Arsh Dalla: All about the arrested 'Khalistani' who tried to step into Hardeep Singh Nijjar's shoes

Arsh Dalla:

Pro-Khalistan terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, aide of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was reportedly detained in Canada on Sunday. In a related development, two of Dalla's aides were held in Punjab on the same day for the killing of Sikh activist Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau in Faridkot last month.

According to the chargesheet accessed by News18, Dalla has been charged under multiple provisions-- from illegal possession to tampering of evidence. Dalla, a designated terrorist in India, who was arrested in Canada’s Ontario in connection with a shooting incident has been booked under 11 counts.

The National Investigation Agency's dossier on Dalla identifies his age as about 25 years. He was designated by the Union Home Ministry as an "individual terrorist" under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2023.

Dalla is wanted by the investigative body in connection with four FIRs registered in 2021-22, while Punjab police are probing nearly four dozen criminal cases linked to extortion and targeted killings allegedly involving him, according to counter-terror officials.

According to the agency, Dalla was a small-time gangster in the state before he fled to Canada in 2018 and joined hands with Hardeep Singh Nijjar to carry out targeted killings and extortion using his gangs in Punjab and elsewhere. As many as 46 FIRs have been registered against him in various states. His gang conspired to kidnap and kill people of other faiths to create a sense of fear and disaffection among different sections of society in Punjab, according to officials, cited by The Economic Times.

With the attack on the temple further worsening the diplomatic relations between the two countries, members of the Hindu Sikh Global Forum on Sunday took out a march towards the Canadian High Commission in Chanakyapuri, leading to the Delhi Police increasing the mission’s peripheral security.

Canada has accused India of being linked to the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, fueling a significant rift between the two countries.