According to Punjab Police DGP VK Bhawra's disclosure, Harvinder Singh alias Rinda, the 35-year-old suspected of carrying out a terror attack at the Nawanshahr Crime Investigating Agency (CIA) building early on November 8, last year, is believed to be under the protection of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Rinda, who was wanted by the Chandigarh Police in at least four cases of murder, attempt to murder and under the Arms Act, had threatened to kill the Sector 11 police station Station House Officer while he was a student of Panjab University (PU). We explain how Rinda went on from being an active participant in student politics to running a Pakistan-based terror module. Who is Harvinder Singh alias Rinda Sandhu? Rinda is from district Tarantaran of Punjab. At the age of 11, Rinda shifted to Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra with his family. As per police records, Rinda had killed one of his relatives in Tarantaran at the age of 18 due to a family dispute. In Nanded Sahib, he started extorting money from local traders and killed at least two people. Two FIRs were registered against him at the Wazirabad and Vimantal police stations under charges of murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act etc. Two cases were registered in 2016 and in both of them, Rinda had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO). Why did he shift to Chandigarh and what did he do at PU? “His Punjabi family roots and the Maharashtra Police’s constant pressure forced Rinda to shift his base from Nanded Sahib to Punjab. For Rinda, Panjab University (PU) campus was safer than any other hideout. He had started participating in student politics while attending student protests in October 2016. He wanted to spread his terror and influence on student politics. In this process, he fired bullets at the leaders of the Student Organisation of India (SOI). At the same time, he hatched the conspiracy to eliminate the then SHO of Sector 11 police station, Inspector Narinder Patial, near Gate Number-2 of PU. The plan failed due to the heavy rush”, a Chandigarh police officer said. Inspector Narinder Patial refused to talk on the matter. What are the cases against Rinda in Chandigarh? Harvinder Singh Rinda along with Dilpreet Singh Baba and Harjinder Singh, alias Akash, Rinda's distant relative, has been involved in at least three cases of murder, extortion, attempt to murder and Arms Act in Chandigarh. After the firing incident at PU in 2016, Rinda went on to kill a village sarpanch from Hoshiarpur, Satnam Singh, outside a local gurudwara in Sector 38 in April 2017 along with two others. “Rinda and Dilpreet Singh Baba parted after the attack on the famous Punjabi singer, Parmish Verma, in Mohali in April 2018.” A dozen cases are pending against Rinda in Punjab. Rinda's close brush with the law in Bangalore In 2017, Punjab Police received a relevant tip-off about the presence of Rinda along with his wife Harpreet Kaur at a hotel in Bengaluru in Karnataka. Punjab police alerted their counterparts in Bengaluru. The area police raided the hotel but Rinda managed to escape after jumping from the room window. His wife was taken into police custody. She is still under the radar of police agencies. Newsletter | Click to get the day's best explainers in your inbox How did Rinda reach Pakistan? “As per our information, Harvinder Singh Rinda might have reached Pakistan through Nepal. He acquired an Indian passport using a fake identity. Rinda is in the protection of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in Pakistan. In all cases registered against Rinda in Chandigarh, he has been declared a proclaimed offender (PO). We will pursue his case through Interpol", a police officer said.
