NIA seizes cash, car as proceeds of crime in Bistara toll Plaza IED case

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) In a latest development in connection with the Bistara Toll Plaza IED recovery case, the NIA on Friday said that they have seized Rs 6.5 lakh and an Innova car as proceeds of crime.

The NIA had recovered three IEDs, one pistol, two magazines, and 31 live rounds and Rs 1.30 lakh cash from four persons -- Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Amandeep Singh alias Deepa, Parminder Singh alias Pinder and Bhupinder Singh -- who were traveling in an Innova vehicle in May 2022. The vehicle had been modified to keep these IEDs, pistol and other ammunition in a specially designed cavity.

They were on their way to Adilabad in Telangana to deliver the consignment of terror hardware, on the directions of a 'designated terrorist' Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, when they were intercepted by the police at Bastara Toll Plaza on May 5, 2022.

The case was initially registered at police station Madhuban, District Karnal and re-registered by the NIA.

The NIA learnt that multiple consignments of arms, explosives and drugs had been sent from Pakistan by terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, through drones to pre-decided locations near the India-Pakistan border.

Gopi, Deepa, Akash alias Akashdeep, Sukhbeer Singh alias Jashan and Jarmalpreet Singh received these consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs. Gopi and others were tasked to collect the contraband and deliver part-consignments to various places in different places in the country to carry out terror attacks in the name of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a banned terrorist organisation. The Innova car was used by the accused persons for transporting such consignments.

First charge sheet was filed against six accused persons, including Harwinder Rinda on October 31, 2022.

A supplementary charge sheet was thereafter filed against another three accused on March 1, 2023.

"Gopi had also amassed a large amount of cash through smuggling these contraband items. Investigations have exposed his modus operandi of depositing this money in bank accounts of others," said an NIA official on Friday.

The NIA team seized Rs 5.5 lakh from one such account. The team also recovered Rs 1 lakh that Gopi had stashed away, raising the total recovery to Rs 7,80,000 in this case. This amount of cash and the Innova vehicle have been seized as 'proceeds of terrorism' under the provisions of 25 UA (P) Act by the NIA.

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