KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
01-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, in a joint search operation, on September 1, recovered 2.7 kilograms of heroin from near the international border (IB) on the outskirts of Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The heroin consignment was found in a white coloured sack with illuminating strips and hooks attached to it, indicative of a drone drop.
01-Sep-2023
A joint team of the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) on September 1 recovered 2.43 kilograms of heroin from the residence of an individual, identified as Bittu Singh, in Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran district.
01-Sep-2023
Police, on September 1, arrested an alleged member of Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, identified as Anjeet from Rohini in North West Delhi district of Delhi. Anjeet had a criminal history involving illegal drug supply and was also involved in extortion attempts and other criminal activities for the gang. He had been evading court proceedings in multiple cases.
31-Aug-2023
Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Mohali Police, on August 31 arrested six associates of Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, identified as Roshan Kumar, Saurab Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Amrinder Singh alias Billi, Arshveer Singh and Sunny, and recovered five pistols along with ammunition from their possession in Zirakpur in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. According to the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, the suspects were traveling in a Hyundai Verna car when they were arrested, and one of the accused, Arshveer Singh, was wanted for a double murder case in Patiala.
31-Aug-2023
Within hours of Delhi Police announcing the arrest of two operatives of banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on August 31, SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a threat that its operatives would storm Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi with Khalistan flags to avenge the arrests. He also declared a cash reward of INR 1 lakh for information about the families of Delhi Police officers in Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Italy & Australia.
31-Aug-2023
The rural police in Punjab have arrested seven drug smugglers and frozen their properties, valued at INR 4.11 crore, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the Amritsar district of Punjab. Five of the smugglers—Bara and Dalbir of Dhanoe Khurd village, Bikka of Kakkar village, Bhalwan of Dhanoe Kalan village, and Lali of Cheecha village—were arrested with 42 kg of heroin, while Navjot and Samme of Amritsar city were arrested with around 9 lakh intoxicating tablets. The frozen assets include residential houses, agricultural land, a commercial plot, two cars, a motorcycle, and cash. These smugglers had allegedly used drug money to acquire these properties, and the police plan to take similar action against other drug smugglers in the district. Dhanoe Kalan, Kakkar, and Cheecha villages are notorious for drug smuggling and have been hotspots for the recovery of Pakistani drones and heroin shipments by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police.
31-Aug-2023
Delhi police on August 31 arrested two persons, identified as Preetpal Singh alias Kaka and Rajvinder Singh alias Kale, in Faridkot district and Bathinda district of Punjab, respectively, in connection with the defacement of metro stations in Delhi which took place on August 27. Preetpal had maintained social media contact with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), for over a year. During this time, Pannun pledged to provide USD 7,000, of which Preetpal had already received USD 3,500. Both individuals were tracked based on CCTV footage near the metro station areas, and further investigation is currently underway.
30-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali on August 30 ordered the attachment of the property of an operative of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Varinder Singh Chahal, in connection with a case related to the recovery of heroin and drug money in 2019. Chahal, who was part of an international narco-terror network, was involved in heroin trafficking and money collection on behalf of the KLF. The network operated globally, with links to drug smugglers, terrorists, and money launderers, including Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker by the United States (US) Department of Treasury.
30-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali on August 30 ordered the attachment of the property of an operative of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Varinder Singh Chahal, in connection with a case related to the recovery of heroin and drug money in 2019. Chahal, who was part of an international narco-terror network, was involved in heroin trafficking and money collection on behalf of the KLF. The network operated globally, with links to drug smugglers, terrorists, and money launderers, including Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker by the United States (US) Department of Treasury.
30-Aug-2023
The Khanna Police on August 30 arrested a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant, identified as Gursewak Singh alias Babla for allegedly stealing two-wheelers within the jurisdictions of the Doraha and Payal police stations in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Babla has a history of 65 First Information Reports (FIRs), primarily from the 1983-84 Punjab militancy era. He became inactive in hardliner circles after a 2004 accident but was recently captured on CCTV engaging in petty thefts, primarily stealing and selling two-wheeler parts for survival.
30-Aug-2023
The Khanna Police on August 30 arrested a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant, identified as Gursewak Singh alias Babla for allegedly stealing two-wheelers within the jurisdictions of the Doraha and Payal police stations in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Babla has a history of 65 First Information Reports (FIRs), primarily from the 1983-84 Punjab militancy era. He became inactive in hardliner circles after a 2004 accident but was recently captured on CCTV engaging in petty thefts, primarily stealing and selling two-wheeler parts for survival.
