KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
18-Feb-2025
The Counter Intelligence team of Amritsar Police, on February 18, arrested Harmandeep Singh and seized 10 kg of heroin from his possession in Mahal village in Amritsar district. Police stated that Singh was in contact with Pakistan-based smuggler Chacha Bawa, who sent heroin via drones in the Attari sector for distribution. Authorities are investigating whether Singh retrieved the contraband himself or received it from another source. A case has been registered with the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), and further investigations are ongoing.
18-Feb-2025
Additional Public Prosecutor Manish Rawat, in written sentencing arguments for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, urged the court to award the death penalty to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar, citing his prior conviction, the targeted killings, and the brutality of the crime. Kumar was convicted on February 12 for inciting the riots, leading to the murder of Jaswant Singh and his son in Delhi’s Saraswati Vihar. The prosecution argued that his actions amounted to genocide and referenced Supreme Court precedents to justify capital punishment. Sentencing arguments will be heard on February 21.
18-Feb-2025
The controversy over Giani Harpreet Singh’s excommunication underscores the growing political misuse of the Akal Takht. Once a unifying institution for Sikhs, it has increasingly been drawn into political struggles, especially post-Operation Bluestar. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) faces accusations of manipulating religious authority for political gains, with Singh’s removal seen as an attempt to tighten control. The resignation of SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami further highlights the ongoing clash between religious leadership and political influence.
18-Feb-2025
SGPC Chief Secretary Kulwant Singh announced a special executive committee meeting on February 21, following SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami’s resignation. While the agenda remains undisclosed, the meeting will be held at the SGPC office within the Golden Temple premises. Dhami also stepped down from the Akal Takht-constituted panel overseeing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) membership drive, which the party had rejected. Meanwhile, former Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and other Sikh leaders have urged SGPC to reject Dhami’s resignation.
18-Feb-2025
The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police, led by Commissioner Swapan Sharma, recently seized assets worth INR 34.36 lakh from drug smugglers Vijay Kumar and Anant Ram in Basti Sheikh, Jalandhar. The confiscated assets include Vijay Kumar’s house, valued at INR 33.83 lakh, and Anant Ram’s Honda Activa 5G (2018 model), worth INR 53,511. The police confirmed that both had accumulated wealth through drug smuggling.
18-Feb-2025
Radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking permission to attend parliamentary proceedings. Currently detained in Assam’s Dibrugarh Central Jail under the National Security Act (NSA), he claims his absence leaves his constituency unrepresented and risks his seat being declared vacant. He has also requested approval to meet officials regarding MPLADS funds. The court is expected to hear the case soon.
18-Feb-2025
Viresh Bansal, a Liberal Party candidate in the Ontario provincial election, apologized on February 18 for offensive social media posts from 2023, where he made controversial remarks about Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing and used a homophobic slur against PM Justin Trudeau. Bansal expressed regret, particularly to the Sikh and LGBTQ2S+ communities, acknowledging his remarks were hurtful. Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie condemned his comments, stating they do not reflect the party’s values. Despite calls for his candidature to be revoked, no decision has been announced yet.
17-Feb-2025
A blast occurred outside the house of police constable Jatinder Singh in Raimal village, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, on February 17. No casualties were reported. Singh, posted at Ramdass police station, was involved in anti-gangster operations against the Happy Passia group.
17-Feb-2025
The banned Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), through members Happy Passia and Shera Maan, on February 17 claimed responsibility for the blast outside police constable Jatinder Singh’s house in Raimal village, Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, citing alleged police harassment. No casualties were reported. The Punjab government has directed police stations to enhance security amid rising attacks, suspecting a nexus between terrorists and gangsters.
17-Feb-2025
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami resigned on February 17 on moral grounds following criticism over the removal of Giani Harpreet Singh as Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. The dismissal, based on misconduct allegations, was contested by Singh, who termed it a character assassination attempt. Dhami’s resignation has sparked further controversy, with Singh accusing Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders of undermining Panthic institutions for political gains.
17-Feb-2025
Indian national Mandeep Singh, among 116 illegal immigrants deported by the United States (US), on February 17 recounted his harrowing journey via the 'donkey' route outside Amritsar airport. Arrested on January 27 at the US-Mexico border, he described facing crocodiles, snakes, and starvation in Panama’s jungles. Singh, a Sikh, was also forced to trim his beard. He paid INR 60 lakh to agents, traveling through multiple countries before reaching Tijuana, Mexico. The US, under President Donald Trump, has intensified its crackdown on illegal immigration, deporting 332 Indians so far.
