KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-Aug-2020
The pro-Khalistan separatist outfit, Sikh For Justice (SFJ) offered money to anyone performing ardas for Khalistan at Akal Takht on August 23. In a release issued on August 22, SFJ’s Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has tried to lure people into offering such arads at Akal Takht by offering $5,000, and $500 for offering ardas at other local Gurudwaras. Recently, Pannun had offered $200 for removing Indian tricolour and raise Khalistan flag instead at gram panchayat on August 15, the Independence Day.
22-Aug-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) seized 4.2 kg of heroin hidden in a water pipe across the barbed fence near Chanduwadala village border outpost in Gurdaspur in Gurdaspur district. A STF official said that the seizure was made following the questioning of Sukhwinder Singh alias Kaka, of Chanduwadala village, who had around 15 acres across the barbed fence. Kaka was arrested following a tip-off that he, along with Karandeep Singh of Dhilwan and Mandeep Singh of Chanduwadala village, had smuggled a drug consignment, procured from Pakistan-based smugglers, into the country.
22-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the state police in a joint operation seized 1 kg of heroin near the border outpost in Fazilka in Fazilka district.
22-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) arrested five drug smugglers, identified as Bikramjit Singh, Nirmal Singh, Nachhattar Singh, Panjab Singh and Raju and recovered 1.12 kg heroin from them in Wan Tara Singh village in Tarn Taran district. The contraband was concealed in their shoes.
22-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) found eight packets of heroin, weighing 2.41 kg, in the fields of Tarsem Singh of Naushehra Dhalla in Tarn Taran district.
21-Aug-2020
The Supreme Court dismissed the bail application of Malkit Singh alias Shera, one of the accused in connection with the blast that took place in Tarn Taran district of Punjab in September 2019. A bench headed by Justice NV Ramana dismissed the plea saying it cannot grant bail to the accused. Earlier, the prosecution had submitted before the NIA court that during the course of investigation, incriminating role of the accused had emerged and that he was highly radicalised towards the Khalistan movement and he was part of a gang that had planned terrorist activities.
20-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 4 kg of heroin from near Mohar Sona border outpost of Fazilka district in the evening. According to official sources, during a search, the BSF team recovered four packets from the agricultural fields of a farmer, Bhagwan Singh, of Retewali Bhaini village. The consignment was allegedly pushed from the Pakistan side into the Indian territory.
20-Aug-2020
Police arrested a 19-year-old youth, identified as Akashdeep Singh from Bathinda in Bathinda district in connection with the case pertaining to putting up a ‘Khalistan flag’ on the terrace of district administrative complex on August 14. Two men, Jaspal Singh and Inderjeet Singh Gill in their early twenties are absconding and Jaspal is the son of a Punjab Police inspector. According to police, Akashdeep, who reportedly filmed the incident and Jaspal and Inderjeet had put up the flag with Khalistan written on it on the terrace of the administrative complex at 8:15am on August 14. While fleeing, the two men also removed and took along the Tricolour hoisted on the premises.
20-Aug-2020
Some activists of SAD (Amritsar) and Dal Khalsa staged a protest outside the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) office, alleging illegal detention of a sister of one of the accused and a minor boy in connection with Khalistan flag hoisting case.
20-Aug-2020
The Dal Khalsa said that the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal was planned against universally accepted riparian principles with an eye on looting the scarce water resources of Punjab and the digging of SYL was next to impossible and that the people of Punjab would not allow this to happen. It categorically stated that Punjab owns the waters of the Sutlej, Ravi and Beas and no legislation or court could deprive the state of its legitimate right of ownership. Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh said the ghost of the SYL canal has cropped up again to haunt the people of Punjab. “We will defend the rights of the state at any cost,” he added.
19-Aug-2020
Four persons, identified as Rupinder Singh alias Rim, Yudhvir Singh alias Jony, Gurjeet and Aman Sharma, were arrested for allegedly having raised a flag with the words ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ in Chaupal village in Sirsa in Sirsa district of Haryana. According to a spokesperson for Haryana Police, two of the four were involved in hoisting the flag and the other two shot the video and posted it on social media. Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the spokesperson said.
16-Aug-2020
Some miscreants had replaced the national flag with the Khalistani flag near a Gurudwara in Dhudike village of Moga district.
16-Aug-2020
According to reports, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is facing a massive setback due to the pro-active policies of the Indian government for the welfare of the Sikh community. Consequently, it is overburdening its proxy organizations like Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) to launch smear propaganda against India amongst the Sikh diaspora. The sinister attempts of the ISI as well as its proxies are proving to be absolute failure, adding to the frustration of Pakistan.
16-Aug-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered three packets of heroin weighing 3.26 kg, worth Rs 15 crore, and a China-made pistol (.30 bore) and a magazine near border outpost Shameke along the zero line in Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district.
