KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-Aug-2023
Punjab Police, on August 22, in partnership with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), organized a one-day workshop at Amity University in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The workshop aimed to sensitize participants to FATF provisions and Income Tax regulations concerning charitable institutions, ensuring protection from misuse by terrorist organizations for funding terror activities.
22-Aug-2023
A joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, on August 22 recovered 450 grams of heroin in a bottle from a farming field near Roranwala village in Amritsar district of Punjab. The BSF troops detected a buzzing sound from a suspected drone entering Indian territory on August 21 night in the same area, and a subsequent search of the area on August 22 morning led to the recovery.
22-Aug-2023
Heavy police force was deployed on August 22 in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district in Punjab, in anticipation of a farmers' protest rally in Chandigarh seeking compensation for flood-related crop losses.
22-Aug-2023
On August 22, a police officer named Bhushan Kumar from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, issued an apology after a video of him calling the deceased Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala a 'terrorist' went viral on social media. Kumar stated that he didn't know much about Moose Wala and that his comments were a result of a 'slip of the tongue.' He expressed remorse, apologized to Moose Wala’s parents, and pledged support for their pursuit of justice
21-Aug-2023
A Delhi court on August 21 adjourned the case related to the Pul Bangash killings during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, in which Senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler is an accused. The next hearing is scheduled for August 29, following a request from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for more time to respond to Tytler's application for certain documents.
21-Aug-2023
In a joint operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police on August 21 arrested two Pakistani smugglers and recovered 29.26 kilograms of heroin from their possession near Gatti Matar village in Mamdot Tehsil in Ferozepur district. The smugglers were apprehended after troops challenged them and fired upon them, with one of them sustaining a hand injury.
21-Aug-2023
According to Narinder Bhargav, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the border range in Amritsar, the Punjab Police has commenced the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs) for all cases involving the movement of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones along the Pakistan border. These drones are increasingly being employed to smuggle arms, ammunition, explosives, and drugs from across the border. Previously, only cases resulting in recoveries were registered during joint operations with the Border Security Force (BSF). This change facilitates investigations into drone activities and focuses on disrupting the supply links between Indian and Pakistani smugglers.
21-Aug-2023
According to reports, amid flooding along the Sutlej River in Ferozepur district in Punjab, cross-border smugglers are taking advantage of the situation to push contraband, arms, and ammunition into Indian territory. The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing has seized over 132 kg of heroin in the past month, with smugglers leveraging their diving skills during floods to facilitate smuggling operations along the river, which crosses into Pakistan multiple times before draining into the neighbouring country.
21-Aug-2023
The Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), on August 21 arrested a key operative of the Bambiha gang, identified as Simranjit Singh alias Simmi and recovered a pistol along with four live cartridges from his possession, near Dara Studio in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. He was en route to deliver a consignment of weapons when he was arrested.
21-Aug-2023
According to sources, Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly tasked his brother, Anmol Bishnoi, to carry out the contract to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan, after earlier attempts by other gang members failed. Lawrence's gang has reportedly shifted to using Germany-made PS 30 pistols instead of Turkish-made Zigana ones and is obtaining these weapons through foreign associates, including Ranjit Dupla in the United States (US). The gang has expanded its network in southern states, with support from individuals like Kala Jathedi, Naresh Sethi, and others. Anmol Bishnoi has recruited new members, including Akshay Bishnoi, and is believed to be responsible for extortion and shootings, with ties to a London-based criminal.
21-Aug-2023
According to sources, Vikas Singh, a former gangster turned politician from Ayodhya, played a significant role in providing shelter to members of Lawrence Bishnoi's criminal syndicate, including Sachin Bishnoi, the key accused in the murder of rapper Siddhu Moose Wala. The gang stayed at Singh's farmhouse in Devgarh Village, Ayodhya district of Uttar Pradesh (UP).
21-Aug-2023
According to reports, hybrid warfare - a blend of conventional tactics, cyber warfare, irregular forces, and disinformation campaigns - has emerged as a new menace in the modern era of global connectivity. The Indian state of Punjab has become a battleground for such strategies, exemplified by the Twitter account @NationGazette. This account poses as a proxy for the Khalistan movement, spreading disinformation, impersonating individuals, and aiming to destabilize India by undermining its unity and integrity through a network of deception and influence. Vigilance against such divisive agendas is crucial in this digital age to safeguard the truth and counter hybrid warfare tactics.
20-Aug-2023
Various Sikh organizations, on August 20, held a prayer meeting urging the Indian government to waive the passport requirement for travel to Pakistan through the Kartarpur corridor. They proposed issuing special passes instead to facilitate pilgrims, particularly those without passports. The groups also called for efforts to prevent drug smuggling across the border and advocated for free trade between Indian and Pakistani Punjabis.
20-Aug-2023
A group of politicians in Punjab has advocated for the legalization of opium sales as an alternative for drug users, following a series of suspected drug overdose deaths. Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sikander Singh Maluka and former Patiala Member of Parliament (MP), Dharamvira Gandhi, support this idea, believing that legalizing opium sales could undermine the drug mafia and provide users with a safer option. They highlight that opium has a historical presence in Punjab without causing fatalities. Their argument is that legalizing opium could generate revenue, reduce harmful drug use, and disrupt criminal networks. However, there are concerns about the potential impact and feasibility of such a move.
