Security agencies in Delhi have been placed on high alert ahead of the 77th Republic Day, with metro stations, markets and crowded public areas displaying
updated posters of high-profile ‘wanted’ terrorists as part of a heightened counter-terror preparedness drive.
Arsh Dala Tops ‘Most Wanted’ List Ahead of Republic Day
At the top of the list is Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, the chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force, whose inclusion reflects the gravity of the threat he is believed to pose. Intelligence agencies as per a report by Times Of India, say Dala now leads a powerful transnational terror-gangster syndicate operating across borders.
Dala rose from being a local gangster to becoming a key operative of the Khalistan Tiger Force and later assumed leadership of the outfit after Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in a local dispute in Canada in June 2023. Officials as per the TOI report say that he has since orchestrated a series of targeted attacks aimed at provoking communal unrest.
One of the most disturbing cases linked to his network was the 2022 murder of a Hindu man in Delhi. Investigators said the victim was chosen specifically because he had a Shiva-and-trident tattoo, marking the killing as a deliberate attempt to inflame tensions.
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Although Dala is currently believed to be based in Canada and was recently involved in a shootout there, Indian agencies are actively tracking his associates to ensure there is no disruption during national celebrations.
Pro-Khalistan Operatives Abroad Under Renewed Scanner
The posters also feature other senior pro-Khalistan figures operating from overseas, including Ranjeet Singh Neeta, the chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force, and Paramjeet Singh Pamma.
Neeta as per reports is accused of coordinating arms smuggling and facilitating cross-border militancy, while Pamma is believed to be involved in logistical and financial support for separatist activities. By placing them alongside Dala, the Delhi Police is signalling a firm stance against what officials describe as the ‘K-Terror’ threat that seeks to revive militancy through external funding and radicalisation.
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Jihadi Modules Flagged as Security Grid Tightens in Capital
Alongside pro-Khalistan operatives, the updated list also includes several suspected jihadi elements. These include Sharjeel Akhtar from Deepa Sarai in Sambhal, Mohammed Rehan of northeast Delhi’s Chauhan Bangar who is wanted in an IS-linked case, and Mohammed Abu Sufyan, associated with al Qaida.
According to intelligence inputs as quoted by TOI, Sufyan, a native of Jharkhand’s Chatra district, trained at a madrasa in Jamshedpur in 2012 before travelling to Pakistan and later Nepal. He returned to India in March 2015, where he allegedly met Maulana Abdul Rehman and began raising cadres for AQIS (al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent).
Sufyan has never been arrested, officials said. Intelligence agencies believe he is currently hiding in Afghanistan or Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and plays a key role in recruiting and training youths for sleeper cell operations in India.
