KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
16-Dec-2024
On December 16, Basant Singh, a key associate of Khalistani preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh, was returned to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after brief parole to attend a family member's last rites in Punjab. Basant, the first among 10 WPD detainees granted parole, was escorted back under strict surveillance. Pro-Khalistan leaders, including Amritpal Singh, remain detained under the National Security Act (NSA).
16-Dec-2024
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while chairing a Tourism Department review meeting in Chandigarh, on December 16, announced events to commemorate the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur and develop related sites. He approved the ‘Rangla Punjab’ festival in February to boost tourism, employment, and Punjab’s cultural heritage. Mann also proposed heritage festivals and ultra-modern convention centres in major cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, and New Chandigarh.
16-Dec-2024
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on December 16 via a video message, threatened to target MahaKumbh 2025 and challenge 'Modi’s Hindutva ideology' in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Pannun also offered a USD 25,000 bounty for targeting the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and urged Canada to take action against Hindu organisations.
16-Dec-2024
The Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with the Mohali police on December 16 arrested four operatives of Canada-based terrorist Arsh Dala, identified as Gagandeep Singh, Navjot Singh alias Nishu, Lakhwinder Singh and Vipanpreet Singh, and seized three .32 calibre pistols and 16 cartridges from their possession, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
15-Dec-2024
On December 15, Sukhjit Singh, a 26-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-backed sarpanch of Chhana Gulab Singh village, was killed after being attacked with sharp weapons by villagers allegedly supporting drug peddlers in Barnala district. Sukhjit had been vocal against drug abuse and had refused to support the peddlers.
15-Dec-2024
Mahorana Police on December 15 arrested a Nigerian national, identified as Godwin Samuel and seized 505 grams of heroin from his possession, at a naka (checkpoint) near Mahorana village in Malerkotla in Sangrur district. Samuel was residing in New Delhi under the guise of a student, and Police revealed his involvement in a similar case earlier in Roop Nagar district in Punjab.
15-Dec-2024
Amritsar Rural Police on December 15 busted a trans-border drug trafficking module, arresting eight individuals and seizing 4.5 kg of heroin, six weapons—including two Glock pistols and a .30 bore Zigana pistol—14 live 9 mm bullets among 16 rounds, INR 1.5 lakh in drug money, a car, a bike, three weighing machines, and 10 mobile phones from the Kabir Park area in Amritsar district. Police revealed that the module was actively involved in retrieving drugs and weapons smuggled across the International Border using drones. Jagroop Singh, one of the arrested, is a known associate of Pavitar Chaura, a gangster operating from abroad, who is closely linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member Lakhbir Singh Landa.
15-Dec-2024
The Abohar police on December 15 arrested two individuals, identified as Amarjeet Singh and Raj Singh and seized 435 grams of heroin from their possession, near Dhani Kadaka Singh village in Abohar in Fazilka district.
15-Dec-2024
Punjab Police on December 15 busted an inter-state gun-running racket, arresting two individuals identified as Satnam Singh alias Prince and Manjit Singh, and seizing 10 country-made pistols, 20 magazines, and ammunition in Amritsar district. The accused were linked to U.S.-based handler Sunny Masih, who directed them to procure illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand for supply to Punjab-based gangsters.
14-Dec-2024
Police on December 14 arrested three individuals associated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), identified as Yugpreet Singh alias Yuvi, Jaskaran Singh alias Shah, and Harjot Singh alias Jot, and seized two weapons—a country-made pistol and a revolver—along with six live cartridges from their possession in Nawanshahr, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district. Police revealed that the group had received INR 4.5 lakh in funding over six months from KZF handlers in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany to target police establishments and minority leaders. The arrests were made in connection with the December 2 grenade attack on Police Post Asron.
14-Dec-2024
On December 14, the police remand of ex-militant Narain Singh Chaura, accused of attempting to assassinate former Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, was extended by two days in Amritsar, Punjab. Authorities cited the need to analyze complete CCTV footage from the Golden Temple to identify accomplices, including Dharam Singh, who remains absconding. Investigations are ongoing.
13-Dec-2024
Dal Khalsa senior leader Paramjit Singh Mand, speaking in Amritsar on December 13, announced a gathering of Sikh organizations and leaders at the main gate of Sri Darbar Sahib on December 18 to oppose the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee's (SGPC) proposal to excommunicate former militant Narain Singh Chaura. Mand criticized the SGPC's move as divisive and influenced by the Shiromani Akali Dal leadership, calling for unity among Sikhs to counter such tactics.
