KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Jan-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) has deployed troops from the 66th Battalion in the Fazilka sector in Punjab, to enhance security along the International Border (IB). Despite challenging weather conditions, including dense fog and temperatures dropping to 5 degrees Celsius, the troops are conducting thorough night-time checks to prevent anti-national activities.
19-Jan-2024
The State Special Operating Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on January 19 arrested three associates of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, identified as Jagdish Singh, Manjeet Singh, and Davinder Singh, in Rajpura in Patiala district. SSOC traced transactions ranging from INR 25,000 to INR 50,000, intended for pro-Khalistan activities on social media and public places.
19-Jan-2024
The Qaumi Insaaf Morcha has declared a protest at 13 toll plazas in Punjab, scheduled for three hours on January 20. They plan to take control of the plazas from 11 am to 2 pm, making them free for all commuters, in demand for the release of Sikh political prisoners known as 'Bandi Singhs.
19-Jan-2024
Slogans and pro-Khalistan graffiti were found on the boundary wall of a school in the Uttam Nagar area of West Delhi on January 19, prompting a police investigation. Similar graffiti had earlier appeared in Nihal Vihar in West Delhi. These incidents occurred ahead of Republic Day, with Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatening to hoist the Khalistani flag in Delhi on January 26.
19-Jan-2024
According to sources, based on intelligence inputs, the Border Security Force (BSF) has issued a two-week security alert for its troopers deployed on the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat, ahead of Republic Day celebrations. The alert, part of 'Operation Shard Hawa,' aims to thwart potential infiltration and terrorist attacks. Intelligence inputs suggest six types of threats, with reports indicating active support from Pakistan Rangers and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for infiltration attempts from launch pads like 'Masroor Bada Bhai.' Additionally, it is reported that Pakistan-based terrorists are using drones to transport China-made weapons and drugs into Indian border areas.
19-Jan-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), during a search operation on January 19 recovered three packets containing approximately 3 kg of heroin from a farming field near Jhugge Lal Singh village in the Ferozepur district.
19-Jan-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 19 arrested two unidentified individuals and seized 530 grams of heroin along with two motorcycles during a frisking operation near the International Border (IB) in the Amritsar sector of Amritsar district. The individuals, who had crossed the border fence for farming, were found with two large packages and a smaller packet concealed in slippers. This incident highlights the ongoing efforts to combat drug smuggling along the border.
19-Jan-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 19 recovered a China-made drone from fields near Amishah village in Tarn Taran district.
19-Jan-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 19 recovered one AK-47 assault rifle, two magazines,40 cartridges and INR 40,000 cash, from fields near India-Pakistan border in Lakha Singh Wala Hithar village in Ferozepur district.
18-Jan-2024
Amid heightened preparations for Republic Day in Delhi, pro-Khalistan slogans that read 'SFJ, January 26, Khalistan' were discovered on a pillar in the Nihal Vihar area of West Delhi. Delhi Police and other security agencies are on high alert, intensifying security measures for the upcoming Republic Day celebrations.
18-Jan-2024
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister (CM) Yogi Adityanath on January 18 received a threat from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Khalistani terrorist organization Sikh For Justice (SFJ), following the arrest of three individuals ahead of the Ram Temple ceremony in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. Pannun issued a threatening voice message, accusing the police of torturing two pro-Khalistan youths and filing false cases against them. The recorded message warns of an SFJ response on January 22, coinciding with the Ram Temple ceremony in Ayodhya. Security agencies are on high alert and actively investigating the matter.
18-Jan-2024
The Special Task Force (STF) on January 18 arrested Sukhwant Singh, a drug peddler, and seized 7 kg of heroin from his possession in Chakk Bajiada village in Ferozepur district. Sukhwant had connections with cross-border smugglers and had previously received heroin from Pakistan.
18-Jan-2024
Uttar Pradesh (UP) Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), on January 18, arrested three members of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), identified as Shankar Dussad alias Shankar Jajod, Ajit Kumar Sharma, and Pradeep Puniya, in Ayodhya, UP. Dussad, a former gangster, had forged Khalistan ties while in Bikaner Jail. He was in touch with Khalistan leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun through another Canada-based arms smuggler, Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa. According to the police, Khalistan leaders had instructed Dussad to visit Ayodhya and prepare a map of the site. The police have intensified security measures in Ayodhya ahead of the event.
17-Jan-2024
On January 17, a group of Sikhs led by Gurcharan Singh Babbar, president of the All India Sikh Conference (AISC), was detained at Kulhal border in Uttarakhand while en route to Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar to reclaim the demolished historical Gurdwara Gyan Godri Sahib. The AISC had called for Sikhs worldwide to converge on January 17 to reclaim the Gurdwara and 25 acres of Nanakwara land on the Parkash Purb of Guru Gobind Singh. The Uttarakhand administration, citing a lack of permission, stopped the convoy and detained the individuals, prompting their return. The AISC plans to revisit Uttarakhand to reclaim the historical site.
