KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
30-Jun-2023
Police arrested an unidentified young woman along with 17 grams of heroin from near the truck union office in Malout in Muktsar district on June 30.
30-Jun-2023
Deputy commissioner (DCP) Biswajit Pegu on June 30 said that radical preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief, Amritpal Singh, and his aides who are lodged in the high-security Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam can now make one phone call to their family members once a week. This comes following complaints of communication restrictions by Amritpal's wife Kirandeep Kaur.
30-Jun-2023
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami on June 30, criticized the treatment of Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), and his associates at Dibrugarh jail in Assam. The detainees have reportedly initiated a hunger strike due to alleged harassment and inadequate facilities.
29-Jun-2023
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami, on June 29, opposed the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), expressing concerns about potential cultural erosion and loss of minority identity. This comes after the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) also criticized the code's impact on minority and tribal communities.
29-Jun-2023
The Punjab Police and Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation, on June 29, seized 5.12 kg of heroin valued at around INR 25 crore, dropped by a Pakistani drone from a farming field near Karma border outpost (BOP) in Khalra village in Tarn Taran district.
29-Jun-2023
The Punjab government, on June 29, organized a state-level function at Badrukhan village in Sangur district of Punjab, to commemorate the 184th death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
29-Jun-2023
According to intelligence sources within Indian intelligence agencies, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is orchestrating a sinister Khalistan conspiracy against India, utilizing gangs and Khalistani groups. Intelligence sources revealed ISI agent and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Nasir Khan's involvement in funding, weapons supply, and drug trafficking. Investigations by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and state police unveiled cross-border attempts to arm criminals and deliver drugs, with a control room in Lahore. Security agencies suspect that the ISI is coordinating drone operations from near Pakistani ranger camps, thereby aiding terrorists. Recently, security forces were able to intercept most of the Pakistani drones by gathering crucial information on drone routes through the technical analysis of the chips found in previously captured drones.
29-Jun-2023
Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh and his aides initiated a hunger strike protesting the lack of telephone access and poor food quality in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, said Amritpal's wife, Kirandeep Kaur after visiting him in jail on June 29. She expressed solidarity with her husband and highlighted the difficulties faced by prisoners who are unable to contact their families or legal counsels. Additionally, Kirandeep mentioned the substandard food quality and the presence of tobacco in chapatis, which goes against Sikh principles.
28-Jun-2023
On June 28, Jaspreet Kaur, the sister of Khalistan supporter and the leader of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Avtar Singh Khanda, who passed away in a Birmingham hospital in the United Kingdom (UK), approached Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) seeking permission to repatriate his body from the UK to Moga, Punjab, for cremation. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had identified Khanda as the prime suspect in the pulling down of India's national flag during a protest outside the Indian high commission in London on March 19. Jaspreet Kaur, residing in Moga, filed the petition, stating her intention to bear the transportation expenses for bringing her brother's body back to India.
28-Jun-2023
The Police arrested an individual, identified as Harshdeep Singh, and seized 12 gm of heroin from him near Kandhwala Road in Abohar in Fazilka district.
28-Jun-2023
The Police arrested a person, identified as Bilal Khan and seized 700 gm of opium from his car near Sadulshahar in Fazilka district.
28-Jun-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on June 28 shot down a drone that was intercepted near the International Border (IB) in the Tarn Taran sector in Tarn Taran district. The drone was later found in fields adjacent to Bhura Kohna village in Valtoha-15 Tehsil in Tarn Taran District by a joint search operation conducted by the BSF and Punjab Police.
28-Jun-2023
India's External Affairs Minister (EAM), S. Jaishankar on June 28 accused Canada of being driven by vote-bank politics on the Khalistan issue, at an event held in New Delhi. He stated that Canada's response to the matter has been influenced by its electoral considerations, which has impacted bilateral ties. India has repeatedly urged Canada to refrain from providing space to pro-Khalistani separatist and extremist elements. Jaishankar warned that if activities from Canada impinge on India's national security and integrity, India will be compelled to respond.
28-Jun-2023
The Amritsar police on June 28 filed challan (charge-sheets) against more than 20 supporters of pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh in connection with the February 23 Ajnala incident. The incident occurred when Amritpal and his followers stormed the Ajnala police station to demand the release of Lovepreet Singh, a supporter of Amritpal who was arrested for detaining and assaulting a Sikh youth. The police have charged the arrested individuals with attempted murder and criminal trespass. Amritpal, who is currently in jail in Dibrugarh, Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), will face arrest in this case, and a supplementary challan will be filed.
