SOURCE: AFI
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has confirmed that, Sandeep Singh Sidhu, one of its employees. Sandeep Singh Sidhu is wanted for promoting terrorist activities in Punjab and is accused in the high-profile assassination of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee. Sandhu was gunned down outside his home in Bhikhiwind, Punjab, in October 2020. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India, which took over the case in 2021, has linked Sidhu to the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), implicating him in a larger conspiracy behind the murder.
Sidhu, 43, who currently resides in Abbotsford, British Columbia, works as a superintendent for the CBSA, Canada’s border enforcement and immigration agency. Despite his high-profile role, Sidhu is accused of harboring connections with several terrorist outfits, including Pakistan-based Khalistani operatives. According to an NIA dossier submitted to the Supreme Court of India, Sidhu is accused of promoting separatist activities in Punjab, raising serious concerns about his involvement in global terror networks while working for a key Canadian law enforcement agency.
The NIA also accuses Sidhu of being involved with the Pakistan-based Lakhbir Singh Rode, the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a notorious proponent of Sikh separatism in India. Rode is a designated terrorist under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and is believed to be instrumental in fueling the Khalistan separatist movement from abroad.
Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, was murdered in 2020 outside his home in Punjab’s Tarn Taran district. Sandhu had gained prominence for his staunch anti-terrorism stance during the Punjab insurgency in the 1980s and was honored by the Indian government for his bravery in fighting terrorism. He, along with his family, faced multiple assassination attempts due to their refusal to back down from their stand against Sikh extremism.
The NIA’s investigation into Sandhu’s murder pointed to a coordinated effort by operatives of the banned KLF, with Sidhu allegedly playing a key role in masterminding the plot. The agency asserts that Sidhu’s involvement in the conspiracy further deepens the links between Khalistani separatist movements in Punjab and operatives in Canada, particularly British Columbia, which has become a hub for pro-Khalistan activities in recent years.
According to Indian investigative agencies, Sidhu is also linked to the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), an organization banned in India, Australia, Japan, the United States, and Canada. The ISYF has long been associated with the Khalistan movement, which seeks to create an independent Sikh state carved out of India. The NIA dossier also indicates that Sidhu has ties to Gurjot Kaur, another Sikh separatist figure who is believed to be deeply involved in promoting the Khalistan cause globally.