Lakhbir Singh Rode

Lakhbir Singh Rode (c. 1952 – 1 December 2023) was an Indian Khalistani separatist and the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale.

Rode headed the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), which has branches in over a dozen countries in western Europe and Canada.[1] Rode was also affiliated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force. He is also known as Lakhbir Singh, Singh Lakhbir Rode, or Singh Lakhbir.[2] He was suspected to be living in Lahore, Pakistan.[3]

Biography

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Rode is said to have been one of the main organisers of a KZF/ISYF cell at Birganj on the India-Nepal border.[4]

In 1998, he was arrested at Teku, near Kathmandu, Nepal, with 20 kg of RDX explosives, and apparently confessed that the RDX was given to him by a councillor in the Pakistani Embassy in Kathmandu.[5]

In July 2007, the investigative weekly Tehelka reported that the militant Talwinder Singh Parmar, in a confession to the Punjab police days before his death on 15 October 1992,[6] had identified Rode as the mastermind behind the Air India 182 bombing on 23 June 1985. However, this has been disputed by Canadian investigators,[7] who say they had talked to Rode and that he is unlikely to be the mastermind behind the plot, now established to have been Talwinder Singh Parmar together with Inderjit Singh Reyat.

Until his death, Rode was sought for trial in India, being wanted for arms smuggling, conspiracy to attack government leaders in New Delhi, and spreading religious hatred in Punjab.[3]

Rode died of a heart attack in Pakistan on 1 December 2023, at the age of 71.[8][9]

References

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  1. ^ "Weekly Assessments & Briefings". South Asia Intelligence Review (SAIR), Volume 5, No. 50. 25 June 2007. Archived from the original on 26 October 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2007.
  2. ^ "Punjab Assessment - Year 2006". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Archived from the original on 26 September 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  3. ^ a b "US to freeze assets of Babbar Khalsa, Intl Sikh Youth Federation Anita Inder Singh Jun 28, 2002". The Indian Express. Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 March 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2011.
  4. ^ "Khalistan Zindabad Force: Objective, Organisation and Leadership". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Archived from the original on 20 August 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  5. ^ "The RDX Files". India Today. 1 February 2001. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
  6. ^ Vikram Jit Singh (4 August 2007). "Operation Silence". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2007.
  7. ^ Bolan, Kim (25 September 2007). "Confession had false details, inquiry told: RCMP 'fully' checked out alleged Parmar confession, inspector tells commissioner". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 22 October 2007.
  8. ^ Brar, Kamaldeep (5 December 2023). "Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh dies in Pakistan, says brother". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode dies in Pakistan". The Times of India. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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