The Canadian police have arrested Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, a Khalistani terrorist, in connection with a shootout in the country last month, according to several media reports on Sunday.
Dalla, one of the India’s most wanted criminal and a close aide of slain Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was arrested for his suspected involvement in a shootout on October 28 in Milton town, said the reports citing intelligence sources.
In September this year, Dalla took responsibility for the murder of Congress leader, Baljinder Singh Balli, who was shot dead at his residence in Punjab’s Moga district.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Police arrested two key operatives of Dalla in connection with the murder of Sikh activist Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau in Faridkot district last month. The arrests were made in a joint operation by the State Special Operation Cell of Mohali, the Anti-Gangster Task Force, and Faridkot Police.
Investigations revealed that the two arrested operatives were also involved in the killing of Jaswant Singh Gill, a man serving a life sentence in a 2016 murder case. Gill was shot dead in Gwalior district, Madhya Pradesh, on November 7, 2024, on the directions of Arsh Dalla.
Second Nijjar aide to be arrested
Dalla is the second close aide of Nijjar to be arrested by Canadian authorities in the past week.
On November 8, Canadian police arrested a 35-year-old Brampton resident Inderjeet Gosal on charges of assault with a weapon during a violent demonstration at a Hindu temple in the city, authorities said.
Gosal, is the Sikhs for Justice coordinator for Canada, Toronto Star reported. The US-based SFJ is banned in India.
Gosal replaced Nijjar as the Sikhs for Justice’s main Canadian organizer after the latter was gunned down in British Columbia in June 2023. He is considered to be the lieutenant of SJF’s general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is designated a terrorist by India.
Gosal was released on conditions and is to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.
The relations between India and Canada came under severe strain following Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in Khalistan extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
New Delhi rejected Trudeau’s charges as “absurd”.
India has been maintaining that the main issue between the two countries is that of Canada giving space to pro-Khalistan elements operating from Canadian soil with impunity.
(With inputs from agencies)