17-Feb-2025
The Delhi Police on February 17 informed the Supreme Court (SC) that it would file appeals in six cases related to acquittals in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. This decision followed the court's questioning of delays in challenging these acquittals. The petitions will be tagged with a 2016 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by former Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) member S. Gurlad Singh Kahlon. Senior advocate H.S. Phoolka emphasized lapses in investigations and prosecutions, calling for a fresh probe and disciplinary action against officials involved.
17-Feb-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on February 17 recovered two packets of heroin weighing 1 kg near the Lakha Singh Wala border outpost along the Indo-Pakistan border, in Ferozepur district.
16-Feb-2025
Sources indicate that India is likely to witness multiple high-profile extraditions of wanted criminals from the United States (US) in the coming months, based on a list shared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) with US officials. The list includes Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Goldy Brar—accused in Sidhu Moose Wala’s murder—and Anmol Bishnoi, currently detained in Iowa, US. Several others linked to Khalistani separatist activities, including Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, are also under scrutiny. Many of these criminals frequently move between the US and Canada, exploiting legal loopholes to evade law enforcement. However, growing India-US cooperation is expected to accelerate their extradition.
16-Feb-2025
Ludhiana Police on February 16 arrested Gurwinder Singh, who was deported from the United States (US), over pending non-bailable warrants in a 2021 snatching case in Meharban village, Ludhiana district. He was among the second batch of deportees who landed at Amritsar International Airport on February 15 and was detained for verification at Meharban police station.
16-Feb-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 16 recovered one packet of heroin weighing 550 grams, along with a drone, from fields near Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
16-Feb-2025
The Amritsar (Rural) police on February 16 arrested a man, identified as Satnam Singh and seized banned 3200 Pregabalin capsules from his possession in Jodhe village in Baba Bakala in Amritsar district.
16-Feb-2025
The Police on February 16 arrested four individuals, identified as Ahmad Pall Singh alias Palli, Satnam Singh alias Satta, Baljit Singh alias Laddi and Balwinder Singh alias Kala, and seized 80 grams of heroin, along with a stolen Maruti Zen car, from their possession, in Chandigarh.
16-Feb-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on February 16 arrested one unidentified drug smuggler and seized two packets of heroin weighing 1.56 kg, in Chak Bal village in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
16-Feb-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on February 16 arrested one unidentified drug smuggler and seized two packets heroin weighing 1.095 kg and a mobile phone, in Khalra village in Tarn Taran district.
16-Feb-2025
Wahabwala police on February 16 arrested a tea stall vendor, identified as Kundan Singh and seized 310 grams of poppy husk and INR 7,460 in drug money from his possession, in Khubban village in Fazilka district. The practice of selling poppy husk has reportedly spread from the Sadulshehar in Sri Ganganagar district in Rajasthan, to local tea stalls in Fazilka district.
16-Feb-2025
According to sources, amid two rounds of deportations of Indians living illegally in the US, Indian authorities are preparing to hand over a list of 10 gangsters, including Goldy Brar, Anmol Bishnoi, Dharam Kahlon, Gaurav Patial alias Lucky Patial, Amrit Baal, Harjot Singh Gill, Darmanjit Singh, and Randeep, to US security agencies. The move aims to target criminals hiding in the US and follows the US's decision to extradite 26/11 Mumbai terror accused Tahawur Rana. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) compiled the list under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), including criminal dossiers and extradition efforts.
15-Feb-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 15 recovered two packets of heroin weighing 1 kg from fields near Dona Rahmat Wala village in Ferozepur district.
15-Feb-2025
According to sources, at least 24 Sikh deportees were forced to remove their turbans by US authorities before being sent back to India on a military plane that landed on February 15 at Amritsar airport. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) condemned the act as an insult to Sikh religious sentiments and provided cloth to cover the deportees’ heads upon arrival. SGPC officials and Punjab’s NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal urged External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to raise the issue with his US counterpart.
15-Feb-2025
The anti-gangster task force (AGTF) of Punjab Police on February 15 arrested four associates of the Gurpreet Sekhon gang—Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Lovejeet Sharma alias Lavi, Vinod Kumar alias Skill Sharma, and Gagandeep Singh—and seized a .32 bore pistol, six cartridges, and a car from their possession in Dhanaula, Barnala district. The accused were involved in the murder of history-sheeter Overseer Singh alias Satinder Singh alias Satti in Bhai Rupa village, Bathinda district, on February 5. Gurpreet Singh and Vinod Kumar were arrested in Dhanaula, while Gagandeep Singh and Lovejeet Sharma were detained in Rampura Phul, Bathinda district.