NIA declares Rs 15 lakh reward for info leading to arrest of Canada-based Lakhbir Singh Sandhu
New Delhi, Feb 15: A cash reward of Rs 15 lakh was announced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias 'Landa', who is wanted in connection with terror cases in Punjab, officials said.
"A cash reward of Rs 15 lakh is announced for any information leading to arrest of Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias 'Landa'," the official spokesperson of the agency said, adding the identity of the informer will be kept secret.
A resident of Tarn Taran in Punjab, Sandhu, believed to be residing in Edmonton in Alberta in Canada, is an absconder and is wanted by security agencies in a case related to the grenade attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali in 2022.
The NIA registered the case in 2022 after it emerged that terrorist outfits and terror elements based abroad were operating in tandem with leaders and members of organised criminal gangs in northern states of the country to commit targeted killings and violent criminal acts.
"It had emerged that the terror-gangster-drug smuggler network was also engaged in smuggling terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition, explosives and IEDs across border through a widespread inter-state network of gunrunners, illegal arms and ammunition manufacturers and suppliers and explosive traffickers," the spokesperson said.
The NIA has succeeded in getting Canada-based Arsh Dalla designated as an "individual terrorist" by the Ministry of Home Affairs on January 9 in a separate case.
The NIA has registered a general case that relates to terror activities of chiefs and members of proscribed terrorist organisations such as Khalistan Liberation Force, Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation.
Their activities include smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosive and IEDs across international borders for use by operatives and members of terror outfits and organised criminal gangs for carrying out terrorist acts in Punjab.
NIA declares cash reward against the wanted accused in NIA Case No. RC-37/2022/NIA/DLI dated 20.08.2022 registered at NIA Police Station New Delhi under section 120B, 121, 121A of Indian Penal Code and Sections 17, 18, 18-B and 38 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 pic.twitter.com/t6XtCP4ZmP
— NIA India (@NIA_India) February 15, 2023
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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