Canada haven for criminals, shows its own probe into Dalla shooting

Canada, which has accused India of being involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar without offering any proof, appears to stand on sticky ground with a new probe indicating its own failures in combating crimes.

The Canadian police that arrested Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist by India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) and a close aide of Nijjar, have now found that Dalla was shot at by his own aide. He earlier claimed that hitmen sent by his rival Lawrence Bishnoi had attacked him.

Dalla, 27, who has been leading the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) after Nijjar’s killing in June 2023, was arrested and charged in a case related to the shooting in Ontario on October 28.

More from World

Nepal's new PM pays homage to people died during the Gen Z protest in her first national address This Week in Explainers: How recovering from Gen-Z protests is a Himalayan task for Nepal

In the shooting incident, Dalla too was injured in the arm.

After the incident, Dalla claimed he had been fired upon by hitmen engaged by his rival Lawrence Bishnoi, but following the investigation by the Canadian cops, it was found that the bullet that wounded him was fired by his own aide.

Dalla cooked story of him being a victim of Bishnoi

According to a report by The Times of India, Dalla and his associate Gurjant Singh cooked a story of him being a victim of Bishnoi to mislead the cops, following which an investigation was initiated by the local police to look into his allegation.

Appearing to be unaware of Dalla’s antecedents, the local police soon found out the truth. They immediately requested for his three-day remand and carried out a search-and-seizure operation at his home. At the same time, the local cops alerted the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s federal police which seemingly is of India’s interest in Dalla because of his involvement in serious crimes.

Impact Shorts

More Shorts

‘The cries of this widow will echo’: In first public remarks, Erika Kirk warns Charlie’s killers they’ve ‘unleashed a fire’

Trump urges Nato to back sanctions on Russia, calls for 50–100% tariffs on China

During the searches, a cache of arms and ammunition, including a rifle, a shotgun, a pistol and two high-capacity magazines of 15 and 35 rounds were recovered from Dalla’s premises.

Dalla and his aide will be produced in a local court on Wednesday.

As per the complaint filed by the local police, Dalla and Singh reached Guelph Hospital around 4 am on October 28 in a Dodge Durango SUV. Around 4:15 am, the hospital informed the cops about a man with a gunshot wound.

The duo told the police that Dalla received the gunshot wound after an unknown vehicle drew up beside their SUV which they were driving in Guelph Line, north of Highway 401 in Milton, Region of Halton, and allegedly started firing shots into their vehicle.

Who is Arsh Dalla?

Dalla was designated as an individual terrorist by NIA in 2023.

Dalla is among the Khalistani terrorists listed out by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for whom India has made extradition requests to Canada.

He started off as a small-time gangster in Punjab’s Moga before fleeing to Canada in 2018 where he met with KTF chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar and began collaborating with him.

In a chargesheet filed in July 2023, NIA alleged that Dalla used his connections in Punjab to form a “terrorist gang”.

“He, along with Nijjar, raised funds through extortion and targeted killings of businessmen and leaders from specific communities in Punjab,” the chargesheet stated.

Also Read: Who is Arshdeep Dalla, Nijjar aide, detained in Canada? Why is he a wanted man in India?

He is also accused of involvement in terror financing and extortion in Punjab.

A look-out notice was also issued against Dalla by the Punjab police, with then Chief Minister Amarinder Singh handing over a list of Khalistani terrorists to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2018.

Meanwhile, a report in Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail described Dalla as a plumber in Surrey who frequented the Guru Nanak Darbar gurdwara, where Nijjar was the president.

Dalla’s network spans Canada, the US, Dubai, Europe, the Philippines, Thailand, and West Asia.

According to a report by India Today, Dalla’s operations are believed to be supported by Pakistan’s ISI.

He is also involved in smuggling weapons from Pakistan to Punjab with the help of drones. He has also carried out terror acts in collaboration with Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

As per reports, Dalla has also been actively using various social media platforms to recruit youth from Punjab and Haryana, luring them with promises of helping them settle abroad.

With reports from agencies.