KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Apr-2023
On April 3, the state of Punjab informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) that Harjit Singh alias Chacha, a close aide of pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh, was not held in illegal or wrongful detention.
03-Apr-2023
The president of the State Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta-Ugrahan) Joginder Singh Ugrahan and the general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan on April 3 accused the government of creating a climate of fear in Punjab by blocking internet services in the state, conducting ‘covert’ operations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and using laws such as National Security Act (NSA) against youth. In opposition to the government's actions, protests were held at 22 locations in 17 districts in front of the DC/Tehsil complexes, and marches were organized. The demonstrators presented memorandums to relevant officials to be forwarded to Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann.
02-Apr-2023
Reports indicate that the police are currently unable to locate the Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh and his aide Papalpreet Singh, who have been evading arrest since March 18. Despite conducting searches in possible hideouts over the past five days, the police have been unsuccessful in locating the fugitives. Due to the fact that the two are believed to be traveling on foot, it is suspected that they may be receiving assistance from locals to avoid capture. A high-ranking police official stated that “No villager is providing us any clue or coming forward to inform us about their whereabouts. We are lagging behind because of lack of help from local residents.”
02-Apr-2023
Police arrested three persons, identified as Mandeep Singh Manu, Seema Rani and Mangal Singh and recovered 5 gm of heroin and 240 sedative pills from their possession from Seed Farm Colony in Abohar in Fazilka district.
02-Apr-2023
Police arrested one person, identified as Gurjit Singh, and recovered 15 kg of poppy husk in Abohar in Fazilka district.
02-Apr-2023
Police arrested two persons, identified as Amit Kumar and Shubham, and recovered 3 kg of poppy husk in Abohar in Fazilka district.
02-Apr-2023
Police arrested two persons, identified as Jatinder Singh and Jugraj Singh, and recovered 700 gm of opium from them in Amritsar on April 2.
02-Apr-2023
The Majitha police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Manjit Singh and Prince, and seized 55-gm heroin and a computer scale from them near Bajwa Hospital in Amritsar district.
02-Apr-2023
Phillaur police arrested two persons, identified as Sandeep Kumar alias Happy and Harpreet alias Shinda and recovered 500 gm of heroin from Garrha village near Phillaur in Jalandhar district.
02-Apr-2023
According to sources, Punjab Police have arrested another accomplice of fugitive Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh who has been evading authorities for over 15 days. The individual was arrested for allegedly supplying Amritpal with a mobile phone that was utilized to film footage at religious sites. Sources have revealed that the IP addresses associated with the sharing of these video and audio clips have been traced to various foreign countries such as the UK, Canada, the US, and Dubai.
02-Apr-2023
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on April 2 declared Jagdeep Singh, a former Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Punjab Police, a proclaimed offender (PO) in a case of alleged disappearance of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar’s mother in 1992.
02-Apr-2023
According to reports, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has compiled a list of infamous gangsters who are currently situated in foreign nations. The list encompasses 28 wanted criminals who are charged with offenses such as murder and extortion. At the top of the UMHA's list is Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar. He is believed to be located in the United States (US) and, alongside Lawrence Bishnoi, is thought to have orchestrated the assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in 2022. According to the NIA, he is found to have direct links with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Lakhbir Singh alias Landa who is an accused in the RPG attacks in Mohali and Tarn Taran.
02-Apr-2023
Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma on April 2 reportedly received a threat in the form of an audio message from the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). In the audio clip, the chief of SFJ, Gurpatwan Singh Pannun threatened the CM “on various counts relating to the Sikh community in Assam”. Pannun said, "This message is for Assam CM Himanta Sarma. Your government is harassing and torturing pro-Khalistan Sikhs in Assam. And also torturing those who are in jail. Listen carefully CM Sarma, the fight is between pro-Khalistan Sikhs and Indian regime. Sarma you do not pray fall to this violence. We are seeking liberation of Punjab from Indian occupation through a peaceful democratic process of Khalistan referendum. Sarma, if your government is going to torture and harass Sikhs, you will be held accountable." It should be noted that after the arrest of eight individuals associated with Waris Punjab De (WPD), led by Amritpal Singh, they were transferred to the Dibrugarh central jail in upper Assam.
