KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
24-Feb-2025
Canada-based gangster Goldy Brar issued an open death threat to Bollywood actor Salman Khan in a TV interview. He also admitted to orchestrating the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, claiming it was necessary to "teach him a lesson." Brar stated that targeting Salman Khan remains a priority for his gang due to past grievances involving the Bishnoi community.
24-Feb-2025
Police on February 24 arrested two members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Avtar Singh alias Labba Baba and Ravi Kumar, and seized three foreign-made pistols (an Austria-made 9 mm Glock pistol and China-made Px5 and Px3 pistols), 20 cartridges, and a cellphone from their possession in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Investigations revealed their direct links to Sachin Charewan, an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi.
24-Feb-2025
According to sources, Punjab Police have intensified security measures across Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts following a series of 12 grenade attacks on police stations and posts since December 20, 2024, claimed by Khalistani terror outfits Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). Security enhancements include corrugated metal sheets, barbed wire, armored tractors, barricaded approach roads, and heightened boundary walls. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav recently attributed the attacks to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), alleging an attempt to destabilize Punjab. Investigations have identified the masterminds, and efforts are underway to extradite those based abroad.
24-Feb-2025
On February 24, police revealed that a major network of agencies linked to Khalistani outfits, including the Khalistani terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), had been uncovered in Pilibhit district, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Operating in Puranpur, these agencies used fake documents to arrange visas for individuals traveling to Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). Investigations found that fraudsters ran these agencies, which were used by overseas operatives to transfer funds and facilitate illegal immigration. The network was also linked to financing militants and sharpshooters. Over 500 victims have come forward, leading to the registration of 55 First Information Reports (FIRs), 12 arrests, and the recovery of over INR 55 lakh.
23-Feb-2025
On February 23 in Amritsar, members of the Akal Takht panel overseeing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) overhaul met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, stating that the party was reluctant to cooperate with them on the membership drive. The meeting lasted an hour, during which they submitted a report on their three meetings held so far. The panel faced setbacks following the resignations of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami and member Kirpal Singh Badungar, though their resignations have not yet been accepted. The Jathedar assured them that the authority of the Akal Takht-constituted panel remains intact and that he would ensure the implementation of the December 2 edict.
23-Feb-2025
Batala Police on February 23 arrested Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Surjit Singh and his accomplice, Ankush Maini, for their involvement in an extortion racket operated by US-based gangster Gurdev Jassal, which targeted local businessmen and seized INR 82.23 lakh, a high-end SUV, and a .32 bore pistol from their possession in Batala, Gurdaspur district. Authorities stated that Surjit Singh had extorted over INR 2 crore before his arrest. A lookout circular has been issued for his two US-based sons, who are also allegedly linked to the racket.
23-Feb-2025
Police on February 23 arrested wanted criminal Maninder Singh Mohali, who was injured in an encounter during a weapon recovery operation, after he opened fire on officers, prompting retaliation, in Nadampur village, Sangrur district.
23-Feb-2025
Police on February 23 busted a heroin smuggling network operating along the international border (IB) and arrested Navdeep Singh alias Lovely, seizing 511 grams of heroin from his possession in Peer Ismail Khan village, Ferozepur district. His arrest followed the interrogation of Baljit Singh in Ludhiana, which linked him to a smuggling operation involving heroin drops by Pakistani drones. The Sriganganagar police had been investigating the case since June 15, 2024, after recovering 6 kg of heroin from fields near the IB. Navdeep has been remanded in police custody until February 27.
22-Feb-2025
Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Shashi Tharoor on February 22 criticized Canada for allowing elements within its borders to plan and execute violence in India, calling it "unforgivable" while speaking at the ABP Network's Ideas of India 2025 Summit in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He also condemned Canada’s failure to prosecute those responsible for the 1985 Air India Kanishka bombing, which killed 329 people, mostly of Indian origin. Tharoor further accused the Canadian government of protecting Khalistani extremists and denying visas to former Indian military and police personnel, calling it an "insulting stand."
22-Feb-2025
Police on February 22, in a crackdown against unorganised miscreants supplying drugs and narcotics to addicts visiting outpatient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres and civil hospitals, arrested 13 unidentified persons, in Malerkotla in Malerkotla district. The operation was conducted following concerns raised by social activists and chemists' associations. Investigations revealed the illegal supply of banned pregabalin 300 mg to addicts, while legally permitted pregabalin 75 mg was used to evade action.
22-Feb-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court is set to hear a petition on February 25 filed by radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, currently detained in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, under the National Security Act (NSA). Singh seeks permission to attend parliamentary sessions, arguing that his prolonged absence violates his constitutional rights and leaves nearly 19 lakh constituents unrepresented. He has also requested authorisation to meet officials regarding the Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) Scheme. The petition will be heard by Chief Justice Sheel Nago and Justice Sumeet Goel.
22-Feb-2025
Khalistani terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) on February 22 claimed responsibility for a grenade attack near the Border Security Force (BSF) campus at the Attari border in Punjab via a social media post. The claim, similar to previous ones by gangsters Happy Passia and Gopi Navashaharpuria, alleged the attack was in response to the imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur. However, both the BSF and Punjab Police dismissed the claim as fake, stating that no such incident had occurred.
22-Feb-2025
The appointment of Rajouri Garden Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Manjinder Singh Sirsa as a Cabinet Minister in Delhi is seen as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) move to consolidate Sikh support in Punjab. Punjab Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for not appointing a Sikh minister during its decade-long rule. While BJP leaders highlighted the party’s initiatives for Sikhs, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) dismissed claims that the move would have any significant impact in Punjab. Sirsa, who previously belonged to SAD, joined the BJP in 2021, leading to a shift in SAD’s leadership in Delhi. Organisational changes are expected in Punjab BJP following state president Sunil Jakhar’s resignation.
