Who Was Lakhbir Singh Rode, Pak-Based Khalistani Terrorist Wanted In India

Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode has died of a heart attack in Pakistan, said intelligence sources. He was 72. Lakhbir Singh Rode, an accused in the 1985 bombing of Air India jet Kanishka, was listed as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. 

Bhindranwale Connect And Life In India

Lakhbir Singh Rode was the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who was killed during 1984 Operation Blue Star at Amritsar's Golden Temple.

He was from Rode village in Moga district of Punjab. Lakhbir Singh initially moved to Dubai after the death of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and later relocated to Pakistan. His family stays in Canada.

Designated Terrorist

Lakhbir Singh Rode was the self-styled head of the banned outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). Sources say Rode worked with Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI closely to carry out terror activities in India.

While, the UK banned Lakhbir Singh Rode's ISYF in 2001, the US banned it a year later. Following the ban in the UK, the group changed its name to Sikh Federation-UK (SFU).

NIA Action

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Punjab's Mohali had ordered the confiscation of land belonging to the designated terrorist in Moga earlier this year.

The NIA had charged him with smuggling drugs and explosives to India from Pakistan for triggering blasts across Punjab. He is also believed to have been involved in plots to assassinate prominent personalities in the state.

A case was also registered against him for masterminding a tiffin blast in Punjab's Fazilka in 2021.