KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
06-Apr-2024
Police on April 6 arrested an individual identified as Rana Kumar and seized 20 kg of poppy husk from him in Ishar Nagar, Ludhiana, in Ludhiana district. According to the police, Rana, a labourer and drug addict, allegedly smuggled drugs to finance his addiction. He is already involved in seven drug peddling cases across Punjab and Haryana.
06-Apr-2024
On April 6, Manjit Singh, a 25-year-old, died from a suspected drug overdose in Lalchian village in Ferozepur district, Punjab. He allegedly consumed a synthetic drug (chitta) at Jawai Singh Wala village and lost consciousness, subsequently passing away at his home in Lalchian village.
06-Apr-2024
The registration of Keshdhaari Sikhs for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections in Punjab has plummeted by nearly 50% since 2011, with only 27.45 lakh registered voters compared to over 52 lakh in 2011. The declining trend is attributed to the SGPC's diminishing significance among Sikhs, along with factors like conversions, migration, and the rising influence of Dera culture. The SGPC elections, overseen by the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC) established by the Government of India (GoI), involve 159 elected members, with 157 from Punjab and two each from Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh (HP). Despite extensions, voter registration remained slow, partly attributed to strikes by revenue patwaris and farmer agitation, prompting calls for increased publicity and administrative efforts to boost registration before the April 30 deadline.
06-Apr-2024
Punjab Police have initiated a crackdown on drug peddlers, bootleggers, and violators of the model code of conduct following the announcement of General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha by the Election Commission of India. Since the imposition of the model code of conduct, they have seized a significant amount of contraband, including 10.7 kg of heroin, 207 gm of opium, and 54 kg of poppy husk. Additionally, 2,920 litres of illicit liquor and 173 quintals of lahan were confiscated. A total of 157 individuals have been arrested under various offenses, with 10 pistols recovered along with 28 bullets and magazines. Twenty inter-district nakas (checkpoints) and eight second-line defences near the International Border (IB) have been established to curb smuggling activities ahead of the elections.
06-Apr-2024
The Special Task Force (STF) wing of Ludhiana Police on April 6 arrested two drug peddlers identified as Amritpal Singh and Sunny Kumar, seizing 5.5 kg of heroin from their possession near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district. The suspects were allegedly connected to a prominent Amritsar-based drug smuggler, potentially linked to Pakistan-based heroin traffickers, indicating a cross-border smuggling angle.
05-Apr-2024
The City-2 police seized 2 kg of opium from a bike belonging to an accused identified as Arun Kumar alias Latu on April 5 in Abohar in Fazilka district. However, the accused managed to evade arrest.
05-Apr-2024
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 5 opposed the furlough plea of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, serving life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, citing his involvement in the killing of thousands of Sikhs and the potential flight risk. In its affidavit filed with the Supreme Court, the CBI argued that Kumar's history of misbehaviour and punishment during his incarceration undermines claims of "good behaviour". Kumar surrendered in 2018 after being convicted and sentenced for his role in the riots that claimed around 3,000 lives, mostly Sikhs, in the aftermath of Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi's assassination. The Supreme Court, having dismissed his bail plea previously, has declined further release, emphasizing the severity of his crimes and his lack of entitlement to special treatment.
05-Apr-2024
Indian officials recently rejected a report by The Guardian that alleged their involvement in orchestrating killings in Pakistan, attributing the actions to Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The report claimed almost 20 killings since 2020, with a notable increase in 2023, and suggested Indian agents were operating sleeper cells in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indian officials dismissed these allegations, with Defence expert Sanjay Kulkarni asserting that India does not operate in such a manner.
05-Apr-2024
Punjab Police on April 5 busted an interstate gang involved in smuggling drugs and weapons and arrested four individuals identified as Neeraj Kumar, Akashdeep, Tejpal Singh, and Rahu, seizing 300 grams of heroin and seven country-made pistols near Kapurthala in Kapurthala district. The police revealed that the suspects acquired illegal country-made pistols from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and sold them in Punjab. Neeraj Kumar, one of the arrested individuals, is also implicated in a bank robbery in Bihar where he stole INR 40 lakh.
05-Apr-2024
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on April 5 labelled allegations by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) of interference in Canadian elections as baseless and highlighted Canada's historical interference in Indian affairs. The CSIS report alleges Indian government involvement in clandestine activities during Canada's 2021 elections, targeting specific electoral districts with alleged support for pro-Indian candidates.
04-Apr-2024
A state-level joint coordination meeting took place on April 4 with senior officers from Punjab Police, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and other central agencies to review security arrangements for the upcoming Parliamentary elections in Jalandhar district of Punjab. Special Director General of Police (DGP-Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, along with BSF's Inspector General (IG) Dr. Atul Fulzele, emphasized the need to strengthen the line of defense and disrupt the drug supply chain across the border. Shukla called for greater synergy among the forces to ensure free and fair elections, directing enhanced deployment of police personnel for night patrolling and increased vigilance on drone movements. The BSF was instructed to utilize drone detection technology, given the 325 drone sightings reported in 2023, with 118 drones recovered, and 26 drones retrieved in 2024 thus far.
