KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Feb-2025
According to senior police officers, Punjab Police has identified 46 gangsters wanted for violent crimes and extortion, who are currently incarcerated in jails located in other states and are now working to bring them back to Punjab for investigation and to dismantle their criminal networks. Under the guidance of Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, district police chiefs have been tasked with creating dossiers to request their custody from courts in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Delhi. The goal is to investigate their involvement in Punjab-based cases and dismantle their networks.
03-Feb-2025
A Delhi court on February 3 exempted former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Vikash Yadav, accused by the United States (US) Department of Justice (DoJ) of "murder-for-hire" and money laundering in a plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, from personal appearance, citing a threat to his life. Yadav had previously sought a similar exemption in November 2024. Arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in December 2023 for alleged extortion and kidnapping, Yadav was granted regular bail in April 2024. The court will next hear the case on March 24, with the presence of the investigating officer requested.
02-Feb-2025
On February 2, two accomplices of gangster Jeevan Fauji, identified as Sarbjeet Singh and Sunil Masih, were injured in a police encounter during a weapons recovery operation, when the two suspects opened fire on the police after being led to a location near Shahpur Jajjan village in Gurdaspur district, where weapons were hidden. They were later referred to an Amritsar hospital, and their condition is reported to be stable.
02-Feb-2025
The Delhi Police Special Cell and Haryana Police, in a joint operation on February 2, arrested wanted gangster Joginder Geong at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport after his deportation from the Philippines. Geong had been residing in the Philippines while engaging in criminal activities and was detained in Bacolod City by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in July 2024. Philippine authorities described him as a key figure in an organised crime syndicate with suspected links to Khalistani separatists.
01-Feb-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on February 1 arrested two unidentified drug smugglers and seized a packet of heroin weighing 550 grams, which had been dropped by a Pakistani drone, near Chanduwadala village in Gurdaspur district.
31-Jan-2025
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on January 31 in New Delhi stated that the separatist and extremist threat from the United Kingdom (UK) is well known and should not be condoned or falsely equated. His remarks followed a leaked UK Home Office report, which listed "pro-Khalistan extremism" and "Hindu nationalist extremism" as threats to "understand." The report, authored by Andrew Gilligan and Dr. Paul Scott for Policy Exchange, marked the first mention of Hindu nationalist extremism in such a review. UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis clarified that the leaked document does not represent government policy.
31-Jan-2025
The banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, was upheld as an “unlawful association” by a Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal in its January 2024 verdict. The Indian government’s submission detailed SFJ’s threats to top leaders, incitement of violence, attempts to radicalize Indian Army soldiers, and efforts to provoke separatism among Christians in Manipur, Muslims, and Tamils. SFJ has also endangered diplomats and politicians by issuing threats and promoting anti-India activities globally. With 104 cases registered against it, SFJ recently threatened Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta for upholding the ban, calling his ruling “judicial tyranny.”
31-Jan-2025
According to a report, a Delhi court is set to deliver its verdict on February 7 in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots murder case against former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar. Special Judge Kaveri Baweja reserved the judgment after the prosecution concluded its arguments regarding the killings of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh in Saraswati Vihar on November 1, 1984. The case, initially registered at Punjabi Bagh police station, was later taken over by a special investigation team (SIT). The prosecution alleged that Kumar led a mob that looted, burned properties, and killed Sikhs in retaliation for Indira Gandhi’s assassination.
31-Jan-2025
The Police on January 31 arrested a policeman, identified as senior constable Tasbir Singh, for allegedly supplying heroin inside Bathinda jail and seized 15 grams of heroin from his possession in Bathinda district. The investigation is ongoing to identify his sources and the recipients of the drugs.
31-Jan-2025
The Police on January 31 arrested three individuals, identified as Viren Rai, Pankaj Puri, and Gurpreet Singh alias Raju, and seized 21 grams of heroin and a car from their possession in Chabbewal, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab.
31-Jan-2025
The Police on January 31 arrested a woman, identified as Reena, and seized a large quantity of banned pills from her possession in Tanda town, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab.
31-Jan-2025
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on January 31 held two former police officers, Parshotam Singh and Gurbhinder Singh, guilty in a 1992 fake encounter case involving two youths, including an Army sepoy, Baldev Singh, in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The court acquitted former Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chaman Lal and former Superintendent of Police (SP) SS Sidhu, giving them the benefit of doubt. The quantum of punishment for the convicted officers will be pronounced on February 4.
31-Jan-2025
Punjab Police, on January 31, arrested four unidentified operatives linked to United States (US) and Canada-based terrorists and gangsters following a brief encounter and seized four hand grenades and three pistols with bullets from their possession in Tarn Taran district. Two operatives were initially arrested in Tarn Taran, and based on information obtained during their interrogation, two more gang members were apprehended from Gurdaspur district.
