The NIA has mentioned in its charge sheet that Lawrence Bishnoi has a strong connection and association with pro-Khalistani elements. The NIA has mentioned that the Nabha Jail Break was a successful manifestation of the terrorist-gangster association that led to the escape of dreaded terrorists who later engaged in targeted killings.

The NIA has mentioned that it all started during the Bargari Morcha (agitation) in 2015 and the Nabha jailbreak that happened in 2016. The Bargari Morcha (agitation) started after the sacrilege incident of Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot district in 2015, and subsequent police action on agitators provided a public space for radical extremists. Many Sikh radical leaders held a protest in Bargari with support from Pro-Khalistan Elements (PKES) based abroad, under the guise of "Kaum vaste Kamm (task in the name of religion)".

"The PKES used this opportunity and started their nefarious activities to disturb the hard-earned peace and unity in the state. These PKES started identifying and executing killings under the garb of 'Kaum De Dushman' (Enemies of religion). Radicalizing innocent people, they started using the large pool of people gathered at Bargari Morcha and other locations across the state for terror activities," the chargesheet read.

The biggest problem the PKES faced was that the new foot soldiers, who were ready to execute killings on the directions of terrorists based abroad, lacked logistic support and experience in terror activities such as the supply of weapons, training, handling, vehicles, and shelter.

To bridge this gap, the Pakistan-based slain terrorist Harmeet Singh PhD, the self-styled chief of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), was contacted by the dreaded gangster Dharminder Singh alias Gugni (who was lodged in Ludhiana Jail) to provide weapons for the cause of "Kaum".

Dharminder Singh alias Gugni provided weapons to Hardeep Singh alias Shera and Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian, who started a new type of terror war through targeted killings of prominent individuals from specific communities, including Brig. Jagdish Gagneja (Vice-president of RSS, Punjab), Shiv Sena leaders Durga Das Gupta and Amit Sharma, RSS leader Ravinder Gosain, and Dera Sacha Sauda followers, as well as an attack on an RSS Shakha.

This was the first time Punjab witnessed such large-scale targeted killings since the end of terrorism in 1995.

The successful terrorist-gangster nexus, which started with Dharminder alias Gugni and Harmeet Singh, further solidified after the sensational 'Nabha High-security Jail Break' in November 2016. Such a daring act had not been witnessed even during the heyday of militancy in Punjab.

The jailbreak was a successful manifestation of the terrorist-gangster association that led to the escape of two dreaded terrorists: Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, chief of the banned KLF, and Kashmir Singh Galwadi, a KLF terrorist, along with four gangsters --Harjinder Singh alias Vicky Gounder, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Kulpreet Singh alias Neeta Deol, and Amandeep Singh alias Aman Dhotian, with the help of 15 other gangsters, including Sukhmeetpal Singh alias Sukh Bhikhariwal, Tirath Dhilwan, Prema Lahoria, Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Kaura, Harry Chatha, and Parminder Singh alias Bhinda.

The planning, execution, and logistic capabilities displayed by these gangsters during the jailbreak attracted terrorist organisations, which subsequently used their capabilities to carry out their agenda of creating disturbance in Punjab and other parts of the country.

"The mastermind of this jailbreak was gangster-turned-terrorist Ramanjit Singh alias Romi (detained in Hong Kong). Gurpatwant Singh Pannun (SFJ), who is the US-based Khalistani separatist and a designated individual terrorist, announced to provide all assistance and funding to Ramanjit Singh alias Romi for his court trial in Hong Kong," read the charge sheet.

This association later resulted in the targeted killings in Punjab. (IANS/JS)