Unveiling the Identity of Lakhbir Singh Rode: India’s Most-Wanted Khalistani Terrorist with Pakistani Connections

Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, who was wanted in India, has passed away in Pakistan at the age of 72 due to a heart attack, according to intelligence sources. Rode was listed as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for his involvement in the 1985 bombing of Air India jet Kanishka.

Rode, who was the nephew of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a prominent figure in the Khalistani movement who was killed during the 1984 Operation Blue Star at Amritsar’s Golden Temple, hailed from Rode village in Moga district of Punjab. Following Bhindranwale’s death, Rode initially moved to Dubai and later settled in Pakistan, while his family resides in Canada.

Lakhbir Singh Rode held the position of self-styled head of the banned outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). Intelligence sources reveal that Rode collaborated closely with Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, to carry out terrorist activities in India. The ISYF was banned in the UK in 2001 and later changed its name to Sikh Federation-UK (SFU). The US also banned the group a year later.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had charged Rode with smuggling drugs and explosives from Pakistan into India to orchestrate blasts in Punjab. He was also believed to be involved in plots to assassinate prominent individuals in the state. Additionally, a case was registered against him for masterminding a tiffin blast in Punjab’s Fazilka in 2021.