New Delhi, 1st June 2023: The NIA Special Court, Chandigarh, on Wednesday declared accused Jaswinder Singh @ Multani a Proclaimed Offender (PO) in the Model Jail Tiffin Bomb case of April 2022.

Multani, a member of the banned ‘unlawful association’ Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is currently based in Germany and has non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him. The NIA Court had issued the NBW against him on 5th January 2023. NIA had also declared a reward of Rs 10 lakh and opened an LOC (Look Out Circular) against Jaswinder Singh @Multani.

Multani has been identified as the mastermind behind planting of the IED bomb outside the wall of Model Jail, Burail, Chandigarh with the intention of spreading terror and causing violence. The tiffin bomb, along with a detonator, was found in a black bag outside the Jail on 22nd April last year.

The case was originally registered against unknown persons by Chandigarh Police as FIR no. 33 under the Explosive Substances Act 1908. NIA had subsequently take over the case in May 2022, and re-registered it as in RC-22/2022/NIA/DLI with additional provisions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act-1967.

Investigations by NIA had revealed that Multani had masterminded the crime from Germany. He was in touch with pro-Khalistan operatives based in India, Pakistan and other countries, and was using them to promote violence and terror. He was identifying, recruiting, motivating and radicalising youth of Punjab through social media, as per the investigations. He was also sending/raising funds and coordinating the movement of arms & ammunition, as well as explosives from Pakistan into India.

Multani, hailing from village Mansoorpur, Tehsil Mukerian in District Hoshiarpur, Punjab, has been declared a Proclaimed Offender under section 82 of the Cr.P.C.