30-Aug-2023
According to reports, multiple agencies are actively countering cyber threats to prevent the disruption of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, particularly against potential attacks on the event's website and critical information infrastructure. Hackers supported by Pakistan and the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) are under surveillance for engaging in disinformation activities. These activities involve SFJ's attempts to send mass emails opposing the summit. To bolster cybersecurity measures such as monitoring the dark web and social media platforms have been implemented to safeguard against ransomware, phishing, and other forms of attacks.
30-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered six packets heroin weighing 6.3 kilograms and one packet of opium weighing 70 grams, concealed in a 12-volt battery, near the international border (IB), near Dostpur village in Gurdaspur district.
30-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin dropped by a drone at a farming field on the outskirts of Ranian village in Amritsar district.
30-Aug-2023
According to Kaustubh Sharma, the Inspector General (IG) of Ludhiana Range and in-charge of the Special Task Force (STF) in Punjab, the police have registered 758 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the past year in four different districts within the Ludhiana range such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Rupnagar. They have also arrested 1,037 drug smugglers and seized various contraband, including 13 kilograms of heroin, 2,000 kilograms of poppy husk, 160 kilograms of opium, and 140,000 drug pills.
30-Aug-2023
Police on August 30 arrested one person, identified as Jashanpreet Singh and seized 10 gm heroin from his possession in Ram Nagar in Abohar in Fazilka district.
30-Aug-2023
According to reports, as India prepares for the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, various anti-India groups, including the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), have intensified negative propaganda efforts, which they refer to as the “battle of G20”. On August 27, SFJ defaced Delhi Metro properties, launched a social media campaign with hashtags like #Khalistan and #G20India2023, and issued threats against the G20 Summit and Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. This surge in activities aims to highlight the Khalistan agenda and disrupt the summit, raising concerns about national security and international support for such activities. SFJ has also sent a letter to the government of India expressing their intention to prevent the G20 summit in Delhi from taking place without addressing the Khalistan issue.
30-Aug-2023
According to Punjab Police sources, many individuals from Punjab are reportedly seeking political asylum in countries like the United States (US), Canada, United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Australia, and Germany, citing political persecution in India. However, 4,280 asylum claims on the basis of political persecution were rejected in the last 10 years. This includes gang members, Khalistan terrorists, and job seekers. Illegal immigrants using the 'donkey route' to reach Western countries are reportedly misusing letterheads of small political parties for political asylum claims. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has also raised concerns about its letterheads being forged for such purposes. More than two dozen wanted Khalistani terrorists are attempting to secure political asylum in Canada, the US, and the UK despite being sought by Indian agencies for terror and criminal cases.
30-Aug-2023
Head constable Rashpal Singh on August 30 submitted a court application urging the summoning of 14 protesters, including six leaders, for allegedly causing injuries to police and damaging public property during the 2015 Kotkapura incident where Rashpal suffered head injuries, in the Faridkot court in Faridkot district. Rashpal's plea states that CCTV footage and a 13-minute video, submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as evidence, confirm the protesters' involvement in the crime.
30-Aug-2023
Punjab police on August 30 registered a case against director Bhushan Kumar, producers Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, and actor Meezaan Jafri for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in their upcoming movie 'Yaariyan-2,' in the Jalandhar district. The case was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by Harpreet Singh, a member of the Sikh Talmel Committee.
29-Aug-2023
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party flag accompanied by 30-40 balloons was discovered, near the international border in Shahbazpur village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab on August 29. The flag, with text in Urdu, was found in a farmland by villagers who alerted local authorities. The area has been prone to cross-border drug smuggling
29-Aug-2023
A Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) political party flag accompanied by 30-40 balloons was discovered, near the international border in Shahbazpur village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab on August 29. The flag, with text in Urdu, was found in a farmland by villagers who alerted local authorities. The area has been prone to cross-border drug smuggling
29-Aug-2023
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on August 29 directed field officers to initiate a crackdown on the drug supply chain, employing a three-pronged strategy of police enforcement, de-addiction, and rehabilitation, in a state-level video conference meeting in Punjab.
29-Aug-2023
Police on August 29 arrested the main shooter of Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, identified as Anil Bishnoi and recovered a .30 bore pistol from his possession in Zirakpur, in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district of Punjab. Acting on a tip-off, the police confronted Bishnoi at Chatt light point in Zirakpur and asked him to surrender, but he fired shots and accidentally injured himself in the foot.
28-Aug-2023
The chief of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has praised China's incorporation of Arunachal Pradesh, the Aksai Chin region, Taiwan, and the disputed South China Sea in its 'official map' introduced on August 28. He stated that these regions rightfully belong to China. Pannun has also suggested that the G20 Summit in New Delhi could be an opportune time for China to endorse the annexation of Arunachal Pradesh and the Khalistan Referendum. The SFJ, which advocates for Khalistan, had reached out to China in June, viewing Punjab as occupied territory and Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese territory.