The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sent a three-member team to Canada on Friday to investigate the sources of funding for pro-Khalistan groups plotting to create unrest in India.

During its four-day visit, the team, led by an Inspector General-rank officer, would discuss with the Canadian authorities the findings of its probe against such groups, including Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).

It may be recalled that the NIA had in January summoned controversial pro-Khalistan organizations such as ‘Khalsa Aid’ and several persons including an alleged farmer leader and an actor having links to Khalistani networks to appear before them for questioning in connection with the ‘Sikhs For Justice Referendum’ case.

Sources say the investigative team is likely to press for the mutual legal assistance treaty to be signed so that information about anti-Indian activities can be shared faster. It is also believed that the probe agency has access to information about funding sources from the UK, the US, Australia, France, and Germany as well.

Earlier this year, when the farmers protesting the Central farm laws organised a march to Delhi on the Republic Day, the SFJ is learnt to have announced a $2.5 lakh (approx Rs 1.85 crore) reward for anyone hoisting a Khalistani flag atop the Red Fort. The SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannu had, in a purported video, tried to link the protests with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

According to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the government designated Pannu, KTF's Paramjit Singh Pamma, and Hardeep Singh Nijjar as "designated terrorists" in December last year, and the NIA registered an FIR against them.

“The SFJ and other Khalistani terrorist organisations, including but not limited to BKI, KTF and KZF, along with their frontal outfits are conspiring to create an atmosphere of fear and lawlessness and cause disaffection among people to incite them against the government of India,” the NIA mentioned in the FIR.

Moreover, massive amounts of money were being collected abroad in order to conduct anti-nation campaigns and propaganda against foreign missions in countries like the US, the UK, Canada, France, Germany and Australia.

The NIA had then filed a chargesheet against 10 Khalistani terrorists, including Pannu (a resident of New York), Pargat Singh, Sukhraj Singh, Bikramjit Singh, Manjeet Singh, Jatinder Singh, Gurwinder Singh, Harpreet Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Harmeet Singh.

Image source: Zee news