KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
28-Jul-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a statement on July 28, warned the Punjab government against interfering in Sikh religious affairs, stating that the 'Panth' will respond strongly to Chief Minister Bhagwant (CM) Mann's attempts to control sacred Sikh institutions. Badal accused CM Mann of following the path of past anti-Sikh tyrants. The SAD plans to meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on July 29 to address the issue and discourage further confrontation with the Khalsa Panth.
28-Jul-2023
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on July 28 urged the Centre Government to develop a new policy to counter Pakistani drones smuggling illicit drugs into Indian territory. He emphasized the need to strengthen the border with modern technologies to prevent drug smuggling. This reaction came after a Pakistani official Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan’s admission on July 17, regarding the use of drones for drug smuggling.
28-Jul-2023
In a joint operation, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police and Moga Police on July 28 arrested three members of the Gopi Dallewalia gang, identified as Nirmal Singh alias Nimma, Aprail Singh alias Shera and Jaskaran Singh alias Karan and recovered three .32 calibre pistols along with 10 live cartridges and a Hyundai Verna car, from Mehatpur in Jalandhar district. According to the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the arrest has resulted in the successful solving of the murder case of Santokh Singh. The murder of Singh resulted from an ongoing gang conflict between the Lawrence Bishnoi and Devinder Bambiha gangs. The masterminds behind the murder are identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Dallewalia and Gaurav Sharma alias Goru Bacha.
27-Jul-2023
The Operation Cell of Punjab Police on July 27 arrested two alleged members of Deepu Banur gang, identified as Amandeep Singh alias Mani Topi and Rakesh Kania, and recovered a country-made pistol and live cartridges from him, in Chandigarh.
27-Jul-2023
The Gurdaspur Police on July 27 arrested three alleged drugs smugglers, identified as Vikramjeet Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Sandeep Kaur, and recovered 18 kg of pure-grade heroin, along with a swift car and a car camera from them at a check-post set up near Paniar sugar mill in Gurdaspur district. The gang is linked to United States (US) based narcotics smuggler Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal.
27-Jul-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on July 27 recovered approximately 885 grams of heroin concealed in two plastic bottles and a motorcycle from a farming field in Mode village in Amritsar district. The recovery was made based on specific information about the suspected movement.
27-Jul-2023
Punjab Police stated on July 27 that it will seek evidence from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding the involvement of gangster and a key aide of Lawrence Bishnoi, Vikramjeet Singh alias Vikram Brar, in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case. This comes after Brar's arrest by the NIA upon deportation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 26. The NIA had claimed that Brar operated a 'communications control room' for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from the UAE, facilitating extortion calls and actively assisting in executing the Moose Wala murder. Although Brar has not been named in the charge sheets filed by the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the murder case, they are now seeking NIA's evidence on his link to the crime. The Faridkot police also plan to bring Brar on production warrants in two cases, including an attempted murder and extortion case registered against him in Faridkot district.
27-Jul-2023
The Indian government informed the Parliament on July 27 that it had identified 15 shrines in Pakistan for pilgrimage under the India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. Among these, 11 are gurdwaras, and around 5,000 Sikh pilgrims from India have visited them in the past year. The Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, inaugurated on November 9, 2019, has been used by approximately two lakh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Shri Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
27-Jul-2023
67 villages and 20 wards in Sangrur district of Punjab on July 27 passed a resolution to make their areas drug-free and socially boycott drug sellers.
27-Jul-2023
The police on July 27 arrested five persons identified as Gurpreet, Rohit, Jaswinder Jassa, Sarvesh and Bhoop Ram under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Abohar in Fazilka district.
27-Jul-2023
The Chandigarh Police's anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) on July 27 arrested Shubham Jain and recovered 108 gm amphetamine and 70 gm heroin. Based on Subham’s disclosure, the Police arrested Puneet Kumar on July 30 and recovered an illegal .32-bore country loaded with five live cartridges, near Bazaar Number 4 in Ferozepur Cantonment in Ferozepur district. Puneet’s father is serving as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in Ferozepur. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Udaypal Singh, Puneet was part of a drug syndicate and used international numbers to communicate with other smugglers based in Pakistan, while his accomplice, Shubham Jain, delivered drugs locally.
26-Jul-2023
The Khanna police on July 26 busted an inter-state weapon supply gang by arresting four members, identified as Prashant Kaura, Krish Lawrence, Karambir Singh and RJ Rupak Joshi and recovered 32 bore pistol with two magazines, 13 live cartridges of .32 bore, a country made .315 bore pistol, six live cartridges of .315 bore, a Tata Nexon and OPTRA car from their possession, in Doraha, in Ludhiana district. The arrests were made during a special drive to apprehend criminals involved in supplying weapons in Punjab.
26-Jul-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 26 arrested a key aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Vikramjeet Singh alias Vikram Brar, for his alleged involvement in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala as well as targeted killings, weapons smuggling, and extortion, after his deportation from United Arab Emirates (UAE) in New Delhi. Earlier, an NIA team had travelled to the UAE to facilitate his deportation and subsequently brought him back to India. According to NIA, Vikram Brar, a native of Rajasthan, acted as a bridge between Bishnoi's gang and Khalistani terrorists, sending extortion money abroad. An Interpol-issued global arrest warrant was in effect for him.