28-Jun-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has located five individuals wanted for their alleged involvement in Khalistan terrorism in India. The individuals have been identified as Kashmir Singh Galwaddi (located in Nepal), Gurjant Singh (located in Australia), Yadwinder Singh (located in the Philippines), Parminder Singh (located in Greece), and Tarsem (located in Dubai). Non-bailable warrants (NBWs) have been issued against them, and they have been declared as absconders. The case, which was filed in New Delhi in August 2022, relates to a conspiracy allegedly carried out by the Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF).
27-Jun-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on June 27 rejected the bail plea of Dharminder Singh alias Dhana, a narco-terrorist involved in the narco-terror case investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The court observed that the allegations against Dhana being part of the narco-terror network cannot be disregarded, considering the recovery of his car and his evasive conduct. Dhana's bail was previously denied by the special NIA court, and he has been in custody since June 2020. The case involves the smuggling of heroin from Pakistan to fund the banned outfit Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) and revive terrorism in Punjab.
26-Jun-2023
According to reports, jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi has allegedly confessed to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) that politicians and businessmen pay him a fee in exchange for threatening calls, enabling them to seek police security. Bishnoi, a primary suspect in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, divulged this information during his interrogation by the NIA regarding funding for Khalistani groups. Sources stated that he claimed to extort INR 2.5 crore per month from various entities, including liquor dealers, call centre proprietors, drug suppliers, and real estate entrepreneurs. Bishnoi also alleged that politicians and businessmen pay him for making threatening extortion calls to secure state police protection. The NIA purportedly shared these specifics with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA).
26-Jun-2023
India on June 26 summoned a senior Pakistani diplomat to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi to lodge a formal protest against a string of attacks targeting the Sikh minority, which included the recent murder of a Sikh man in Peshawar, Pakistan. The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the killing, as well as a prior attack on a Sikh shopkeeper. India called upon Pakistan to carry out a thorough investigation into these attacks and guarantee the safety of minority communities within the country.
26-Jun-2023
Police on June 26 arrested a truck driver, identified as Bukkan Singh and seized 5,000 intoxicating tablets from his vehicle in Mehmuana in Faridkot district.
26-Jun-2023
Police on June 26 arrested an individual, identified as Ravinder Singh and seized 25 grams of heroin from his possession in Fazilka district.
26-Jun-2023
Police on June 26 arrested a person, identified as Gurmeet Singh along with 10 kilograms of poppy husk from Shahpur Arniwala in Fazilka district.
26-Jun-2023
In an exclusive interview with India Today, fugitive gangster Goldy Brar revealed the motive behind the murder of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, almost a year after the incident. Brar, a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, stated that Moose Wala needed to be taught a lesson for his egoistic behaviour and revenge for the murder of Youth Akali Dal leader Vicky Middukhera along with misuse of political and financial power.
26-Jun-2023
In an exclusive interview with India Today, fugitive gangster Goldy Brar has denied supporting the idea of Khalistan or a separate Sikh nation. He emphasized that although there are individuals who advocate for the Khalistan ideology, he is not one of them. Brar is currently facing charges filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for alleged connections to banned pro-Khalistan terror groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and others. Brar, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, argued that since Lawrence Bishnoi comes from a Hindu background and resides in Punjab, Bishnoi should possess the same rights as Sikhs in the region. Brar questioned the notion of asking individuals like Bishnoi to leave Punjab and establish Khalistan.
26-Jun-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) charge sheet, which was filed on June 23, revealed that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi's terror network expansion strategy bears similarities to the rise of notorious gangster and drug kingpin Dawood Ibrahim. Bishnoi's gang, which started with petty crimes, has grown to include over 700 shooters in North India, with 300 from Punjab alone. The gang has expanded its influence across multiple states with the help of Bishnoi's aide Goldy Brar. The NIA also revealed that the gang recruits young individuals through social media, promising a life in Canada, and Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda employed Bishnoi gang shooters for criminal activities in Punjab from Pakistan. The investigation traces the origins of this association to the Bargari Morcha in 2015, where radical extremists took advantage of the unrest following a sacrilege incident.
26-Jun-2023
According to reports, the use of drones by Pakistan to smuggle narcotics and weapons into India is a growing threat. The accessibility and affordability of drone technology make this threat even more concerning. Pakistan has rapidly acquired drones, both domestically produced and imported from China and Turkey. These drones provide real-time intelligence and carry various payloads, aiding Pakistan's proxy war with India. The increasing sightings of drones along the India-Pakistan border highlight their strategic importance