KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Feb-2024
United States (US) Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma on February 20 stated that India is treating allegations of Indian officials' involvement in a plot to kill a Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun seriously, while speaking at an event in New Delhi. In November 2023, US prosecutors charged Nikhil Gupta, an Indian national, with attempting to hire a hitman to kill Pannun, alleging recruitment by an Indian government official. India initiated a high-level inquiry into the matter, and the US expressed gratitude for India's seriousness in addressing the issue. Additionally, US Senate Foreign Affairs Committee chair Ben Cardin approved military drone sales to India contingent on a thorough investigation and credible accountability.
20-Feb-2024
In a circulating audio clip on social media on February 20, Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh is heard saying that CCTV cameras were installed in his cell, despite the authorities banning all mobile and electronic devices in the prison. Amritpal Singh is currently being held at Dibrugarh Jail in Dibrugarh in Assam.
20-Feb-2024
Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh arrived in Dibrugarh Jail on February 20, after several electronic devices were discovered in the National Security Act (NSA) cell of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates on February 17 in Dibrugarh Jail in Dibrugarh in Assam. DGP GP Singh confirmed the recovery of unauthorised items, including smartphones and spy devices, from the cell, while steps are being taken to prevent recurrence, in accordance with the NSA provisions. Meanwhile, Amritpal Singh’s Lawyer Rajdev Singh Khalsa accused authorities of conspiring to harm Singh and ten others, alleging unstable health conditions and a plot to kill them.
20-Feb-2024
Deputy Commissioner Mr. Ghansham Thori on February 20, commended the effectiveness of Village Defence Committees (VDC) in border villages, formed on Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit's instructions to monitor drug activities and liaise with police, at a meeting with Village Defence Committees of Ghonewal, Saidogaji, Misoke, Singoke and Panj Garani villages in Amritsar district. Thori lauded the Committees' performance and rewarded those excelling in their duties. He urged them to report any cross-border drug trafficking, particularly through drones, emphasising youth engagement to combat drug addiction.
20-Feb-2024
The Amritsar rural police on February 20 busted a hawala (illegal money transfer) racket being operated from Dubai by arresting three persons identified as Rajiv Jain, Gurpreet Singh and Anokh Singh and seized INR 55.90 lakh from their possession in Amritsar in Amritsar district, following information revealed by drug smuggler Vishal Singh during his interrogation. So far, the Police have arrested eight members of the drug and hawala network, with 4.4 kg of heroin along with three cars, an SUV and a tractor confiscated, leading to further investigations into a United States (US) based hawala operator named Vicky and connections to a Dubai-based drug cartel led by an individual known as Bantu.
20-Feb-2024
The Indian government on February 20 temporarily blocked 177 social media accounts and web links related to the farmers' protest, citing maintenance of law and order under Section 69A of the IT Act. Orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology at the request of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) cover platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Accounts are set to be restored after the conclusion of the farmers' agitation.
20-Feb-2024
Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on February 20 urged the Centre to address their demands, including a legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP), implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's "C2 plus 50 percent" formula, and farm loan waivers in Chandigarh. This comes after farmers rejected the government's proposal to procure pulses, maize, and cotton at MSP for five years. Pandher emphasized the need for a parliamentary law on MSP and urged Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi to announce a farm loan waiver, citing farmers' total debt of INR 18.5 lakh crore.
20-Feb-2024
On February 20, an appeal was made by the Farmers Union in villages in Punjab, urging supporters to converge at the Shambhu border in Patiala district and join farmers in marching to Delhi on February 21. Heavy police presence in and around Rajpura was implemented to regulate traffic, while talks with farmer unions persisted, albeit with little indication of reconsideration as they remained committed to proceeding to Delhi on February 21.
19-Feb-2024
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Parliament) member, Vikramjit Singh Sahney, expressed concern on February 19 via a statement over social media accounts propagating hate speech against the Sikh community. He urged the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, to take immediate action by blocking such accounts under the IT Rules 2021 and filing First Information Reports (FIR) against the perpetrators.
19-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 19 recovered one packet of suspected heroin weighing 700 gm, during an extensive search operation near Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district.
19-Feb-2024
The Jalandhar Police Commissionerate on February 19 busted a drug smuggling racket by arresting one person identified as Rohit Kumar and seized 200 grams of heroin from his possession, near Joginder Nagar T-point in Rama Mandi in Jalandhar district.
18-Feb-2024
Police on February 18 arrested two additional members of a gang responsible for armed robberies at petrol pumps, including an incident involving firing at a police party, identified as Mohan Kumar alias Mandeep and Akash Kumar and seized two pistols and six cartridges from their possession near Taragarh village in Hoshiarpur district. the gang had committed multiple crimes, including looting INR 50,000 from a petrol pump in Poonge village and INR 15,000 from another pump in Dasuya in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.
18-Feb-2024
Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar, a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) representing Amritsar South, retained the presidency of the Chief Khalsa Diwan (CKD) in the recent elections held on February 18, securing 247 votes against former IRS officer Surinderjit Singh Pal. However, the opposition claimed a significant victory by securing one key post of honorary secretary, with Ramneek Singh Freedom defeating Ajit Singh Basra. The CKD, a 120-year-old Sikh organization, operates numerous educational and welfare institutions. Dr. Nijjar emphasizes a commitment to furthering its mission, inspired by the ideals of Bhai Vir Singh.