15-Aug-2020
A controversy erupted when a Khalistan flag was hoisted at a Gurudwara in Dhudike village in Moga district. According to villagers, national flag was hoisted on the premises of the gurdwara in the presence of village sarpanch. The Gurudwara committee, however, objected to the tricolour being hoisted there. The tricolour was taken off. Later, some persons allegedly installed a saffron flag with ‘Khalistan’ written on it on the spot. The villagers removed that flag also and handed it over to police, claiming that they did not know who was behind it. Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmanbir Singh Gill, said that the controversy happened due to “internal party politics” in the village. “Khalistan written over the saffron flag was not even legible,” he said.
15-Aug-2020
Police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Mangat Singh alias Manga along with one-kilogram poppy husk in Nakodar in Jalandhar district.
15-Aug-2020
Punjab Police registered cases against 45 persons, while 15 of them have been identified, for raising 'Khalistan Zindabad' slogans at BR Ambedkar Chowk in Jalandhar. Few Sikh organisations, including women and other minority groups, demanded 'Freedom of Khalistan' amid the Independence Day celebrations. While the Khalistani supporters declared their arrest unjust, police claimed that they broke Covid19 safety guidelines. In order to 'put an end' to the protest, cops took them away in a van at the Police Lines. The protesters led by Prof Mohinderpal Singh, general secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) –(SAD-Amritsar) at Patiala were carrying placards on which it was written: Under UAPA, I am a terrorist”. He said, “It has been 73 long years since India got freedom, but nothing has changed. The litany of grouses, grievances, and grudges of Sikh people against India has grown with every passing year, in fact with every passing day. The protesters at Gurdaspur led by Dal Khalsa general secretary Paramjit Singh Tanda demanded the release of political prisoners, including including PinjraTod girls, Jaggi Johal, Jagtar Singh Hawara and Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar and others.
14-Aug-2020
Just a day before the Independence Day, two miscreants managed to reach the terrace of the four-storeyed district administrative complex in Moga in the morning and put up a saffron flag with Khalistan written on it, while their accomplice filmed the incident from a distance. The miscreants, while fleeing, took away the Tricolour on the ground floor and allegedly tore it. Later, Police personnel put up a new Tricolour and removed the saffron flag from the roof of the building. Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harmanbir Singh Gill said that two youngsters brought along the saffron flag at 8.15am. “It was a normal flag with the Khanda symbol but they had written Khalistan on it with paint.” Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kaustubh Sharma said, “We have CCTV footage of the accused and will arrest them soon.”
14-Aug-2020
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh directed police to take strict action against the miscreants responsible for hoisting a 'Khalistan' flag in the Moga administrative complex. He also appealed to youngsters not to get swayed by the vicious propaganda of anti-India elements like terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). "You try to come to Punjab and I will teach you a lesson," the CM warned Pannun, adding that any attempt to disturb the state's peace would be dealt with an iron hand. The CM said that he directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that the two miscreants identified in the Moga incident are arrested at the earliest so that deterrent action can be taken against them, as per the law. Punjab Police has announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for the duo, whose CCTV grabs have been released.
12-Aug-2020
The security agencies are on high alert as the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) is learnt to have announced a $125,000 reward for anyone who hoists a Khalistan flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15. Delhi Police was busy coordinating with different security establishments ahead of Independence Day when it was alerted to the SFJ offer.
11-Aug-2020
The security agencies are on high alert as the banned pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) have announced a $125,000 reward for anyone who hoists a Khalistan flag at the Red Fort on Independence Day on August 15. Delhi police along with different security establishments were alerted after the SFJ offer. Over 45,000 security personnel will guard every nook and corner of the city on Independence Day, besides over 2,000 snipers deputed at specific locations on high-rise buildings in the 5-km periphery around the Red Fort. Meanwhile, the security agencies have assured that it is "just an attempt by the SFJ to create panic".
11-Aug-2020
Police arrested five drug peddlers and seized drug money amounting to Rs 22.50 lakh from them at Verka in Amritsar district. Police claimed that the arrested persons used to smuggle heroin and opium from Jammu and Kashmir and sell in Punjab. The accused have been identified as Savinder Pal Singh alias Shind, Jagdeep Singh alias Kaka, Karamjit Singh alias Mana, Paramjit Singh alias Pamma and Rajwinder Singh alias Raju.
10-Aug-2020
The World Punjabi Organisation president Vikramjit S Sahney will organize chartered flights to evacuate over 400 Sikhs and Hindus in Afghanistan in next few days in coordination with DSGMC and Indian Embassy in Kabul.
10-Aug-2020
The Punjab and Haryana high court said that persons accused of peddling drugs need to be dealt with firmly and no sympathy can be shown to them lest that should prove to be counter-productive and result in increased drug trafficking.
09-Aug-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Harwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh after they recovered five kilograms opium and fifty kilograms poppy husk from the onion laden truck from near Boparai Kalan in Sudhar area in Ludhiana district.