KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
06-Jan-2025
Shiromani Akali Dal Amritsar (SAD-A) President and former Sangrur MP Simranjit Singh Mann announced on January 6 in Amritsar that his party would support jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh's proposed political party if it endorses Khalistan. Mann reaffirmed SAD-A's longstanding advocacy for Khalistan and criticized parties that do not support the separatist cause.
06-Jan-2025
Senior police officials confirmed on January 6 that mobile data retrieved from a Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) militant killed in a December 23 encounter in Pilibhit has revealed the group’s movements in Uttar Pradesh's Terai region. The militants stayed in Bareilly for several hours before heading to Pilibhit, using encrypted apps to communicate with local contacts and overseas handlers. Forensic analysis of one operational phone mapped their route from Gurdaspur to Pilibhit. A team has been deployed to identify those who provided logistical support to the militants.
06-Jan-2025
Police on January 6 arrested two individuals, identified as Balbir Singh alias Bira and Ajay Verma and seized 2 kg of heroin along with INR 1.5 lakh of drug money from their possession, near Kadial village in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
06-Jan-2025
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on January 6, arrested one smuggler identified as Bittu and seized 525 grams of heroin along with two mobile phones from his possession near Malakpur village in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
06-Jan-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 6 recovered a broken drone from fields near Khanwal village in Ajnala in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 classic model.
06-Jan-2025
Radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh's father, Tarsem Singh, has urged people to attend the ‘Panthic’ gathering on the Maghi festival at Muktsar Sahib on January 14 and announced plans to launch a new political party. He criticized the current Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leadership for failing the Punjabi community and emphasized addressing Punjab’s issues within the constitutional framework. Tarsem Singh highlighted the need to prioritize youth leadership, health, and education. He also denied the authenticity of a letter allegedly written by Amritpal Singh condemning his mother’s statement against Khalistan.
06-Jan-2025
According to data from the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), Punjab's district courts are grappling with a significant backlog of 8,45,319 cases, with 62% of them pending for over a year. Of these, 4,71,803 are criminal cases involving life and liberty, while 3,73,516 are civil matters. The primary reasons for delays include the non-availability of counsel, stay orders, and witness-related issues. This backlog underscores the urgent need for judicial reforms to ensure timely justice delivery and reduce prolonged adjournments.
06-Jan-2025
Sources reveal that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government plans to launch a comprehensive anti-drug policy in Punjab within 2-3 months. The policy will focus on prevention, enforcement, de-addiction, and rehabilitation, with a special emphasis on rising drug use among teenagers and women. Plans include revising school and college curricula and setting up two additional de-addiction clinics for women. Drawing inspiration from Manipur's State Policy on Substance Use, the initiative will explore community-based and home detoxification methods for effective intervention.
05-Jan-2025
The Punjab Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF), in coordination with the Tarn Taran police, on January 5 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 562 grams and a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone near Dal village in Patti, Tarn Taran district.
05-Jan-2025
The Punjab Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Tarn Taran police, on January 5 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 632 grams near Dal village in Patti, Tarn Taran district.
05-Jan-2025
According to officials, a Pakistani drone found near Chak 9-F village in Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan, on December 2 had made three sorties into Indian territory before crashing due to a technical fault. The Border Security Force (BSF) registered a case under the Indian Aircraft Act and has since intensified security and patrolling along the Pakistan-India border, particularly in the Jalalabad area of Fazilka district, Punjab, to counter anti-national activities and drug smuggling.
05-Jan-2025
The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G), VK Saxena, approved full relaxation of age limits and educational qualifications on January 5 for 88 riot victims and their families seeking government jobs as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) in New Delhi. This decision, made after appeals from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and victims' groups, aims to support rehabilitation efforts. Special camps held in November 2023 identified eligible applicants, many of whom faced barriers due to age or qualifications. The relaxation is in line with a 2006 rehabilitation package sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to assist riot victims.
05-Jan-2025
Khalistani terrorist and the chief of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a fresh threat on January 5 via video message to disrupt the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, scheduled from January 13 to February 26. Pannun called for "Prayagraj Chalo" to oppose Hindutva ideology and urged supporters to raise Khalistani and Kashmiri flags at airports in Lucknow and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
04-Jan-2025
Border Security Forces (BSF) and Punjab Police in a joint operation on January 4 arrested two unidentified smugglers and seized a packet of heroin weighing 540 grams from their possession, near Attari village in Amritsar district.
