Designated terrorist Arsh Dalla arrested by Canadian police after shooting incident: Report

New Delhi: Khalistani extremist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, who was designated a terrorist by India, is likely to have been arrested in Canada's Ontario province following a shooting incident, sources claimed here on Sunday.

The incident is suspected to have occurred on October 28 in Milton.

The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) had on October 29 said that it had arrested two men on charges of "discharging firearm with intent" following an investigation after the duo had come to a hospital and one of them was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot and later discharged.

It did not disclose their identity and said both accused "were held in custody pending a bail hearing".

The sources claimed that one of those arrested is believed to be Canada-based gangster Arsh Dalla, who is associated with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and ran terror modules on behalf of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a designated terrorist who was killed in June last year.

"The HRPS was contacted by Guelph Police in the early morning hours of October 28, 2024, after two males attended a hospital in Guelph. One of the males was treated and released for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound apparently suffered in Halton region. The other was not injured.

"The HRPS Major Crime Bureau is now investigating and both males have been arrested. A 25-year-old male of Halton Hills and a 28-year-old male of Surrey BC have both been charged with Discharging Firearm with Intent," a Halton police statement said, adding they were actively investigating the incident.

Earlier on Sunday, Punjab Police announced the arrest of two shooters of Arsh Dalla's gang, who were allegedly involved in the murder of a Sikh activist last month, from Kharar in Mohali.

Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said the arrest came in a joint operation of the state special operation cell, the Anti-Gangster Task Force and Faridkot Police.

The two were identified as Anmolpreet Singh alias Vishal, a resident of Bhadorh in Barnala and Navjot Singh alias Neetu, a resident of Nijjar Road in Kharar.

The state police said preliminary investigations revealed that Arsh Dalla tasked Navjot to target Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau, who runs a YouTube channel under the name of "Hari Nau Talks".

Arsh Dalla, who has been accused of involvement in targeted killings, terror financing and extortion in Punjab, was in January last year designated a terrorist by the Indian government.

The Union Home Ministry had said in a notification that he was involved in the cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons on a large scale.

He is an accused in various cases registered and investigated by the National Investigation Agency, including targeted killing, extorting money for terror funding, attempt to murder, disturbing communal harmony and creating terror among the people in Punjab.

The central government believes that Gill is involved in terrorism and hence designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by exercising the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Act, the notification had said.