04-Apr-2024
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of the Police on April 4 arrested a drug peddler, identified as Updesh Singh and seized 1 kg of opium from his possession at Abohar-Hanumangarh road near Abohar in Fazilka district. This arrest follows the previous arrest of his father, Mahal Singh, in April 2023 with 3.5 kg of opium; Mahal Singh remains in jail.
04-Apr-2024
Rattandeep Singh, a former Khalistani militant associated with the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK), was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne assailants in Balachaur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Punjab, on April 4. Having been a hardcore militant involved in various terror activities, including a bomb blast in Chandigarh in 1999, Rattandeep was arrested in 2014 after evading authorities for years and was released in 2019. His nephew, who was in the car with him, reported that they were meeting unidentified persons when the assailants opened fire. Gangster Gopi Nawanshahria claimed responsibility for the killing, alleging Rattandeep's involvement in fraud, but police are yet to verify the claim.
04-Apr-2024
According to a report by The Guardian, Indian and Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking anonymously, alleged that the Indian government, through its foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), has been involved in targeted killings in Pakistan since 2019. The operations, reportedly overseen by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's office, are said to be part of a strategy to eliminate terrorists residing on foreign soil. The report suggests that sleeper cells operated by Indian intelligence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coordinated these killings, with payments facilitated through Dubai.
03-Apr-2024
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the head of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU-Ekta-Sidhupur), urged farmers to gather in significant numbers at the Punjab-Haryana border while addressing them at a gurdwara in Chhateana village in Muktsar district of Punjab, on April 3. Dallewal also announced plans for a debate with the government regarding unmet demands and the installation of hoardings highlighting their grievances.
03-Apr-2024
Relatives of Khalistani preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD) Amritpal Singh, along with nine others, who are detained in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), expressed frustration at the lack of political support in Punjab. Sukhchain Singh (Amritpal's uncle) and Balwinder Kaur (Amritpal's mother) lamented that despite their hunger strike and pleas for transfer to Punjab, no prominent leaders have engaged with them during the Lok Sabha election period.
03-Apr-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) on April 3 expressed grave concern over the widespread drug menace, noting that a large number of youth are falling prey to drug peddlers. Justice Sandeep Moudgil emphasized the serious and alarming proportions the issue has taken in recent times, asserting the need for firm action against accused individuals involved in drug-related crimes. The court highlighted the destructive impact of drug peddlers on society's social fabric and the youth, emphasizing the importance of addressing clandestine drug smuggling.
03-Apr-2024
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on April 3, busted a narco-hawala racket and arrested two unidentified individuals along with one packet containing 500 grams of heroin from a house in Bhalladwal village in Amritsar district. The arrested individuals confessed to transferring drug money to Pakistan-based smugglers. Both suspects have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
03-Apr-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) on April 3, during a search operation based on specific information, recovered a packet containing 545 grams of heroin from fields near Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
03-Apr-2024
The Election Commission (EC) on April 3 directed District Collectors (DCs), Commissioners of Police (CPs), and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to heighten vigilance against the smuggling of drugs, liquor, and cash in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in a meeting led by Deputy Election Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar in Chandigarh. Officials were instructed to ensure smooth voting procedures at polling stations and to make adequate arrangements for central security forces. The EC also requested detailed reports on liquor and drug seizures following the enforcement of the code of conduct.
03-Apr-2024
Police on April 3 arrested two wanted sharpshooters belonging to the Jitender Gogi-Kapil Maan gang, identified as Himanshu and Abhimanyu alias Abhi and seized two semi-automatic sophisticated pistols of .32 bore along with eight bullets from their possession near Kailash Farm Road near Alipur in North Delhi district in Delhi. The suspects were planning to eliminate witnesses in a case against the gang members. Investigations revealed Himanshu's involvement in previous murders and his association with Abhimanyu, whom he met during his prison term.
01-Apr-2024
Police on April 1 arrested two individuals identified as Harnam Singh and Amrit Pal Singh alias Ravi and seized one HE-36 hand grenade and a .32 bore revolver, along with an SUV (PB 03-6069), from their possession on the outskirts of Rurki Kalan village in Malerkotla district, Punjab. Further investigations are underway to determine their intent and potential accomplices.
01-Apr-2024
The Assam police on April 1 arrested the owner of a dhaba (eatery), identified as Gurmukh Singh, for displaying posters of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, along with posters of Sidhu Moose Wala and Khalistani flags, in Bongaigaon district in Assam.
01-Apr-2024
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on April 1 emphasized that India's national security interests were at stake in the investigation into allegations regarding a government official's involvement in a scheme aimed at targeting Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Jaishankar's statement follows United States (US) Ambassador Eric Garcetti's assertion on March 31 of such involvement being an "unacceptable red line." Jaishankar stated that the Indian government is actively investigating the matter.
01-Apr-2024
On April 1, late at night, unidentified individuals fired gunshots at the residence of Punjabi singer Sahil Shah in the Buta Mandi area of Jalandhar in Jalandhar district, Punjab. Shah had been receiving threat calls in recent days and found bullet marks on his house's gate upon returning from Chandigarh. He also stated facing pressure from gangsters to collaborate with them. Police recovered a bullet shell from the scene.