INDIA. Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Bikramjit Singh, the mastermind behind the 2019 Tarn Taran (Amritsar, Punjab) bomb blast on Thursday in Delhi after he was deported from Vienna, Austria.
Bikramjit Singh was absconding in the NIA case No RC-20/2019/NIA/DLI. The NIA had sent a team to Austria to bring accused Bikramjit Singh alias Bikkar Panjwar alias Bikkar Baba back to India, an NIA statement read.
The extradition was facilitated by the competent authority of Linz (Austria) in coordination with Interpol authorities.
According to the NIA, Bikramajit had formed a gang to carry out terror attacks in Punjab. He had been absconding in a case related to a bomb blast in a vacant plot in the Tarn Taran district.
On September 4, 2019, a powerful explosion took place at a vacant plot on the outskirts of Pandori Gola village in Tarn Taran, in which two people were killed, and another was grievously injured. They were digging a pit to retrieve concealed explosives
The NIA said that Bikramjit Singh was the key conspirator in the conspiracy to target Dera Muradpura In Taran Taran.
Bikramjit Singh and co-conspirators held a series of secret meetings before choosing the date of the attack. The explosion took place when the co-conspirators were retrieving the buried explosives.
On the strength of non-bailable warrants issued by the NIA special court, Mohali, and subsequent Red Corner Notice against him, Bikramjit Singh was detained in Linz on March 22, 2021. After the completion of legal proceedings, Linz Regional Court extradited him.
The NIA probe had revealed that Bikramjit Singh not only instigated the co-accused and others to commit terrorist acts but also conducted training for fabricating improvised explosive devices and using them.
During various processions/agitations, he carried bombs and instigated other participants to attack government agencies to strike terror in the population at large.
The accused were “radicalised pro-Khalistan” youngsters who had formed a terrorist gang under the leadership of Bikramjit Singh.
The members of the terrorist gang carried out secessionist activities on the ground and on social media to instigate members of the Sikh community to agitate for the secession of Punjab from India. Further investigation is on.
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