Rs. 15 lakh reward announced by NIA for information on gangster Lakhbir ‘Landa’

The NIA on Wednesday declared a Rs.15 lakh reward for any individual providing information leading to the arrest of Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, also known as ‘Landa’.

Sandhu has been wanted in Punjab in connection to the grenade attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022.

“A cash reward of Rs 15 lakh is announced for any information leading to arrest of Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias ‘Landa’,” a spokesperson for the anti-terror federal probe agency stated, adding that the identity of the informer would remain confidential.

Sandhu is currently believed to be residing in Edmonton, Alberta after absconding in the case dating back to 2022.

The case was registered with the NIA after information that terrorist outfits and terror elements residing out of India were working with local gangs in North India to commit violent criminal acts, according to media reports.

“It had emerged that the terror-gangster-drug smuggler network was also engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition, explosives, IEDs across border through a widespread inter-state network of gunrunners, illegal arms and ammunition manufacturers and suppliers and explosive traffickers,” the NIA spokesperson added.

Sandhu is reportedly a resident of Harike village in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district.

Previously, on January 9, the NIA had tracked down Canada-based Arsh Dalla in a separate case, who was designated as an “individual terrorist” by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.