Bastara Toll Plaza IED recovery case: NIA seizes Rs 7.80 lakh, a car as 'proceeds of terrorism'

New Delhi [India], March 31 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized Rs 7.80 lakh and a car as 'proceeds of terrorism' in Bastara Toll Plaza Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) recovery case involving designated terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, the agency said on Friday.

Of the amount, the NIA team seized Rs 5.5 lakhs from one suspected account and also recovered Rs 1 lakh that one accused named Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi had stashed away raising the total recovery to Rs 7,80,000 in this case.

This amount of cash and a car were seized on Thursday as 'proceeds of terrorism', under the provisions of the 25 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.

On May 5 last year, Haryana Police intercepted a car at Bastara Toll Plaza which was carrying Gopi, Amandeep Singh alias Deepa, Parminder Singh alias Pinder and Bhupinder Singh who were on their way to Adilabad in Telangana.

They were found carrying three Improvised Explosive Devices, one pistol with two magazines, 31 rounds of ammunition and Rs 1.30 lakh in the Innova, which had been specially modified to conceal these IEDs, Pistol and ammunition in a specially designed cavity, said the NIA.

NIA investigations have revealed that multiple consignments of arms, explosives and drugs had been sent from Pakistan by terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu, a 'designated terrorist', through drones to pre-decided locations near the Indo-Pakistan border.

Gopi, Deepa, Akash alias Akashdeep, Sukhbeer Singh alias Jashan and Jarmalpreet Singh received these consignments of arms, ammunition, explosives and drugs, the anti-terror agency said.

"Gopi and others were tasked to collect the contraband and deliver part-consignments to various places in different places in the country to carry out terror attacks in the name of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a banned terrorist orgsation," said the NIA.

The car was used by the accused persons for transporting such consignments, the agency added.

The case was initially registered at Madhuban Police Station in Haryana. The NIA took over the case on May 24, 2022 and filed the first charge sheet against six accused, including Harwinder Rinda in October, 2022.

A supplementary chargesheet was thereafter filed against another three accused earlier in March this year.

"Gopi had also amassed a large amount of cash through smuggling these contraband items. Investigations have exposed his modus operandi of depositing this money in bank accounts of others," said the NIA.