20-Aug-2023
Security has been heightened along the Punjab-Kathua district border in response to an alert from Punjab Police about a planned operation against drug peddlers near the border. The Kathua police have intensified naka checking and increased vigilance by deploying police teams in various locations along the border. The specific details of the operation and the reasons for the heightened security measures have not been publicly disclosed.
19-Aug-2023
The self-proclaimed head of Damdami Taksal, identified as Barjinder Singh Parwana, has been accused of targeting Hindu shop owners in Rajpura in Patiala district. He is also alleged to have been involved in the attack on a Kali Mata Temple in Patiala and to have caused the arrest of two Hindus for selling 'Gutka Sahib' alongside other books. Parwana has a history of promoting enmity and is associated with Sikh radicalism, having participated in protests and delivered provocative speeches on social media.
19-Aug-2023
The banned Khalistani terror outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), in a video released on August 19, declared that they have reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping via a letter, advocating for the annexation of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and seeking support for a Khalistan Referendum for an independent Sikh nation. In the letter, SFJ draws parallels between Punjab's occupation by India as perceived by SFJ and Arunachal Pradesh's territorial dispute with China. The letter suggests that China should pursue a secessionist referendum for Arunachal Pradesh.
19-Aug-2023
The Punjab Police on August 19 carried out a special operation named 'OPS Seal-III' in collaboration with the police forces of neighboring states, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. This operation resulted in the arrest of 49 individuals, the issuance of fines (challans) to 329 vehicles, the impoundment of 25 vehicles, and the seizure of INR 45 lakh in cash, 30 kilograms of poppy husk, 374 grams of heroin, 500 grams of charas, and 263 liters of illicit liquor. The operation involved 1,500 personnel and covered 10 inter-state border districts of Punjab- Pathankot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka, Ropar, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS) Nagar, Patiala, Sangrur, Mansa, Hoshiarpur and Bathinda.
19-Aug-2023
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on August 19 convicted a man, named Navdeep Singh for money laundering charges related to drug smuggling in Jalandhar, Jalandhar district. Singh has been sentenced to 3.5 years of imprisonment and fined INR 50,000. If the fine is not paid, he will face an additional three months of imprisonment. The court has allowed the confiscation of assets worth INR 9 lakh that were earlier seized by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). This case stems from a 2017 Punjab Police FIR related to drug smuggling.
18-Aug-2023
Investigating agencies on August 18 revealed that Sachin Bishnoi alias Sachin Thappan, who was extradited from Azerbaijan in connection with the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, was staying with gang members at a farmhouse, in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (UP), before the murder took place. He, along with other Bishnoi gang shooters, had been practicing firing at the farmhouse, which belongs to a man identified as Vikas Singh. Sachin Bishnoi is wanted in five criminal cases, including violations of the Arms Act, murder, and attempted murder, all of which are related to the Lawrence Bishnoi crime group.
18-Aug-2023
Punjab’s Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), Arpit Shukla, along with Inspector General (IG) of Frontier Headquarters, Border Security Force (BSF) Jalandhar, Dr Atul Fulzele, on August 18, held a meeting with BSF officials to strategize against the drug supply chain. This initiative follows Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's pledge to make Punjab drug-free by the next Independence Day. Proposed measures include enhancing CCTV coverage along the International Border, upgrading police facilities in border areas, and seizing properties of smugglers. The Chief Minister has sanctioned INR 20 crore for CCTV installation and the strengthening of police infrastructure.
18-Aug-2023
In a video shared on August 18, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Khalistani organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), labelled Canada-based Punjabi singer AP Dhillon as a Khalistan supporter. AP Dhillon recently faced controversy as pro-Khalistan groups claimed he supported their agenda due to his choice of Tricolour-themed footwear, sparking a debate on social media. Intelligence agencies are investigating whether this is a smear attempt against the singer or if there is any truth to the claim made by Pannun.
18-Aug-2023
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, on August 18, was declared ‘Tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) by Akal Takht's 'parallel' Jathedar, Dhian Singh Mand, at Akal Takht in Amritsar. This declaration follows Mann's alleged interference in Sikh matters and his introduction of an amendment Bill in the Sikh Gurdwaras Act of 1925. Despite being given opportunities to clarify his stance, Mann did not appear in person before Akal Takht.
18-Aug-2023
Punjab's Special Director General of Police (Law and Order), Arpit Shukla, on August 18, instructed police commissioners and district police chiefs to identify and seize properties of major narco-smugglers arrested along with significant drug quantities. This year, the Punjab Police have already seized and forfeited 30 properties valued at INR 12.99 crores. Shukla also highlighted the collaboration with the Border Security Force (BSF) to disrupt the drug supply chain and counter-drone operations used for drug smuggling across the border. The aim is to make Punjab drug-free, as stated by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann.
18-Aug-2023
The investigation into the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, who was shot dead on May 29, 2022, has revealed that the plot was hatched in Uttar Pradesh (UP) by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Some photographs show gang members, including Sachin Bishnoi, who is accused in the murder case, in various locations in Ayodhya and Lucknow in UP prior to the assassination. These images also depict the presence of internationally-sourced weapons believed to have been used in the attack. Delhi Police are planning to collaborate with UP authorities to conduct a further investigation into the case.