KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
07-May-2025
Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on May 7 strongly condemned the recent attack in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which resulted in civilian casualties, including three Sikhs, and significant damage to the Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha. Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives, the Jathedar called for sincere efforts from both nations to restore peace, emphasizing the devastating impact of war on humanity.
07-May-2025
On the intervening night of May 7–8, the Border Security Force (BSF) neutralized a Pakistani intruder attempting to cross into Indian territory along the International Border (IB) in the Ferozepur sector of Ferozepur district. The intruder, who was moving toward the security fence under the cover of darkness, was fired upon by BSF personnel. After daybreak, the body was handed over to the police. In response to escalating security concerns, both Punjab and Rajasthan have been placed on high alert, with stringent security measures in place.
07-May-2025
On May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking nine terrorist infrastructure sites, including camps linked to banned groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan shelled forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Union Home Secretary reviewed civil defence measures, while the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussed the situation in closed-door consultations.
07-May-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), claimed in a video statement on May 7 that Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army have begun rebelling against the Indian state. He alleged that Sikh troops raised the Pakistani flag at Dashmesh College and painted pro-Pakistan slogans on its walls in Zirakpur, Punjab. Pannun further claimed that the Indian government had confiscated the soldiers’ phones and threatened their families. He urged Sikh soldiers to side with Pakistan to establish Khalistan and march on Delhi.
07-May-2025
On May 7, four members of the local Sikh community—identified as ex-army man Amarjeet Singh, shopkeepers Amreek Singh and Ranjit Singh, and homemaker Ruby Kaur—were killed, and a gurdwara wall was damaged when Pakistan launched heavy shelling in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
07-May-2025
On May 7, the Kartarpur Corridor, the only open surface link between India and Pakistan, was closed following the launch of Operation Sindoor. Around 150 Indian Sikh pilgrims who had arrived to visit the Sri Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Narowal were asked to return after waiting for over an hour at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) announced the closure 'till further orders,' without specifying when it would reopen.
07-May-2025
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on May 7 announced that all border districts in Punjab had been placed on high alert, with public events cancelled, following missile strikes by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Arora praised the army’s actions under Operation Sindoor, emphasizing Punjab’s strong support for national security. He confirmed that the Punjab Police is fully prepared to support the Indian Army. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also postponed his anti-drug events in light of the rising tensions.
07-May-2025
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, speaking in Chandigarh on May 7, hailed the Indian defence forces’ precision strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He praised the forces for targeting only terrorist camps while avoiding civilian and military installations, underscoring India’s intent to prevent escalation. Amarinder condemned Pakistan’s response, which involved heavy shelling in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), resulting in civilian casualties.
07-May-2025
Counter-Intelligence (CI) unit of Ferozepur Police on May 7 dismantled a cross-border narco-smuggling network and arrested two smugglers, identified as Sandeep Singh and Judge Singh and seized 465 grams of heroin, two Chinese-made pistols (7.65mm) with four magazines, a pistol slide along with a motorcycle near Kotwal village in Ferozepur district.
07-May-2025
Police on May 7 arrested a smuggler, identified as Babbu Singh alias Babbu and seized 5 kg of heroin from his agricultural field in Bhakhra village in Ferozepur district.
07-May-2025
On May 7, as the Border Security Force (BSF) remained on high alert following recent military strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Punjab Police intensified security in border villages of Amritsar district. Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, accompanied by senior police officials, visited several villages near the Indo-Pakistan border and reassured residents that the situation was under control. Punjab Police officials emphasized their preparedness to prevent any disturbances, maintaining close surveillance on potential threats while ensuring law and order in the border areas.
06-May-2025
On May 6, a Special Task Force (STF) team was attacked while attempting to apprehend drug traffickers in Teona Pujariyan village in Bathinda district. The six suspects tried to break through the police cordon and assaulted the team with sticks and bricks. A case has been registered, and the police are currently searching for the suspects
06-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on May 6 arrested three unidentified smugglers and seized 25 grams of heroin along with one pistol, a magazine, four live rounds, INR 2,000 as drug money, four smart phones, a motorcycle and a tractor from their possession, in Awanbasu village in Amritsar district.