01-Apr-2023
On April 1, the banned terrorist outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), through Facebook and Twitter posts, claimed responsibility for three separate incidents of fire that occurred at the Wazirpur factory in New Delhi, Azma Hotel in Panchkula (Haryana), and Kanpur market (Uttar Pradesh). The Twitter account where the press release was shared has been blocked in India. However, no security agency has yet confirmed the veracity of KLF's claim.
01-Apr-2023
The Ahmedabad Cyber Crime police detained two persons, from a rented house in Uttar Pradesh (UP), for allegedly issuing threatening messages to the public on behalf of a pro-Khalistan group against attending the India-Australia Test cricket match hosted at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8. Several electronic gadgets, including three SIM boxes, were seized by the police during the operation.
01-Apr-2023
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to raise a formal objection with the Pakistani government concerning the murder of a Sikh merchant in Peshawar, Pakistan on March 31 by an unidentified assailant.
01-Apr-2023
Sanjay Raut, an MP (Member of Parliament) belonging to Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), has lodged a complaint with the police following a death threat he received purportedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The sender of the offensive message, who referred to Raut as anti-Hindu, threatened to kill him in the same manner as Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala in Delhi.
31-Mar-2023
The president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami, along with members and staff, on March 31 organized a demonstration against Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann. They criticized the CM for his statement against Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and called for the withdrawal of cases filed under the National Security Act (NSA) against Sikh youth.
31-Mar-2023
Reports suggest that the Sikh clergy and intelligentsia are now almost unanimous in their demand for Pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh to surrender himself, in order to "stand by his own words," to protect the individuals who have been arrested solely because of their support for him, and to clear the reputation of the Sikh community and Punjabis. Baba Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale of Gurdwara Parmeshar Dwar said that the Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief should appear before the police and say that his supporters should not be booked. “He should tell the police that his supporters should not be harmed. He should say that it was his movement that they were following,” said Baba Ranjit Singh Jasbir Singh Rode, a former Akal Takht Jathedar and nephew of the deceased Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, has also called for Amritpal to surrender. Jasbir Singh stated that Amritpal had previously expressed that he would not go into hiding and was not afraid of being arrested. “Then why is he running away now? He should be offer himself for arrest. He should stand by whatever he has been saying,” he asked.
31-Mar-2023
On March 31, the Punjab Police extended their search for Amritpal Singh to include "deras" and other potential hiding places for the absconding preacher in Hoshiarpur district, where some suspects had abandoned their car following a chase three days prior.
31-Mar-2023
The Border Security Force troops on March 31 recovered two stuffed black socks containing three packets of 1.7 kg heroin close to the border fencing near Daoke village in Amritsar district.
31-Mar-2023
The Border Security Force troops on March 31 recovered 1 kg of heroin during an area domination patrol near Kalash Havelia village in Tarn Taran district.
31-Mar-2023
Indian students studying abroad are reportedly being targeted by Khalistan supporters in response to the nationwide crackdown on Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh and his associates.
31-Mar-2023
Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, has criticized the Khalistani elements that were targeting the children of Punjab's Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann in response to the police's actions against Amritpal Singh.
30-Mar-2023
The chief of the banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, through a pre-recorded phone call, issued a new threat to families with political affiliations and Indian students studying overseas. Pannun warned that their family members studying in the US, Canada, and Europe were at risk and that the SFJ would target them by filing cases against them. He stated that they would be unable to escape, as the group believes that atrocities are being committed against pro-Khalistani families. Pannun claimed that his group had already dismantled Congress and Badals and would now focus on AAP (Aam Aadmi Party), and that they would locate and take legal action against family members abroad, ultimately sending them back to their loved ones.