KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 arrested a member of the Shubham Mota gang, identified as Kunal Sharma alias Kembi and recovered two pistols, 32 bore and a .315 bore guns, along with five live cartridges from his possession from New Kundan Puri in Ludhiana district.
05-Aug-2023
Deceased United Kingdom (UK) based head of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Avtar Singh Khanda's sister, Jaspreet Kaur on August 5 presented documents, including an expired passport, driving license, and Class XII certificate, to establish his Indian citizenship before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The central government had previously informed the court that it possessed no documents to establish Khanda's citizenship. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on August 18.
05-Aug-2023
The President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami on August 5 welcomed the Queensland High Court's ruling in Australia, which favoured Sikhs' right to wear the 'kirpan' as part of their religious faith.
05-Aug-2023
Former Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on August 5 appeared before a court as an accused in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, where a supplementary charge sheet included witnesses' statements which claimed that Tytler had urged the mob to "kill the Sikhs," leading to deaths and a gurdwara being set on fire. The charge sheet also states he violated prohibitory orders, incited the mob, and promoted enmity between religious groups.
05-Aug-2023
Gangster Vikramjeet Singh, an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was remanded in three days' police custody by a Faridkot court on August 5 for an INR 50 lakh extortion case. He was brought from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to New Delhi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and then to Faridkot on a day’s transit remand on August 4. Singh is accused of making extortion calls on Bishnoi's orders and is also linked to an attempt on the life of a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, as well as the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 recovered an additional four kilograms of heroin from Bute Dian Chhana village in Jalandhar District of Punjab in a follow-up operation after arresting Shinder Singh on August 3 with six kilograms of heroin and INR 1.50 lakh cash. Singh had hidden the drugs under a road being constructed in his village, which was located and retrieved by the police. The total seizure now stands at 10 kg.
05-Aug-2023
According to sources, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) is considering deploying advanced anti-drone systems along the International Border (IB) in Punjab to counter rogue drones from Pakistan, which are often used to transport contraband. Systems such as SkyWall 100, DroneGun Tactical CHIMERA, and anti-drone radar from Bharat Electrical Limited are currently under evaluation. These systems would possess enhanced night-vision, laser, and jamming capabilities, with a range of up to 400 meters, enabling them to jam signals from rogue UAVs and even capture them using a net. The primary focus is on countering Pakistani drug smugglers and terrorist activities, and there are plans for establishing an advanced drone forensic lab and collaborating with start-ups.
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 revealed that they had on August 1 arrested two arms suppliers identified as Harpal Singh and Kishore Singh Rathore and recovered 17 pistols of .32 bore along with 35 magazines from their possession from Khargone and Bharwani districts Madhya Pradesh (MP). The weapons were intended for criminal gangs associated with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravi Balachauria, according to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
05-Aug-2023
The Police of August 5 arrested two persons, identified as Rohit and Daljinder and recovered two pistols and nine live cartridges from their possession, in Hoshiarpur in Hoshiarpur district.
05-Aug-2023
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Prem Singh Chandumajra on August 5 expressed concern over the recent National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids in Punjab, targeting Khalsa Aid's office and the manager's house. He also condemned the alleged harassment of Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, a Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) from the United Kingdom (UK), at the international airport in Amritsar. Chandumajra drew parallels between these incidents and past instances of targeting Sikhs during Congress rule, comparing the current events to historical anti-Sikh actions.
03-Aug-2023
A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, tabled in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on August 3, revealed that Punjab, with a population of approximately three crores, has 66 lakh drug users. The report highlights that 21.36 lakh people are consuming various types of opioids, 30.68 lakh are regular cannabis users, 9.93 lakh are using sedatives, 1.87 lakh are using inhalants, 1.5 lakh are using cocaine, and 1.36 lakh are using stimulants.
03-Aug-2023
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on August 3 arrested Harjeet Singh, an Indian national based in Spain, on charges of terror financing and facilitating target killings in Punjab, at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. His associate, identified as Amrinder Singh alias Bunty, was also arrested in Khanna, in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Harjeet funded and assisted Bunty in carrying out the target killings, and investigations revealed their connection with foreign entities linked to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), according to Additional Inspector General (AIG) SSOC, Mohali, Ashwani Kapur. Harjeet also used fake Facebook accounts to promote radical content and activities of banned separatist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
03-Aug-2023
Immigration officials at the Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport in Amritsar, Punjab on August 3 detained Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi, a Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom (UK), due to the lack of necessary travel documents before eventually releasing him after two hours. Dhesi is known for being the first Sikh MP to wear a turban in Britain and has been in the headlines in Punjab politics, with controversies surrounding his alleged support for Khalistan and criticism of the Indian government's actions in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
03-Aug-2023
Sikh organizations, Panth Sewak and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on August 3 strongly criticized the Narendra Modi government, in the wake of a raid conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Khalsa Aid, claiming it is an attempt to target those actively working for the betterment of the Panth.
