Latest news with #Galwaddi
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Last fugitive from 2016 Nabha jail break nabbed after 9 yrs
Despite a massive manhunt by both Punjab Police and national agencies, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, a terrorist linked to Khalistani extremist groups, managed to evade arrest for nearly nine years following his escape from Nabha jail in 2016. He remained undetected for years by using multiple hideouts, including taking refuge in Nepal under a false identity. Galwaddi also has connections with international terror networks, particularly with the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). He was arrested on May 11, 2025, by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Motihari, Bihar. How Galwaddi escaped Nabha jail The Nabha jail break took place on November 27, 2016. A group of 10-15 armed men, disguised as police officers, stormed the jail in Patiala's Nabha. They opened fire at the security personnel and facilitated the escape of six of the most-wanted criminals. The escapees included Harminder Singh Mintoo, KLF chief, gangsters Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Amandeep Singh Dhotian, Kulpreet Singh Neeta Deol, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi and Harjinder Singh Vicky Gounder. While most of the escapees were apprehended over the following years, Gounder was killed in a police encounter in 2018. Galwaddi and Mintoo, however, managed to stay out of reach, with Galwaddi remaining the only fugitive until his recent capture. Hideout for years After his escape from Nabha jail, Galwaddi went into hiding, managing to avoid capture by Punjab Police for nearly a decade. According to a senior officer from Punjab Police's internal security wing, Galwaddi initially took refuge in Nepal where he worked as a sewadar (volunteer) in various gurdwaras. Despite his attempts to disguise himself, intelligence reports about his movements and possible hideouts were consistently shared between Punjab Police and central agencies, including the NIA. Links to Khalistani terrorist groups Galwaddi's arrest followed a significant breakthrough by the NIA, which had been investigating his links to international terror groups. The agency claims that Galwaddi was a key associate of foreign-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda. Galwaddi was involved in several terrorist activities, including providing shelter, logistics and financial support to members of Khalistani terrorist groups who had fled to Nepal after carrying out attacks in India. He played a crucial role as an important node in the BKI and Rinda's terror network, particularly in aiding the escapees of various terror operations, including the RPG attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters. Criminal career and previous arrests Galwaddi was a proclaimed offender in a 2022 NIA case related to a terror conspiracy. The investigation had been launched to probe terrorist activities involving proscribed organisations such as BKI, KLF and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). The NIA had issued non-bailable warrants for his arrest and a cash reward of ₹10 lakh was announced for any information leading to his capture. He was also involved in several assassination plots targeting religious figures, including a conspiracy to kill Ram Rahim of Dera Sacha Sauda, in addition to those accused of involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Galwaddi's criminal career dates back to 2013 when he was arrested by Fatehgarh Sahib Police for a conspiracy to assassinate religious figures. In 2015, he masterminded the shooting of Harwinder Soni, a Shiv Sena leader from Gurdaspur, though Soni survived the attack. This act of violence was allegedly motivated by Soni's involvement in a 2012 incident where he was accused of forcibly removing turbans during a bandh, an event that led to the killing of a Sikh student, Jaspal Singh, in a police firing.
India Today
12-05-2025
- India Today
NIA arrests key Khalistani terror operative involved in 2016 Nabha jailbreak
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday successfully caught a key Khalistani operative, Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, who had been actively involved in the 2016 Nabha jailbreak and was linked to foreign-based Khalistani terrorists, including Harwinder Singh a criminal from Ludhiana, Punjab, was arrested in Motihari, Bihar, in a coordinated operation with local Motihari Police. His arrest is part of the ongoing investigation into a major Khalistani terror conspiracy who has been on the run since his escape from the Nabha jail in 2016, has been closely associated with Rinda and other designated Khalistani terrorists. As a significant figure in the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Galwaddi played a crucial role in providing shelter, logistical support, and terror funds to terrorists who had escaped to Nepal after executing various terror activities in India. Among these activities was the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence was identified as a proclaimed offender in the NIA case, which was filed to investigate the growing links between terror groups such as BKI, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).The NIA initiated this case suo moto in August 2022 to probe the terrorist activities orchestrated by leaders and members of these banned organisations. The investigation revealed a complex nexus between terror groups and organised criminal gangs, with both groups involved in smuggling terrorist hardware—including arms, ammunition, explosives, and IEDs—from across the border to execute terror attacks across the past two years, the NIA declared Galwaddi a proclaimed offender and issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him. A cash reward of Rs. 10 lakh has also been announced by the agency for any information leading to his July 2023, NIA filed chargesheets against nine individuals, including Sandhu and Landa. In the following months, the agency filed two supplementary chargesheets against six other August 2024, the NIA secured the extradition of Landa's brother, Tarsem Singh, from the UAE, and filed a third supplementary chargesheet in December In advertisement
India Gazette
11-05-2025
- India Gazette
NIA nabs key Khalistani operative involved in 2016 Nabha jail break escape
New Delhi [India] May 11 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested a key Khalistani operative Kashmir Singh Galwaddi associated with foreign-based Babbar Khalsa terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda and one of the hardened criminals who had escaped during the Nabha jail break in 2016. The breakthrough came when NIA nabbed Galwaddi of Punjab's Ludhiana from Motihari in Bihar in coordination with police in connection with a Khalistani terror conspiracy case. As per the NIA, Galwaddi had been actively associated with designated Khalistani terrorists including Rinda since breaking out of Nabha jail. An important node of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Rinda's terror gang in Nepal, NIA said, Galwaddi was a proclaimed offender in the NIA case, his role relating to involvement in conspiracy, providing shelter, logistics support and terror funds to aides of the Khalistani terrorists. 'These aides had escaped to Nepal after carrying out various terror activities in India, including the RPG attack at the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters.' NIA had registered the terror conspiracy case suo moto in August 2022 to probe the terrorist activities of chiefs and members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as BKI, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), among others. 'Investigations had exposed a terror-criminal nexus, suggesting that these terror groups, along with organised criminal gangs were engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition explosive, IEDs etc from across the border to carry out terror activities in various parts of the country,' said the anti-terror agency in a statement. NIA special court had declared Galwaddi a proclaimed offender in the 2022 terror conspiracy case and had also issued non-bailable arrest warrants against him over the past couple of years. A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh was also announced by NIA for information leading to his arrest. NIA had in July 2023 chargesheeted nine accused, including Sandhu and Landa, in the terror case, followed by two supplementary chargesheets against six others. In August 2024, the anti-terror agency had successfully secured the extradition of Landa's brother, Tarsem Singh, from the UAE and filed a third supplementary chargesheet against him in December. (ANI)
