandeep Singh made contact with Gajinder Singh, the leader of the Dal Khalsa headquartered in Pakistan, via Facebook in July 2015, his radicalization grew. He met Hardeep Singh Nijjar via Gajinder Singh, a terrorist with ties to the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) whose death and subsequent unsubstantiated charges by the Canadian government against Indian operatives led to a protracted diplomatic dispute between the two nations.

Mandeep Singh was inspired to carry out assaults in India by Nijjar in particular, and he even received financial backing for his goal. In February 2016, Mandeep Singh was dispatched to India with orders to assassinate people such as former Punjab Police official Moh. Azhar Alam, Shiv Sena leader Nishant Sharma, and Baba Mann Singh of Pehowa Wala.

However, Mandeep Singh was detained on May 24, 2016, after landing in India. In the Ludhiana (Rural) district, a complaint was filed against him and Nijjar under many provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Arms Act.

Mandeep Singh was granted bail by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in January 2017 despite the severe allegations against him. The legal matter is still underway.

Further demonstrating the network’s influence within India, the dossier also discloses that Mandeep Singh had ties with a number of other Sikh teenagers in Punjab who were in contact with him.

Please, also have a look into : Khalistani terrorist’s alleged ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba fuel India-Canada diplomatic row