NIA expands Khalistan probe

NIA expands Khalistan probe

Context:

• The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has expanded its investigation into the revival of the pro-Khalistan movement in Punjab to countries such as the U.K., Australia, the UAE, Italy and Pakistan.

Background:

• On November 30th 2017, the Home Ministry handed over the probe into the murder of RSS member Ravinder Gosain in Ludhiana to the NIA.
• The agency said Gosain’s murder and targeted killings of eight others from January 2016 were part of a conspiracy to destabilise Punjab hatched by Sikh extremist elements and others located in various parts of the world.
• The Punjab police had arrested the accused and were handed over to the NIA for their alleged role in Gosain’s murder.
• The agency said the accused were asked to target members of the RSS and Hindu organisations.
• The accused were brainwashed and were incited on religious grounds by their mentors settled abroad.

Foreign funds:

• The NIA said funds were channelled from foreign countries for execution of these incidents.

11 arrested so far:

• On February 14, the NIA arrested an accused identified as Parvez, alias Farru, from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
• Parvez provided the weapons in several of the eight incidents committed as part of an international conspiracy whose objective was to destabilize the law and order situation in Punjab and to revive militancy in the State.
• So far 11 persons have been arrested.