06-May-2025
The Supreme Court (SC) on May 6 issued a notice in appeals filed by the Delhi Police challenging the Delhi High Court’s acquittal of 14 accused in six cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Court directed the accused to respond by July 21 and ordered the production of trial court records. The appeals stem from a 2018 petition seeking implementation of the Dhingra Committee’s recommendations to address botched investigations.
06-May-2025
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, in coordination with a central intelligence agency, recovered two rocket-propelled grenades, two improvised explosive devices, five P-86 hand grenades, and a wireless communication set from a forested area near the Tibba Nangal–Kular road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district on May 6. Officials suspect the cache was part of a larger terror plot backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) aimed at destabilising the region, adding that preliminary investigations point to attempts to revive sleeper cells.
06-May-2025
Police on May 6 arrested an unidentified woman, a member of a drug peddling gang, and seized 110 grams of heroin near Hussainpura village in Ludhiana district.
06-May-2025
Police on May 6 shot dead an unidentified gangster and arrested two of his unidentified associates in Shekhchak village, Tarn Taran district. Preliminary reports suggest the trio had gone to extort money from a local family but were intercepted by the police. When the gangsters opened fire, the police retaliated, resulting in the death of one gangster and the arrest of the other two.
06-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint search operation with Punjab Police on May 6 arrested three unidentified smugglers and seized 25 grams of heroin along with one pistol, one magazine, four live rounds, INR 2000 in drug money, four smartphones, one motorcycle, one tractor from their possession, in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
05-May-2025
On May 5, Bhagwant Singh alias 'Pradhan Mantri Bajeke', a close aide of jailed Khalistani radical preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, cautioned the youth of Punjab against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia while speaking to the media in Bathinda district. Bajeke alleged that Majithia was misleading the youth about Amritpal Singh and suggested that Majithia should seek medical treatment, even offering financial assistance if needed.
05-May-2025
On May 5, India lodged a strong protest with the Canadian High Commission over a pro-Khalistan rally held in Toronto on May 4, which featured derogatory imagery of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar. The Indian government expressed deep concern over slogans promoting extremism and targeting Indian-origin Canadians. This was the first diplomatic communication since Mark Carney assumed office as Canada’s PM.
05-May-2025
Executive Chairman of the Maharashtra State Punjabi Sahitya Academy and Convenor of the Maharashtra Sikh Association Bal Malkit Singh, on May 5 strongly condemned Khalistani terrorist and the chief of banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikh For Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s recent anti-India remarks where he claimed that two crore Sikhs, including those serving in the Indian armed forces, would side with Pakistan in the event of a war between India and Pakistan, calling them baseless and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) driven. He asserted that the Sikh community firmly rejects such propaganda and stands united with India and Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. Singh emphasised that Sikhs are rooted in nationalism, sacrifice, and service, and will not be swayed by foreign agendas.
04-May-2025
According to sources, Punjab is witnessing a troubling rise in the involvement of women in drug trafficking and consumption, with over 400 women arrested since March 2025 under the state’s anti-drug campaign. Data indicates that women are increasingly being used as couriers, operatives, and even cartel leaders—often driven by poverty, addiction, or coercion. High-profile arrests and forensic investigations suggest systemic exploitation, while the lack of gender-specific rehabilitation services exacerbate the crisis. Authorities have pledged a decisive crackdown, setting a May 31 deadline to reduce narcotics on the streets.
04-May-2025
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson RP Singh on May 4 responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, asserting that if Gandhi truly meant what he said and was ready to take responsibility, he should expel Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath, and Sam Pitroda from the Congress party. Singh stressed that mere acknowledgment of past mistakes was insufficient, and only concrete actions—such as removing those linked to the riots—would demonstrate genuine repentance.
04-May-2025
On May 4, hundreds gathered in Phagwara, Kapurthala district, Punjab, to pay tribute to the great Sikh warrior and founder of the Kapurthala state, Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, on his 307th birth anniversary. The royal family, led by Brigadier (Retd) Sukhjit Singh Ahluwalia and his son Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh Ahluwalia, organised an Akhand Path, which was attended by people from all walks of life.
04-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 4 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 550 grams from fields near Mahawa village in Amritsar district.