New Delhi, May 11 – India’s federal counterterrorism agency said on Sunday it had arrested Kashmir Singh Galwaddi, a wanted Khalistani militant and fugitive in a 2022 terror conspiracy case, from the eastern state of Bihar.
Galwaddi, a resident of Ludhiana in Punjab, was detained in Motihari district during a joint operation between the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and local police. He was declared a proclaimed offender by an NIA special court in Delhi and had a ₹1 million ($12,000) reward on his head, the agency said in a statement.
The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in an ongoing probe into a transnational Khalistani terror network, allegedly backed by Pakistan-based handlers and involving operatives in India, Nepal, and the Gulf region.
Galwaddi is accused of providing shelter, logistical support, and funding to Khalistani militants involved in a series of attacks, including the May 2022 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence headquarters in Mohali.
The NIA said Galwaddi was a close associate of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, also known as Rinda, and had maintained links with various Khalistani elements after escaping from Punjab’s Nabha jail in 2016, where he was serving time for serious offences.
“His role in the planning and execution of terror activities across India is under detailed investigation,” an NIA official said.
According to the agency, many of Galwaddi’s associates fled to Nepal after the Mohali attack. The NIA has so far filed chargesheets against 15 accused in the conspiracy and continues to pursue other suspects, including those based abroad.
In August 2024, the agency successfully extradited Tarsem Singh, the brother of wanted Khalistani leader Lakhbir Singh Landa, from the United Arab Emirates. A third supplementary chargesheet was filed in the case in December. India has stepped up action against Khalistani separatist networks in recent years amid a rise in cross-border terror incidents linked to pro-Khalistan outfits operating from Pakistan and other foreign locations.
