On 2nd December, the chief of the banned terrorist organisation Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation, Lakhbir Singh Rode, died of cardiac arrest in Pakistan at the age of 72. He was accused of the 1985 Kanishka bombing and was listed as an “individual terrorist” under the UAPA. In 2002, he fled to Dubai and later shifted to Pakistan.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified him as the mastermind behind the 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast. He was involved in smuggling Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) from Pakistan.
According to Lakhbir’s brother Jasbir Singh Rode, he was unwell for the past fifteen days and underwent a bypass surgery. He also had diabetes. Rode’s family lives in Canada.
Soon after the reports of Rode’s death, Punjab Police arrested one of his alleged associates, Paramjit Singh Dhadhi. Notably, Dhadhi is a UK citizen. He was apprehended by the for his alleged involvement in terror funding and terrorist activities in Punjab. However, Rode defended Dhadhi and described him as a “friend” who regularly visited India. Jasbir claimed Dhadhi was “falsely implicated” in a terror case in 2006. Despite the arrest, he continued to visit India and was acquitted of the case in 2013. Dhadhi was detained by the authorities at the airport when he was returning to the UK.
Investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network
— DGP Punjab Police (@DGPPunjabPolice) December 5, 2023
Major blow to terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region@PunjabPoliceInd is fully committed to make Punjab safe & secure as per directions of CM @BhagwantMann 2/2
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Police, Gaurav Yadav, said, “In a breakthrough, SSOC Amritsar has arrested UK-based Paramjit Singh alias Punjab Singh alias Dhadi from Amritsar airport. An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit ISYF, Dhadi, has been involved in terror funding and other subversive activities in Punjab. The investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network. Major blow to terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region.”
Recently, a report by The Intercept claimed that Indian agencies are targetting Khalistani terrorists living in Pakistan, including Lakhbir Singh Rode and his son Bhagat Singh. Rode is a relative of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In 2021, Gurmukh Singh, the son of Jasbir Singh Rode, was arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for receiving tiffin boxes loaded with explosives from his uncle, Lakhbir Singh Rode, in Pakistan and distributing them within Indian territory.
