“Given Arsh Dalla’s criminal record in India and his involvement in similar illegal activities in Canada, it is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

In view of the recent arrest of designated pro-Khalistan “terrorist” Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, by the Canadian police in Ontario, Indian agencies would be following up on an extradition request, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday (November 14, 2024).

“Given Arsh Dalla’s criminal record in India and his involvement in similar illegal activities in Canada, it is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Responding to a query on the issue through a statement, Mr. Jaiswal said: “We have seen media reports circulating since November 10 on the arrest in Canada of proclaimed offender Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Canadian print and visual media have widely reported on the arrest. We understand that the Ontario Court has listed the case for hearing.”

He said Arsh Dalla is a proclaimed offender in over 50 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and terrorist acts including terror financing. In May 2022, a Red Notice was issued against him. He was designated by the Union Home Ministry as an “individual terrorist” in January 2023. In July 2023, the Indian government had requested the Canadian counterpart for his provisional arrest, but it was declined. Additional information was provided in that case.

“A separate request was also sent to Canada under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to verify Arsh Dalla’s suspected residential address, his financial transactions to India, moveable/immovable properties, details of mobile numbers, etc. — all of which were provided to Canadian authorities in January 2023. In December 2023, the Department of Justice of Canada sought additional information on the case. A reply to these queries was sent in March this year,” said Mr. Jaiswal.

Arsh Dalla was a close aide of the then KTF chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was gunned down by unidentified assailants in the parking lot of a gurudwara in Canada’s Surrey on June 18, 2023. Subsequently, he took over as the outfit’s operations.

The accused also has links with banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and has been involved in smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from across Pakistan for other proscribed outfits like Babbar Khalsa International, Khalistan Liberation Force, and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing him in multiple cases and also arrested several of his aides in the recent past.