India will seek the extradition of Khalistani terrorist and Hardeep Singh Nijjar aide Arsh Dalla, who was arrested earlier this week by the Canadian police in connection with “a recent alleged shooting in Ontario”.
India has been seeking action against him for years. A Red Corner Notice was issued against him in May 2022 and India declared him a terrorist last year.
“In view of the recent arrest, our agencies will be following up on an extradition request. Given Arsh Dalla’s criminal record in India and his involvement in similar illegal activities in Canada, it is expected that he will be extradited or deported to face justice in India,” external affairs ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said in response to queries on Dalla’s arrest by the Canadian authorities.
According to the Canadian media outlet CTV News, Dalla has been in custody since late October. He has been charged with “discharging firearm with intent”. As far as India is concerned, Arsh Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla of Moga in Punjab is a proclaimed offender and the de-facto chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF).
Nijjar — the Khalistani separatist whose murder last year tanked India-Canada ties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged an Indian government hand in his killing — used to head the KTF.
According to India, Dalla is a proclaimed offender in over 50 cases of murder, attempt to murder, extortion and terrorist acts including terror financing. In July 2023, India had requested the Canadian government for his provisional arrest. This, Jaiswal said, was declined.
“Additional information was provided in this case. A separate request was also sent to Canada under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) to verify Arsh Dalla’s suspected residential address, his financial transactions to India, moveable/immovable properties, details of mobile numbers, etc. — all of which were provided to Canadian authorities in January 2023. In December 2023, the Department of Justice of Canada sought additional information on the case. A reply to these queries was sent in March this year,” Jaiswal said.
Dalla has been living in Canada since 2018 and is wanted by the Punjab police in several narco-terror cases.