18-Feb-2024
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has extended internet suspension to 20 police stations across seven districts in Punjab, up from 11 stations in three districts previously. The suspension will remain in effect until midnight on February 24. Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann criticized the central government's decision, expressing his intent to revoke the suspension. This move follows UMHA's earlier telecom service suspension in Shutrana, Khanauri, and Fatehgarh Sahib due to Bharat Bandh (shutdown) calls by farmer unions on February 15.
18-Feb-2024
In a video shared on social media, the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on February 18 called upon protesting farmers to arm themselves with weapons and 'use a bullet for a bullet.' He claimed that weapons were readily available at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan and across the international border with Rajasthan, igniting concerns amid ongoing farmer’s demonstrations in India. Pannun's call for violence was swiftly dismissed by Pakistani authorities as baseless.
18-Feb-2024
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of the Punjab Police shot dead gangster Gurmeet Singh Mann alias Kala Dhanaula, during an encounter in Barnala in Barnala district in Punjab, on February 18. Dhanaula was wanted in over 40 cases and was the head of his own gang. Three of his accomplices were arrested at the scene, while two policemen sustained injuries during the operation.
17-Feb-2024
Jobanjit Singh Sandhu, a key accused in the Mundra port drugs haul case, escaped police custody on February 17 in Punjab while being transported from Amritsar to Bhuj jail in Kutch, Gujarat. Sandhu was initially arrested in connection with the massive seizure of 2,988 kilograms of heroin valued at INR 21,000 crore at Gujarat's Mundra port in 2021.
17-Feb-2024
The police on February 17 arrested one individual identified as Namdev, along with an unidentified accomplice, and seized 1 kg of heroin, INR 60,000 in drug money, and a scooter from his possession in Hardo Rattan village in Amritsar district. Based on information provided by him, the police, on February 18, recovered 2 kg of heroin near the defense drain in Hardo Rattan village. Namdev disclosed that he received location coordinates from Pakistan-based smugglers, implicating Tanvir, also known as Rana, in drug peddling.
17-Feb-2024
A viral video, shared by a user on February 17, depicts a Sikh man allegedly threatening the life of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, garnering over 6 lakh views and 15,000 likes. In the video, the man claims that in the coming years, PM Modi might be killed. The authenticity of the video and the speaker's identity remain unverified. The threat evokes historical tensions, reminiscent of the assassination of Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards after Operation Blue Star.
17-Feb-2024
The police on February 17 recovered several electronic gadgets from the cells of National Security Act detainees, including members of the pro-Khalistani group Waris Punjab De (WPD) and its leader Amritpal Singh, in Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam. Confiscated items included smartphones, pen drives, and Bluetooth devices. Additional security measures, such as installing extra CCTV cameras, were implemented.
17-Feb-2024
On February 17, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Congress Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Pargat Singh raised concerns about hate propaganda targeting Sikhs amid ongoing farmers' protests, through posts on the social media site X. Sahney urged Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah to ban social media accounts promoting hate speech. He highlighted screenshots of handles calling for a repeat of the 1984 Sikh genocide. MLA Pargat Singh criticized the Punjab government and police for not taking action against such accounts, while pro-farm social media accounts faced suspension by the central government.
17-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 17 recovered 440 gm of heroin from farming fields near Bharopal Village in Amritsar district.
17-Feb-2024
The police on February 17 arrested two men, Sukhdeep Singh and Mahinder Singh, for making extortion calls to a local businessman, posing as aides of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and demanding INR 30 lakh from him, in Sri Muktsar Sahib district in Punjab.
16-Feb-2024
Police on February 23 arrested three sharpshooters of the Tillu Tajpuriya gang, identified as Rohit alias Laddu, Mohit, and Siddharth and seized three pistols, two live cartridges, two empty cartridges, a mobile phone, and a car from their possession after a brief exchange of fire in Alipur, North Delhi district in Delhi.
16-Feb-2024
Amritsar rural police, on February 16, busted a major drug syndicate being operated from Dubai by arresting five peddlers identified as Sarwan Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Vishal Singh, Harmeet Singh, and Hari Singh along with 4.4 kg of heroin, a .32 bore pistol along with 5 bullets, two cars, a tractor, and INR 3.8 lakh in drug money from their possession in Gharinda, Amritsar district. The investigation also uncovered a significant hawala racket, revealing several financial transactions across different locations. The syndicate's operations were linked to Bantu of Mehta, who operated from Dubai. The arrests were made following the interrogation of two initial drug smugglers, Sarwan Singh and Sukhdev Singh, with the police seizing 2 kg of heroin from their possession. This was followed by the arrest of Vishal Singh, with the police seizing 900 gm of heroin and INR 3.8 lakh in drug money from his possession. Subsequently, Harmeet Singh and Hari Singh were arrested, with the police seizing 1.5 kg of heroin, a .32 bore pistol along with 5 bullets, and a tractor from their possession.