30-Jan-2025
A Mohali court on January 30 acquitted two men, including an accomplice of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, identified as Gurpreet Singh and Harpuneet Singh alias Honey, in a case of pasting of posters regarding Khalistan referendum in Mohali in 2017, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The prosecution alleged that the posters, linked to the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), were printed at Gurpreet Singh’s press and could incite communal hostility. However, the court found no credible evidence, citing lack of CCTV footage, failure to verify electronic evidence, and unreliable sanctioning testimony, leading to the acquittal.
30-Jan-2025
The Police on January 30 busted a module linked to foreign-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and arrested four individuals identified as Robinjeet Singh alias Robin, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, Navjot Singh alias Nav and Jagdeep Singh alias Jagga, and seized two hand grenades, two sophisticated .30 bore pistols, ammunition and three magazines from their possession, near Thathian Mahantan village in Tarn Taran district. The accused were allegedly being operated by United States (US) based gangster Gurdev Singh alias Jaisal Chambhal and Canada-based Satbir alias Satta Naushehra. Further investigations are underway to establish backward and forward linkages in the case.
30-Jan-2025
Una Police on January 30 arrested two gangsters, identified as Rakesh Kaushal and Rajiv Kaushal, with possible links to Punjab-based criminals involved in making ransom calls to businessmen in Una district and seized 367 grams of opium and INR 2 lakh in drug money from their possession in Una, Himachal Pradesh (HP). According to officials, the two have been involved in ransom activities, illegal mining, and drug smuggling. Further investigations are ongoing, with police probing Rajiv Kaushal's potential links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
29-Jan-2025
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on January 29 issued a statement threatening to target Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta and raise the Khalistan flag at his Delhi residence after the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) tribunal upheld the government's five-year ban on SFJ. Pannun accused the judge of "judicial oppression" and warned of consequences for rulings against the Khalistan referendum. Following the threat, Delhi Police was put on high alert.
29-Jan-2025
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), in its note to a tribunal on January 29 in New Delhi, revealed that the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is allegedly inciting Christians in Manipur to secede from India. The note, part of the tribunal order upholding the five-year ban on SFJ under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, also highlighted the organisation’s operations from offices in New York and California in the United States (US).
29-Jan-2025
The Patiala House Court in New Delhi on January 29 granted bail to United Kingdom (UK) national Inderpal Singh Gaba, accused in the 2023 attack on the Indian High Commission in London, citing a lack of evidence linking him to the vandalism or secessionist activities. The court observed that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) failed to establish his involvement in organizing the protest or providing logistical support.
29-Jan-2025
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on January 29 issued a statement rejecting the report accusing India of interference in Canadian affairs. The MEA strongly dismissed the claims, accusing Canada of consistently interfering in India’s internal matters. The statement also highlighted Canada’s role in enabling illegal migration and organized criminal activities.
29-Jan-2025
The World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) on January 29 called for a full public inquiry into the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar and alleged transnational repression by India, following the Foreign Interference Commission’s final report. While the report found “no definitive link” between Nijjar’s murder and a ‘foreign state’, it accused India of targeting Sikhs in Canada through intimidation, surveillance, and disinformation. It also alleged Indian electoral interference and illicit financial support to politicians. WSO urged the Canadian government to take decisive action against India’s alleged activities.
29-Jan-2025
A tribunal of the Delhi High Court on January 29 upheld the extension of the five-year ban on the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, citing its subversive activities. The tribunal noted SFJ’s threats to Indian leaders, incitement of Sikh soldiers, and collusion with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
29-Jan-2025
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on January 29 informed a tribunal in New Delhi that the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) was spreading anti-India propaganda through protests and baseless legal cases against Indian dignitaries in Europe, Canada, and the United States (US). The UMHA highlighted SFJ’s threats, including a recorded voice note received on the landline of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s residence, warning Members of Parliament (MPs) about the Khalistan referendum. A total of 141 First Information Reports (FIRs)—96 by state/Union Territory (UT) police and 8 by the National Investigation Agency (NIA)—have been registered against SFJ.
29-Jan-2025
The police on January 29 arrested a member of the Jeevan Fauji gang, identified as Sunil Maseeh, near Inorbit Mall in Vadodara, Gujarat. Maseeh was wanted by Punjab Police in an attempt to murder case and under the Arms Act, with authorities stating that the gang is involved in multiple crimes in Punjab. The police confirmed that Maseeh will be handed over to Punjab Police for further investigation.
29-Jan-2025
The court of the Judicial Magistrate in Faridkot on January 29 acquitted gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in an extortion case due to a lack of evidence. The case involved a demand for INR 50 lakh from a textile businessman in Kotkapura via a WhatsApp call, allegedly made by Bishnoi’s associate Goldy Brar, who is absconding. The complainant failed to provide evidence to support the allegations. Bishnoi, who appeared in court via video conferencing, continues to face other charges, while Brar remains wanted in several criminal cases, including the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.