26-Jul-2023
A Delhi court on July 26 summoned Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on August 5 for his alleged involvement in the Pul Bangash killings (New Delhi) during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet on May 20, accusing Tytler of inciting the mob that set ablaze a gurdwara and killed three Sikhs. Charges of rioting, abetment, and murder have also been invoked against him.
26-Jul-2023
Punjab Police on July 26 conducted a large-scale Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Faridkot, Muktsar, and Moga districts of Punjab and arrested 79 anti-social elements and seized 128 grams of heroin, 115 kg poppy husk, 2560 intoxicant tablets, a huge quantity of illicit liquor and Lahan (raw material used to make liquor) and INR 68,500 of drug money from their possession. Police also registered a total of 66 First Information Reports (FIRs). According to the Special Director General of Police (DGP), law and order, Arpit Shukla, these efforts reflect Punjab Police's determination to root out the menace of drugs from the state and transform it into a vibrant and prosperous region known as the 'Rangla Punjab.'
26-Jul-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on July 26 announced the release of short videos called 'The Punjab Files' to expose alleged conspiracies against Sikhs and Punjabis, in an aggressive strategy to champion the cause of Punjabis. The videos, based on historic accounts, will be released from July 29. The party has faced challenges since losing power in the 2017 Assembly elections and now has only three Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs).
26-Jul-2023
The Indian government on July 26 informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) that it lacks documents to establish the Indian citizenship of Avtar Singh alias Khanda, a pro-Khalistan leader who passed away in the United Kingdom (UK) on June 15. Khanda's sister, Jaspreet Kaur, filed a petition in the HC to perform his cremation in their hometown, Moga in Punjab. The HC has asked for the required documents from the petitioner's counsel. Khanda's body is currently at a hospital in the UK for post-mortem and investigation. The matter has been adjourned until August 4.
26-Jul-2023
Sukhbir Singh Badal, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in a written statement, on July 26 demanded two reserved seats in the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) assembly for the Sikh community. He advocated for equitable representation alongside seats proposed for Kashmiri Pandits and refugees from Pakistan-occupied J&K in the J&K Reorganization Bill.
25-Jul-2023
Gangster Deepak alias Deepu Banur was brought from Patiala jail to Chandigarh on July 25 for a two-day custody on a production warrant and is being interrogated in connection with an extortion case.
25-Jul-2023
The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Mansa, Punjab on July 25 committed the trial of the Sidhu Moosewala murder case to the District and Sessions Court, as it is exclusively triable by that court. All accused, including gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, appeared via video-conferencing. The next hearing is scheduled for August 9. A total of 29 accused were arrested, with some killed in encounters or inside jail. The court directed Jail Superintendents to present all accused physically on August 9, except for four- Goldy Brar, Lipin Nehra, Anmol Bishnoi and Sachin Bishnoi Thapan,who are currently abroad.
25-Jul-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 25 attached three properties of suspected members of organised crime syndicates, a house in Delhi owned by Irfan alias Chhenu Pehalwan, and two houses belonging to Kaushal Chaudhary and Amit Dagar in Gurugram, Haryana. The properties were attached as part of a crackdown on a terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler network with connections to designated individual terrorist Arsh Dala and other foreign-based terrorists. The properties attached were considered "proceeds of terrorism" and were used for planning terror conspiracies and executing crimes. Irfan was involved in multiple criminal cases, including murder and extortion, and supplied logistics support, including arms and ammunition, to the Bambiha gang. He provided a safe haven to the gang's absconding associates on the instructions of key operatives Chaudhary and Bhupi Rana. Choudhary and Dagar were closely associated with foreign-based terrorists and conspired with them and ground operatives through social media for extortion and killings.
25-Jul-2023
The Police along with the Special Task Force (STF) on July 25 conducted a targeted cordon and search operation in Ferozepur and Fazilka districts of Punjab and arrested 19 individuals and seized 320 grams of heroin, INR 13.96 lakh of drug money, and a large quantity of lahan and 27 vehicles. The operation to combat drug trafficking and anti-social activities was supervised by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Gurinder Singh Dhillon, and resulted in the registration of 15 First Information Reports (FIR).
25-Jul-2023
The Kartarpur Corridor reopened on July 25 after a five-day closure due to flooding in the River Ravi caused by the release of water from dams. Around 700 pilgrims were unable to visit the shrine during the closure and will need to reapply for the pilgrimage. The corridor offers visa-free access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
25-Jul-2023
The Kartarpur Corridor reopened on July 25 after a five-day closure due to flooding in the River Ravi caused by the release of water from dams. Around 700 pilgrims were unable to visit the shrine during the closure and will need to reapply for the pilgrimage. The corridor offers visa-free access to the historic Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan.
24-Jul-2023
Punjab Police and Border Security Force (BSF) on July 24 recovered a heroin packet weighing around 3.7 kg from a field in Rajoke village in Tarn Taran district. The authorities suspect that the drugs were airdropped by a drone from across the Pakistan border.