NIA Links Khalistani Terrorists to Sandhu Murder

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has informed the Supreme Court that the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh Sandhu in Punjab in 2020 was orchestrated by Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) operatives based in Canada and the US. The masterminds identified were Sunny Toronto, a KLF operative in Canada, and Lakhbir Singh Rode, a Pakistan-sheltered terrorist and nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The NIA's affidavit comes amid strained relations between Canada and India over the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. The agency claims that the operatives targeted anti-Khalistan entities in India to revive the separatist movement by polarizing Punjab on communal lines. Sunny Toronto and Lakhbir Singh are both named in the NIA chargesheet as absconders, and the investigation was transferred to the NIA in 2021. The NIA has opposed bail for two co-accused in the case, highlighting the broader strategy of the KLF to target individuals opposed to their ideology.