3-member NIA team in Canada to probe funding routes of pro-Khalistan groups

New Delhi, Nov 6 (IANS) A three-member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrived in Canada on November 5 to probe the funding routes to Sikh for Justice (SFJ) and other Khalistan supporters there.

According to sources, an Inspector General level officer led team will investigate the sources of funding by various organisations abroad for the creation of Khalistan out of India by the banned outfits like SFJ and other terrorist organisations.

The probe team will investigate the connection of these anti-Indian outfits' funding links of terrorist organisations -- SFJ and other pro-Khalistani groups like Khalistan Zindabad Force, Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Tiger Force, who have become active in the recent past. Sikh For Justice is backed by Pakistan's intelligence wing the Inter State Services (ISI) which has been trying to revive militancy in India.

SFJ has been banned by the Indian government for involving in terror-related activities.

The central probe team would also investigate the Khalistani terrorist organisations funding source from different foreign countries including the US, the UK, Australia and Germany.

During the farmers agitation against the three farm laws in Delhi in January and February, it was reported that some NGOs like 'Khalsa Aid' and others were funded by these Sikh organisations and supported the agitation for long. Around 40 persons including a Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu and Khalistani sympathizer Baldev Singh Sirsa were summoned by the NIA for questioning in the 'Sikhs For Justice Referendum case.

Recently on November 1, the SFJ organised a referendum in London to carve out Khalistan in India, which badly failed to garner support of the Sikhs due to punitive actions taken by the Indian government.

The Indian authorities have cancelled the visas of 12 Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) status for their involvement in anti-India activities abroad. The US based SFJ deliberately tried to organise a referendum in London on November 1, 2021 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in the UK, attending a global summit on Climate Change in Glasgow.