17-Jan-2024
The Special Task Force (STF) of Ludhiana range on January 17 arrested three men identified as Davinder Singh alias Lovepreet, Dharminder Singh and Iqbal Singh alias Bunty, and seized 1.07 kg of heroin and a .32-bore illegal pistol, an electronic weighing machine, and live cartridges from their possession, in Singhpura Munana village in Moga district. The STF seized 515 grams of heroin, the electronic weighing machine and 20 pouches from possession of Davinder, 290 grams of heroin from Dharminder, and 265 grams of heroin and a .32-bore pistol from Iqbal.
17-Jan-2024
The Crime Branch of Chandigarh Police on January 17 arrested Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan, a notorious and wanted criminal associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and seized a revolver from his possession in Sector 36 in Chandigarh. Gagandeep has a criminal record with over 21 cases, including murder, attempted murder, dacoity, theft, extortion, and Arms Act violations in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh.
17-Jan-2024
A special court in Mohali declared Lakhbir Singh Landa, chief of the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), an absconder, and ordered the confiscation of his associates' properties, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Landa faces charges of sedition, conspiracy, and unlawful activities. Designated a terrorist by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), he is accused of orchestrating terror attacks in India, including the 2018 grenade blast in Amritsar, Punjab. Landa is also associated with the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and has been hiding in Canada since 2017. He was involved in RPG attacks on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters and the Sarhali police station in Punjab and is deemed the mastermind in various terrorism cases.
17-Jan-2024
A member of the Sikh Nihang sect, Ramandeep Singh, was sent to a week-long police remand by a court for allegedly killing a youth at Gurdwara Chhevin Patshahi Chaura Khooh in Phagwara, Kapurthala district. Singh had claimed that the victim intended to commit desecration, but preliminary investigations found no evidence of such an incident. The victim remains unidentified, and no one has claimed the body. Ramandeep Singh faces charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 304 (culpable homicide) and section 295A (outraging religious feelings), with the possibility of further charges pending investigation.
17-Jan-2024
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on January 17 responded to veiled threats from designated Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, stating that such intimidation won't deter him from ensuring peace and prosperity in the state while speaking at Municipal Bhawan in Chandigarh. He attributed the threats to the government's zero-tolerance policy against anti-Punjab forces and vowed to bring the masterminds hiding abroad to justice. Pannun, designated as a terrorist in 2020, had urged gangsters to join his banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and disrupt Republic Day events.
16-Jan-2024
Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, Sunil Jakhar, on January 16, urged External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, via a post on the social media site X, to prompt the United States (US) administration to take action against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who had threatened Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav. Jakhar emphasized the need for swift US action to maintain credibility and friendships.
16-Jan-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 16 filed a charge sheet against five individuals identified as 'designated individual terrorists': Lakhbir Singh Rode alias Baba, Ranjot alias Rana, Taranjot Singh alias Tanna, Gurjit Singh alias Paa, and Pakistan-based smuggler Rehmat Ali alias Miyan, in a case pertains to the cross-border smuggling of arms into Punjab via drones, at the NIA special court in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS) district. The charge sheet revealed connections between members of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and individuals in Pakistan. The investigation uncovered plans for targeted killings, extortion, and fundraising for banned organizations such as KLF and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).
16-Jan-2024
The police on January 16 brought Charat Singh on production warrants from Hoshiarpur jail to Faridkot in the Faridkot district, in relation to a drugs and arms smuggling case. Charat is an accused in the May 2022 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali, Punjab. He was arrested in October 2022 in a joint operation with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). The police had nominated Charat and his associate, Nishan Singh, in a case involving four other individuals identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Keepa, Sukhchain Singh, Sukhmander Singh, and Sewak Singh. They were arrested for smuggling, arms possession, and links to the escaped gangster Gurpreet Singh Sekhon. Charat, who was initially serving a life sentence, provided support to the RPG attackers and was on parole during the incident.
16-Jan-2024
Slogans supporting Khalistan, linked to Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's Republic Day threats, were discovered on the walls of Chander Vihar area in West Delhi on January 16. The graffiti read 'SFJ, January 26, Khalistan.’ Later, Delhi Police removed the slogans and filed a case. Pannun had also warned of hoisting the Khalistani flag on January 26, urging sympathizers of the banned terrorist outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) to write slogans calling for a referendum and voting for a separate Khalistan. Before Republic Day and Independence Day, SFJ’s sleeper cells were reportedly linked to such activities.
16-Jan-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a threat on January 16 to Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann and Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, urging gangsters to join the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and disrupt Republic Day events, preventing Mann from hoisting the national flag. The threat was delivered via a video message sent by email to some journalists. Pannun compared CM Mann to the late assassinated CM Beant Singh and Yadav to the assassinated officer Gobind Ram. Additionally, Pannun issued threats to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, daring him to attend Republic Day without security. He also called for a referendum on Khalistan.
16-Jan-2024
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court clarified on January 16 that being recognized as a Sikh doesn't require having "Singh" or "Kour" as surnames, dismissing a petition challenging the District Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee elections in Akhnoor, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The petitioner contested the inclusion of non-Sikh voters on the rolls who didn't have these surnames, citing a violation of rules defining a Sikh by belief and appearance. The court upheld the appellate authority's decision, stating that the petitioner's claims contradicted legal definitions.