3 Khalistan terrorists killed in UP linked to Khalistan Zindabad Force formed by J&K native living in Pakistan
By Deepu Mohan | First Published Dec 24, 2024, 2:20 PM ISTThree pro-Khalistan terrorists killed in UP were linked to Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), founded by Ranjeet Singh in 1993, aiming to establish a sovereign Khalistan state through radicalization and violence.
New Delhi: The three pro-Khalistan terrorists recently killed in UP were linked to Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), a radical Sikh outfit founded in 1993 by Ranjeet Singh, also known as Neeta, with the ultimate goal of establishing a sovereign Khalistan state. Neeta, originally from Simbal camp in Jammu, has been based in Pakistan for some time now.
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The KZF primarily draws its members from radicalized Sikhs in the Jammu region. Former J&K DGP S P Vaid revealed that Neeta developed strong ties with Pakistan's ISI in the 1980s, during the peak of Punjab militancy. Neeta would recruit and brainwash members of the Sikh population in the Jammu region, particularly from the Simbal camp and R S Pora, into taking up violent extremism.
The KZF's modus operandi has evolved over the years. In the 1990s, they targeted buses and trains traveling to Jammu, Punjab, or Delhi. Later, they shifted their focus to targeted killings of religious leaders in Punjab and abroad. Notable attacks include bomb explosions in two buses at Pathankot in April and June 1997, a bomb explosion on the Shalimar Express train in June 1998, and the killing of DSP Devinder Sharma in Kathua, J&K, in October 2001.
The KZF has an international presence, with associates in countries like the UK, US, Canada, and others. They use social media to radicalize Sikh youth and propagate the Khalistan ideology. Neeta has been declared an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and has been subject to an Interpol Red Corner Notice since 2000.
According to a gazette notification, Neeta is accused of aiding, abetting, heading, organizing and funding terrorism and transporting weapons and ammunition with narcotics to India. The KZF founder, who is accused of killing DSP Devinder Sharma in J&K in 2001, is one of the 20 terrorists India wants Pakistan to deport.
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