04-Jan-2025
On January 4, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation, recovered four packets of heroin weighing 2.12 kg, along with a box containing 40 live cartridges, near Balharwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
04-Jan-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 4 requested the Additional District and Sessions Judge to transfer the case records of the 2022 murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh Kataria from the Faridkot court to the NIA Special Court at Patiala House, New Delhi. Pardeep, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was killed in Kotkapura, with Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar named as suspects. The NIA cited orders from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) linking the killing to the Kala Jathedi gang and associates of Bishnoi and Brar. The agency also sought custody of the original case exhibits and evidence.
04-Jan-2025
Months after announcing plans to launch a new political party, radical Khalistan preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, along with Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, son of one of Indira Gandhi’s assassins, are set to establish a committee to outline the structure of their Punjab-based outfit. An official announcement is planned at the 'Panth Bachao, Punjab Bachao' (Save the Panth, Save Punjab) rally on January 14, during the Maghi Mela festival at Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. With Amritpal detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, his father Tarsem Singh and Khalsa will lead the rally and initiate groundwork for the new political initiative aimed at addressing Punjab’s socio-political challenges.
03-Jan-2025
Radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, currently in police custody, has announced plans to form a political party on January 14, 2025. He has vowed to establish Khalistan within a year if his party gains power in Punjab, igniting widespread debate. While his supporters hail him as an advocate for Sikh rights, critics denounce his promises as divisive and unrealistic. Political leaders and the Indian government have strongly opposed his agenda, citing security concerns and the risk of polarisation in the state.
03-Jan-2025
Supporters of jailed radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh plan to launch a political party on January 14 during the Maghi Mela in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, with "Akali Dal" included in its name. Observers view this as an attempt to challenge the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) dominance in Panthic politics. Former MP Rajdev Singh Khalsa has hinted that Amritpal will likely lead the party, despite being incarcerated. Critics warn that this move could further polarise Punjab, already strained by farmer protests and recent blasts. Meanwhile, the SAD is also hosting a Maghi Mela conference to reclaim its lost Sikh voter base.
03-Jan-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), issued a video on January 3 threatening to disrupt the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event scheduled to begin on January 8 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the video, Pannun labelled the city a "terror city" and accused Indian officials, including Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, of heading a "Hindu terror network." He also called on pro-Khalistan activists to sabotage India's efforts to rebuild its intelligence network.
03-Jan-2025
A Pilibhit court on January 3 granted police three-day custody of Jaspal, an alleged accomplice of three Khalistani terrorists killed in a recent encounter in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Police intend to gather information about the terrorists’ mission and their network during the interrogation. The investigation focuses on Siddhu, a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative suspected of guiding the terrorists from abroad. Security measures have been tightened for the questioning.
03-Jan-2025
On January 3, 2025, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Tribunal upheld the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' (UMHA) July 8, 2024, notification declaring Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as an unlawful organization for five years, in New Delhi. The Centre presented evidence of SFJ’s involvement in terror activities, including links with international Khalistani groups, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. The tribunal also considered SFJ’s recruitment of youth, terror financing, and attempts to disrupt critical infrastructure and national events. SFJ did not contest the charges.
03-Jan-2025
Police on January 3 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Ajaypal Singh and Gurjinder Singh and seized 3.2 kg of heroin from their possession, at a checkpoint near Malwal Qadeem village in Ferozepur district.
03-Jan-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on January 3 busted a cross-border drug and weapon smuggling cartel, arresting 12 individuals, including kingpin Manjeet Singh alias Bhola, and seizing 2.19 kg of heroin, three pistols (two automatic), INR 2.60 lakh in drug money, and a Toyota Fortuner, in Jhanjoti village, Ajnala, Amritsar district.
03-Jan-2025
Between January 3 and 10, the Kapurthala police successfully dismantled multiple theft rackets, arresting 11 individuals and seizing several stolen and illegal items, including a .32 bore pistol, a sharp-edged weapon (datar), two fake pistols, 13 motorcycles, and 11 mobile phones in Kapurthala district.