The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested Jatinder Singh, alias Jyoti, a key aide of designated Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh, also known as Pavitar Batala. The arrest marks a critical breakthrough in the Punjab terror conspiracy case.

Jatinder, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab, was apprehended in Mumbai following extensive on-ground and technical operations by the NIA. He had been on the run since July 2024, evading arrest after the agency captured weapons supplier Baljit Singh, alias Rana Bhai, a resident of Madhya Pradesh.

According to the NIA, Jatinder is a member of a terror gang led by Landa, who operates from abroad as part of the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and is closely linked to Batala, Landa’s associate. The investigations revealed Jatinder’s active involvement in the smuggling of arms and their delivery to on-ground operatives in Punjab.

The agency stated that Jatinder had procured ten pistols from Baljit Singh in Madhya Pradesh and transported them to Punjab to aid Landa and Batala’s network. He had also been planning to bring additional weapons from Madhya Pradesh, but the NIA’s sustained surveillance thwarted his attempts.

The NIA’s efforts have been part of a broader operation to dismantle the nexus between terror networks and gangsters. Jatinder’s arrest is seen as a step towards preventing the smuggling of weapons, ammunition, and explosives that fuel terrorist activities in India.