KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
24-Jun-2024
Tarsem Singh, father of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who is currently detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, expressed uncertainty about his son taking the oath on June 25 as Member of Parliament (MP)-elect from Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab. Despite his detention, Amritpal has a window of 60 days to take the oath, according to his lawyer, Rajdev Singh Khalsa.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 intercepted a drone and later recovered the drone along with 510 grams of heroin, from fields near PS Wala Hithar village in Fazilka district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 carried out a search operation, based on information provided by villagers, and recovered a packet containing 560 grams of heroin and a drone near Raja Rai village in Ferozepur district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 recovered a broken drone from fields near Thekalan village in Tarn Taran district.
24-Jun-2024
The police on June 24 arrested two drug smugglers identified as Jagannath Singh and Raj Kumar and seized INR 27.10 lakh along with a car from their possession in Amritsar, Amritsar district. The duo was reportedly in contact with Pakistan-based handlers since February and involved in exporting furnishings and agricultural produce. This arrest is part of a broader operation that began on June 20, leading to the capture of 10 individuals, the seizure of 4 kg of heroin, INR 29.17 lakh in drug and hawala money, two pistols, 45 bullets, and eight vehicles.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 intercepted and shot down a drone ferrying 400 grams of heroin near Chaklabaksh village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 recovered a packet containing 530 grams of heroin along with a drone, near Lakha Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
24-Jun-2024
In response to local residents and traders in Ambala calling for an end to the 133-day protest by farmers at the Shambhu border, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarvan Singh Pandher, on June 24, insisted they were not protesting frivolously. They claimed the government had set up barricades preventing them from marching to Delhi and had not initiated talks or fulfilled promises regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
23-Jun-2024
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, via a statement on social media site X on June 23, described the 1985 Kanishka bombing of Air India Flight 182 as one of the worst acts of terrorism in history and paid homage to the 329 victims while emphasizing that terrorism should never be tolerated.
23-Jun-2024
Former diplomat and current Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on June 23 paid tribute to the victims of the 1985 'Kanishka' flight bombing, denouncing it as one of the most reprehensible acts of terror against India, via a statement on social media site X. He stated that such extremist actions have no place in a sane and civilized world and lamented that the systems and mindsets supporting such terrorism still find sympathizers, undermining international efforts to combat violent extremism.
23-Jun-2024
Three associates of United States (US)-based smuggler Sarvan Singh alias Bhola Havelian, identified as Karanjit Singh, Akash Seth alias Raghu, and Sukhdeep Singh, who were arrested on June 22, were sent to two-day police custody in Amritsar. The suspects were found in possession of six pistols, six live cartridges, ten magazines, 200 grams of heroin, and an electronic weighing machine, and were involved in significant narcotic and weapon smuggling activities across the international border. Preliminary investigations revealed Akash Seth's involvement in smuggling approximately 15 kg of heroin and conducting INR 1.5 crore of 'hawala' transactions in the past month.
23-Jun-2024
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on June 23 discussed river water disputes and the ongoing depletion of underground water in Punjab. Attended by a large number of SKM members, the seminar concluded with a unanimous resolution asserting that water is a 'state subject' and that the central government should not have the authority to issue executive orders or make decisions concerning river water management.
23-Jun-2024
According to reports, Punjab continues to face severe challenges with drug addiction among its youth, with 14 recent deaths highlighting the ongoing crisis despite various initiatives over the years. Efforts like the "Tu Mera Buddy" program launched in 2018 and the more recent "The Hope Initiative" by Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann in 2023 aim to combat this issue through community involvement and awareness campaigns. However, the persistent high toll of drug-related fatalities underscores the need for more effective and sustained measures to address the drug menace, particularly against the backdrop of smuggling from across the Pakistan border.
22-Jun-2024
Punjab Police on June 22 busted a narcotics and organized crime nexus backed by United States-based smuggler Sarwan Singh alias Bhola Havelian, and arrested three operatives: Karanjit Singh, Akash Seth, alias Raghu, and Sukhdeep Singh and seized six pistols, six live cartridges, ten magazines, 200 grams of heroin, and an electronic weighing machine from their possession in Ajnala in Amritsar district. The arrested individuals were found to be directly in touch with Bhola Havelian, supplying weapons and heroin as part of the criminal operation.
22-Jun-2024
Acting on a complaint from District Drug Inspector Shishan Mittal, the police on June 22 recovered 590 intoxicating pills and INR 11.38 lakh in drug money from the bike of an alleged supplier, Vikas Kumar, in Abohar in Fazilka district, Punjab. Although Vikas Kumar remains at large, the authorities have registered a case against him.
22-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops and Punjab Police, in a joint operation on June 22, recovered a drone from fields near Noorwala village in Tarn Taran district.
22-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 22 recovered a drone along with a packet containing a pistol and an empty magazine from a field near Lakha Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
22-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops and Punjab Police, in a joint operation on June 22, recovered a packet containing 520 grams of heroin and a drone from fields near the international border (IB) near Gahlewala village in Fazilka district.
21-Jun-2024
The police on June 21 arrested five unidentified individuals and seized 50 grams of heroin, 155 habit-forming tablets, and 3.5 kg of poppy husk from their possession in Malerkotla, Malerkotla district. As part of their intensified crackdown on drug peddling, 178 police officers conducted door-to-door searches and vehicle checks on major roads.
21-Jun-2024
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, on June 21 in New Delhi, expressed strong disapproval of the Canadian parliament's observance of a minute's silence for Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He reiterated India's opposition to political support for extremism. Relations between India and Canada have been strained since Trudeau's allegations of potential Indian involvement in Nijjar's killing, which New Delhi has dismissed as absurd.
21-Jun-2024
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Advocate Harjinder Singh Dhami, on June 21, criticized the one-year extension of the National Security Act (NSA) on newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) and Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh from Khadoor Sahib, along with other Sikhs detained in Assam. Dhami argued that this action by the state and central governments overlooks human rights and the sentiments of Punjab's populace, demanding the revocation of the NSA and the release of those detained.
21-Jun-2024
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on June 21 stated that they had not received a formal request for consular access to Nikhil Gupta, extradited to the United States (US) on charges related to a murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
21-Jun-2024
Punjab Police on June 21 launched a large-scale cordon and search operation (CASO) named Eagle-IV across all 28 police districts, resulting in 254 arrests. The operation, aimed at drug hotspots, involved senior officers from Punjab Police Headquarters and led to the registration of 221 First Information Reports (FIRs) and the checking of 4,575 suspicious persons.
21-Jun-2024
A group of Nihangs clashed with police, resulting in the arrest of five individuals near the Chhoti Baradari locality in Jalandhar district on June 21. The Nihangs, demanding the closure of a local liquor vend, resisted eviction by the police, with one Nihang, Amanjot Singh, brandishing a sword.
21-Jun-2024
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, in an interview with The Tribune, defended the transfer of nearly 10,000 lower-rank police officials, citing administrative reasons and denying any drug-related taint on the transferred personnel. Yadav highlighted the involvement of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in narco-terrorism, noting that 906 drones have been sent from across the border since 2019, with 101 of 247 drones shot down this year alone. He emphasized a zero-tolerance policy towards connivance with drug smugglers, mentioning the dismissal and arrest of corrupt police officials and the significant increase in drug seizures — from 170 kg in 2017, to 1,350 kg in 2023, and about 500 kg so far in 2024.