03-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 3 arrested a gang of robbers who were planning to strike at a grocery store in Ludhiana and a jewellery shop in Mohali, identified as Kulwant Singh alias Guddu, Narinder Singh alias Nandi, Amarinder Singh alias Captain, Lovish Kumar alias Lovi and Parampratap Singh and recovered two illegal country made pistols and eight live cartridges from their possession. Their accomplice, Yadwinder Singh managed to escape. Kulwant Singh is also associated with the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
03-Aug-2023
Minister of State for Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), Nityanand Rai in his reply to a question put by Congress Member of Parliament (MP) KC Venugopal informed the Rajya Sabha that Punjab ranks third among states with the highest number of First Information Reports (FIRs) registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between 2019 and 2021. Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 31,482 FIRs, followed by Maharashtra with 28,959, and Punjab with 28,417. The UMHA shared various measures taken by the Union and state governments to combat the drug menace, including the approval of new regional and zonal offices for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and strengthening the organizational structure.
03-Aug-2023
A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 3 revealed a shocking rise in drug addiction among children, young adults, and adults in India. According to the report, in Punjab alone, 6.97 lakh children between 10-17 years are addicted to drugs, with opioids, cocaine, and inhalants being widely prevalent. The situation is equally alarming in other states like Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, with millions of drug users reported among adults. The committee expressed distress over the exorbitant numbers and called for urgent measures to address the drug menace.
03-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 3 arrested a person, identified as Shinder Singh and recovered six kilograms of heroin and INR 1.50 lakh cash from his possession, near Amritsar.
02-Aug-2023
The Police on August 2 arrested a smuggler, identified as Gurlal Singh and seized 1kg heroin and a 30 bore China-made pistol with five rounds of ammunition from his possession in Manawala village in Amritsar district. The accused had shot at a police team during a checkpoint operation in Sukhewal village in Nabha tehsil of Patiala district in Punjab and fled towards Amritsar. He was finally nabbed near Manawala village, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP-rural) Satinder Singh.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 2 sought information on the whereabouts of Sukhpal Singh, who went missing 29 years ago in Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur district, amid allegations from his family that he was killed in a fake encounter by the suspended Punjab Police Inspector General (IG), Parmraj Singh Umranangal. Sukhpal Singh's wife claims that Umranangal killed him and falsely presented his body as that of a wanted militant, Gurnam Singh Bandala, who is still alive. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the case, and Umranangal has been questioned in connection with the alleged disappearance.
02-Aug-2023
According to senior officials, security agencies are concerned about the ‘reverse drone’ operations by smugglers at the India-Pakistan border, especially the Punjab region. Some senior officials said that the forensic analysis of downed drones revealed that some originated from the Indian side, particularly in Punjab, indicating a trend that could increase. Smugglers dispatch drones from India to Pakistan, where they are loaded with drugs and weapons before being called back to India, avoiding the risk of getting caught while dropping items in Indian territory. Anti-drone systems have been installed at the border to address the issue.
02-Aug-2023
Police on August 2 arrested two persons, identified as Sahil Bhatia and Taranjeet Singh, and seized 153 kg of poppy husk and a mini truck from them, in Kandrodi Morr Nangal village in Pathankot district of Punjab. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh, two notorious gangsters, Preet Sekhon and Sonu Roadmajra, were assisting the smugglers with logistical support. The authorities are currently investigating their connections in the matter.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 2 conducted a statewide search operation in all 26 prisons in Punjab, called "Operation Satark," to prevent the entry of narcotics, cell phones, and prohibited items into the jails. According to Special Director General of Police (DGP-Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, Police, during the operation, recovered 21 mobile phones, SIM cards, chargers, knives, nails, and 8.7 grams of opium.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on August 2 directed officials to identify and act against errant officials in the prisons department to tackle the drug menace in jails.
01-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 1 conducted raids at 31 locations in Punjab and Haryana to uncover the conspiracy behind the attack on the Indian High Commission in London on March 19 and seized incriminating digital data, documents, and other evidence. The attack occurred during a pro-Khalistan protest where around 50 individuals committed trespass, injured officials, and damaged public property. The NIA's searches targeted an office of United Kingdom (UK) based NGO Khalsa Aid and the residence of its Managing Director (MD), Amarpreet Singh, in Patiala, Punjab and the residence of Paramjit Singh Pamma, a wanted Khalistan Terrorist Force (KTF) militant, in Mohali, Punjab.