13-Dec-2024
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking in New Delhi on December 13, dismissed Canadian media reports alleging that Indian visas were being used as tools of repression, describing them as “disinformation” and “akin to foreign interference.” Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s sovereign right to deny visas to individuals undermining its territorial integrity and advised Indian students in Canada to exercise vigilance in light of the deteriorating security environment.
13-Dec-2024
Punjab Police on December 13 dismantled a Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed terror module operated by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), arresting two operatives, Jashandeep Singh alias Danny and a juvenile and seizing two Chinese-made P86 hand grenades, a Turkey-made 9MM Zigana pistol with ammunition, and a motorcycle in Amritsar district.
13-Dec-2024
Damdami Taksal spokespersons in Amritsar recently issued a stern warning against individuals using foul language or spreading propaganda against their head, Baba Harnam Singh Dhumma, following his support for the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the Maharashtra assembly elections. They specifically named critics, including Amrik Singh Ajnala, cautioning them of “dire consequences” if their opposition persisted, and also warned journalists criticizing Dhumma of serious repercussions.
13-Dec-2024
Akal Takht in Amritsar, on December 13, accepted Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal's 10-day tankha (religious punishment), absolving him of the tag of tankhaiya (guilty of religious misconduct). Sukhbir atoned for his past actions by performing voluntary service at gurdwaras, including the Golden Temple, while SAD leaders repaid INR 90 lakh spent on controversial advertisements justifying a 2015 pardon granted to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
13-Dec-2024
On December 13, a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) was hurled into the compound of the Ghanian-Ke-Bangar police station in Batala, Gurdaspur district, Punjab, marking the third such incident in the border region in recent weeks. The Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) claimed responsibility and warned of further attacks on police check-posts.
12-Dec-2024
According to senior police sources, semi-automatic weapons, including Glock pistols, are being supplied to youths by terrorists and gangsters to intimidate witnesses and extort money. Recent operations in Faridkot and Moga resulted in the seizure of three Glock pistols, 48 cartridges, and the arrest of individuals involved in these crimes. Investigations have uncovered links to transnational criminal networks and local gangs.
12-Dec-2024
Dhian Singh Mand, the Sarbat Khalsa-appointed acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, on December 12 announced that the title of 'Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum' will be conferred upon Narain Singh Chaura upon his release. Chaura, who attempted to assassinate Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, was praised by Mand as embodying panthic resentment towards the SAD. Mand accused the party of engaging in anti-panthic activities and failing to meet public aspirations during its tenure.
12-Dec-2024
On December 12, the rebel faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal Sudhar Lehar (SAD-SL) dissolved the group and met Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, pledging to work towards strengthening the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD). They expressed gratitude for the Akal Takht's directive and committed to adhering to its decisions to promote Panthic unity. A seven-member committee, led by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, has been formed to oversee member induction, delegate elections, and leadership appointments within six months.
11-Dec-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 11 conducted raids at multiple locations across Punjab and Haryana as part of its investigation into the gangster-terrorist nexus involving the proscribed Khalistan Terrorist Force (KTF) and Canada-based Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dala. The raids were carried out in six districts of Punjab—Bathinda, Muktsar Sahib, Moga, Ferozepur, Sangrur, and Mansa—as well as in Sirsa, Haryana. Several incriminating materials, including mobile phones, digital devices, and documents, were recovered during the operation.
11-Dec-2024
According to police sources, the role of the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) has surfaced in the crude bomb attack on a Gurugram bar in Sector 29 on December 10. The attack is linked to Sachin Taliyan, an associate of designated terrorist Goldy Brar. Allegedly orchestrated as a fear tactic for extortion and asserting dominance by Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang, the incident follows similar attacks on nightclubs in the region. Taliyan is currently in police remand for further investigation.
11-Dec-2024
An Amritsar court on December 11 extended the police remand of Narain Singh Chaura, accused of attempting to assassinate former Deputy Chief Minister (DCM) Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple on December 4, by three days. Authorities are analyzing CCTV footage of Chaura’s movements, tracing his activities near the border, and pursuing his associate Dharam Singh while also questioning another suspect, Jasbir Jassa.
10-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on December 10 arrested two unidentified smugglers, and seized INR 37000 in drug money, two mobile phones and two small weighing machines from their possession, near Jasror village in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
10-Dec-2024
On December 10, a low-intensity explosion occurred outside two nightclubs in Gurugram’s Sector 29, believed to have been orchestrated by Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar’s gang. Police subsequently arrested an individual identified as Sachin at the scene while he was hurling a bomb, and recovered a country-made weapon and two crude bombs from his possession. According to the police, no casualties were reported, and the attack followed extortion threats to club operators, aiming to create fear in the area.