KATHMANDU: Khalistani rebel Kashmir Singh, alias Balbir Singh, has been arrested in a joint operation by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and local police from Motihari in Bihar’s East Champaran district.
Indian media reports allege that Singh had been operating a Khalistani terrorist network from Nepal. He was reportedly taken to Delhi on transit remand by the NIA following his arrest in the Motijhil area of Motihari.
Kashmir Singh, who was on India’s most-wanted list with a reward of INR 10 lakh on his head, is accused of involvement in the high-profile 2016 Nabha jailbreak and various other terrorist activities.
During initial interrogation, Singh allegedly confessed to his role in the jailbreak and admitted connections with Khalistani groups including Babbar Khalsa International and the Khalistan Liberation Force.
Indian reports claim that Singh was living in Nepal under the alias Daljit Singh. He had allegedly married a Nepali woman, built a house in Birgunj, and lived a low-profile life as a traveling cloth seller. Authorities suspect he forged identity documents and facilitated transactions amounting to crores of rupees through six bank accounts.
While Indian outlets assert that Singh was arrested from Nepal, similar to the case of royalist Durga Prasain who fled Nepal earlier this year, this claim has not been independently verified.
Singh is also believed to have ties with the International Sikh Youth Federation. His connections to other fugitives from the Nabha jailbreak, including KLF chief Harminder Singh Mintoo, gangster Vicky Gounder, and others, are under investigation.
The NIA is now probing the full extent of Singh’s activities and his links to a broader Khalistani network operating in Nepal and across the India-Nepal border.
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