An Indian-American Sikh, Balwinder Singh, was arrested from his home in Reno (Nevada) on Wednesday night for allegedly providing material support to terrorist groups in Punjab.
A truck driver, Balwinder Singh, alias Jhajj, alias Possi, alias Baljit Singh, was taken into custody by the FBI and the Terrorist Task Force.
Balwinder (39) is a former citizen of India. Balwinder fled to the United States in 1997 and claimed asylum. He eventually obtained a permanent resident card. The charges allege that he is a member of two terrorist organisations — the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).
The charges against Balwinder Singh include:
— Singh was a member of the terrorist groups Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Zinzabar Force, which advocate for an independent state for Sikhs in India near Pakistan.
— He conspired with these terrorist groups to commit murder, kidnapping and maiming.
— Singh sent money from the United States to India to support terrorism efforts. He allegedly began sending money from Reno beginning in 2009.
— In January 2012 he discussed ammunition with someone named Bugga and “asked him to tell the elders or higher authorities that the goods can be delivered wherever they need them.”
— Also in January 2012, Singh told an unidentified man to get big weapons and explosives from someone named Vadde “and that if Vadde wants him to do a job for him he could create chaos wherever he wanted.”
— In April 2012 Singh asked to have a gun and ammunition ready for him when he traveled to India so he could shoot someone he felt was a turncoat.
— In August 2012 he made arrangements to have a note containing a bullet sent to a lawyer as a threat.
Investigators were tracking his calls.
It is alleged that Singh travelled from the United States to Pakistan, India, and other countries to meet with co-conspirators to assist in the planning of terrorism in India, and that Singh provided advice to co-conspirators about how to carry out acts of terrorism.
The indictment noted that he had no plans to stage attacks in the US. He sent money and offered advice to members of the two radical Sikh groups. His objective was to boost BKI and KZF operations by raising money and obtaining weapons.
If convicted, Singh faces up to life in prison and fines of up to USD 250,000 on each count.
Kewal Sekhon, president of the Sikh Temple of Reno, said Sikhs as a whole are a peaceful people who oppose terrorism. There are about 200 Sikh families who are active in the temple, he said.
“We live in peace of mind. We don’t need any trouble,” Sekhon said.
He is aware of other Sikhs who support terrorism.
“There are some people in this country who do that, but we don’t have any connection with those people,” Sekhon said.