22-Feb-2025
Amritsar Police on February 22 recovered 2 kg of heroin concealed near a canal in Boparai Baj Singh village in Ajnala, Amritsar district, based on a disclosure statement by accused Harmandeep Singh, who was arrested on February 19. This seizure follows the earlier recovery of 13 kg of heroin, bringing the total to 15 kg. Police stated that investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other associates involved in the drug network.
21-Feb-2025
Punjab Police on February 21 arrested two key operatives of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with direct links to Pakistan-based BKI terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda and US-based Happy Passia, identified as Jagdish Singh alias Jagga and Shubhdeep Singh Aulakh alias Shubh alias Sunny and seized two .32 bore pistols and five rounds from their possession in Kharar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Authorities claimed that the duo was involved in the February 10 attack in Nanded, Maharashtra, and was planning targeted killings in Punjab. Further investigations are ongoing.
21-Feb-2025
Police on February 21 busted a trans-border drug cartel, arresting four traffickers identified as Gurjant, Jagjit Singh, Sahil Kumar, and Rinku, and seizing 5.06 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar district. Jagjit Singh, who had recently returned from Italy, was already wanted in a January 14 heroin seizure case. Police stated that the accused were in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers using drones to transport the contraband.
21-Feb-2025
Patiala Police busted a target-killing module linked to foreign-based gangster Goldy Dhillon, arresting two operatives, Malkit Singh alias Max and Sandeep Singh alias Deep, and seizing five pistols—three .32 calibre, one .30 calibre, and one .315 calibre country-made pistol—along with 15 cartridges, 1,300 intoxicating tablets, and an Activa scooter (PB 23 AA 0795) from their possession in Rajpura, Patiala district. The accused were allegedly tasked with carrying out target killings in Mohali and Rajpura under Dhillon’s orders.
21-Feb-2025
From February 24, forty-one Sikh devotees from Sarojininagar in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (UP), will embark on a special pilgrimage to Kartarpur Sahib, organized by Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Rajeshwar Singh. They will fly from Amausi Airport to Amritsar, offer prayers at the Golden Temple, and then cross the Wagah border to visit Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara. The devotees will return to Lucknow by air on February 26.
21-Feb-2025
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on February 21 in Amritsar decided not to accept the resignation of its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, and urged him to reconsider. Dhami had resigned on February 17, citing moral grounds, amid internal conflicts within the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) over the removal of Giani Harpreet Singh as Jathedar of Takht Damdama Sahib. SGPC Senior Vice-President Raghujit Singh Virk stated that a delegation would meet Dhami to persuade him to withdraw his resignation.
21-Feb-2025
On February 21, in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, the complainant’s counsel argued for the death penalty for former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar, calling the mass killings a “state-assisted massacre,” during a hearing at the Rose Avenue court in New Delhi. Senior Advocate HS Phoolka highlighted the systematic nature of the violence, citing the murder of 2,733 Sikhs in Delhi and 3,350 across India. Comparing the killings to other mass crimes, he stressed the need to strengthen legal provisions against genocide and argued that Kumar instigated armed mobs to target Sikh men for elimination.
20-Feb-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on February 20 in Chandigarh obtained production warrants for accused Rohan Masih and Vishal Masih in the Chandigarh Sector 10 grenade blast case. The Special NIA court granted the agency's request to interrogate them to identify an associate involved in reconnaissance before the attack. The NIA stated that the accused, linked to foreign-based Khalistani terrorists Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, were provided with weapons and funds for terror acts in Punjab and Chandigarh. The court ordered their production on February 25.
20-Feb-2025
According to sources, the Batala Police have approached the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) to issue a Red Corner Notice against U.S.-based gangster Happy Passia, allegedly responsible for multiple bomb blasts in Punjab. The move follows a grenade attack on the home of Punjab Police Constable Jatinder Singh, for which Passia claimed responsibility. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Suhail Qasim Mir confirmed that the request was made through the Bureau of Investigation and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Meanwhile, Gurdaspur Member of Parliament (MP) Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa criticised the delay in initiating the process.
20-Feb-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on February 20 filed a chargesheet against two aides of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist and gangster Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, identified as Anil Singh and Neeraj Pandit alias Neeraj, in Patiala House Court, New Delhi. The two were part of a terror-gangster syndicate funded by Dala and linked to the Bambiha gang. They were allegedly involved in the murder conspiracy of Jasveer Deeghot in Palwal, Haryana. Anil Singh was arrested on September 5, 2024, while Neeraj remains at large.
20-Feb-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on February 20 in New Delhi charge-sheeted two aides of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala in the terror-gangster syndicate case, identified as Neeraj Pandit alias Neeraj Faridpuria and Anil Singh. NIA's probe revealed their links with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and the Bambiha gang, as well as their role in the murder conspiracy of Jasveer Deeghot in Palwal, Haryana. While Anil was arrested in September 2024, Neeraj remains at large.
20-Feb-2025
Khalistani radical preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh recently moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, fearing disqualification due to his prolonged absence from Parliament. Detained under the National Security Act (NSA) since April 2023, he has missed 46 sittings. As per Article 101(4) of the Constitution, an MP’s seat may be declared vacant if they are absent for 60 consecutive sittings without permission. MPs can seek leave through the Committee on Members’ Absence, which has previously granted leave to jailed MPs.