KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-Feb-2020
In a joint operation, Police along with the BSF, recovered 4.122 kg of heroin, 52 gm of opium, one China- made pistol, and 25 cartridges with two magazines which were 50 feet deep under the earth towards the Indian side from zero line in Tarn Taran district. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dhruv Dahiya said that it was the handiwork of Indian smugglers with the connivance of their counterparts across the border.
18-Feb-2020
A Sub Inspector (SI), identified as Pritpal Singh was arrested along with 20 gm of heroin when he was trying to smuggle drugs inside the Sangrur Jail in Sangrur district.
18-Feb-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested a money exchanger, identified as Harmeet Singh in connection with the seizure of 450-kg drugs, from Amritsar. The STF claimed that detained money exchanger might have involvement in the making payments for drugs.
18-Feb-2020
Activists of various Sikh organisations including former Akal Takht Jathedars, Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti and Giani Gurbachan Singh staged a street march demanding the status of ‘holy city’ for Amritsar and removal of meat shops, liquor vends and tobacco stores from the vicinity of the Golden Temple, bus stand and railway stations.They urged the Punjab government to remove these shops and vends as it hurt the sanctity of the city and religious sentiments of the devotees visiting the Golden Temple.
18-Feb-2020
According to Mumbai police sources, the arrest of several members of an international gang of drug smugglers operating from Canada, Jalandhar in Punjab and Sydney in Australia has shed light on the possible links of some of them to the Khalistan movement. As per Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) statement in December 2019, nine members of the gang, including some foreigners, were arrested last year from different parts of North India, including Punjab, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Five of the arrested were Indians of whom two are from Jalandhar. Sources said that the drug smuggling racket was run by Canadian nationals of Indian-origin who had migrated from Punjab. At least some of them are suspected to be part of the Khalistan movement still active in Canada. The racket came to light last June after the authorities in Australia intercepted a plasma cutting machine in which more than 55 kg of cocaine were concealed.
17-Feb-2020
According to NIA sources, for the past few months, reports of links between Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Khalistani militants have been surfacing in the media. The growing incidents of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones dropping arms and drugs in the border districts of Punjab, which shares a border with Pakistan, have raised an alarm for security agencies. The speculations are that JeM’s support to Khalistan outfit will revive the militancy in Punjab state as well. The investigation agencies also received inputs that the two HM terrorists, recently arrested with a Jammu and Kashmir police officer, had connections with Khalistani outfits in Punjab as well. Even an over ground worker (OGW) arrested in the January 31 encounter had revealed that a group of terrorists associated with JeM existed in Amritsar in Punjab. Furthermore, in September 2019, Punjab state authorities had warned the central government after eight drones were allegedly used by Pakistan to airdrop a large number of AK-47 assault rifles and grenades into Amritsar city.“It is the jihadi outfits who have shared the drone capabilities with the Khalistani groups, and our understanding is that outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed have a whole inventory of these drones,” the Director General of Police (DG), Punjab, Dinkar Gupta said.
17-Feb-2020
The Punjab and Haryana High Court described Pakistan as “enemy nation” before denying bail to a 78-year-old man arrested on the basis of suspicion in a case revolving around cross-border smuggling of narcotics. While dismissing the bail plea of the petitioner who was arrested in 2018 for drug smuggling, Justice Ramendra Jain asserted that “This court is not inclined to grant concession of regular bail to the petitioner, keeping in view the heavy recovery of narcotics near the fencing of Indian border, adjoining enemy nation Pakistan.”
17-Feb-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested two more persons, identified as Malkeet Singh and Kuldeep Singh in connection with the seizure of 450 kg of drugs, including 197 kg heroin in Patra in Patiala district. According to STF officials, the accused used to work as couriers and they used to smuggle heroin in the holy city (Amritsar) on the directions of cloth trader and kingpin Ankush Kapoor. Investigations also revealed that they had ferried around 200 kg of heroin so far. With the arrest of the duos, the STF has so far arrested nine persons in the case.
17-Feb-2020
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa demanded immediate citizenship for around 160 Pakistani Hindu, Sikh refugee families who have been living in unhygienic conditions in jhuggis and semi-permanent structures on the Yamuna floodplain near Majnu Ka Tila in north Delhi. He said that around 60 of these families had reached Delhi from Pakistan between February 2 and 15, while 10 families had come just a day ago.
16-Feb-2020
Police arrested one person, identified as Vishav along with 21 gm of heroin from near DSP chowk in Fazilka district. Sources said that Vishav had been bringing the contraband from Nawan Salemshah village.
16-Feb-2020
Police arrested two persons, identified as Karan Kumar and Sajan Kumar, for allegedly taking drugs at a secluded place near gate number 2 of the local grain market in Fazilka district. Police recovered 2 gm of heroin from them.
16-Feb-2020
The Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Dinkar Gupta said that after the interrogation of gangster Sukhpreet Budda and arms supplier Ashish, the Punjab police had found that their two key aides - Jagdeep Singh alias Jagga and Gurvinder Singh alias Pehalwan - had a nexus with operators in Pakistan. Both the accused were arrested and one-kg heroin and Pakistan SIM cards were seized in a joint operation of the Organised Crime Control Unit and Mohali police on February 13. Investigation so far has revealed that the duo had received a large quantity of heroin and fake Indian currency from Pakistan through various routes via different modes. They were wanted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Rajasthan Police and Punjab Police in cases related to receiving huge consignments of heroin from Pakistan.
15-Feb-2020
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) objected to the restoration of the 17th century palace in Delhi, Sheesh Mahal where sixth Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s coronation took place in 1658. DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa and other members on February 15 called the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb “a cruel leader and a murderer,” and said that it was unfortunate that the decision to renovate the structure was taken in the 400th birth anniversary year of Guru Tegh Bahadur. “Guru Tegh Bahadur sacrificed his life against Aurangzeb’s attempts of forceful conversions. It is surprising that Aurangzeb has been glorified despite his atrocities on Sikh gurus. People need to be reminded of his bloody past, instead of glorifying things associated with him,” said Sirsa, who is also a member of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
14-Feb-2020
Police arrested two persons, identified as Hardeep Singh and Janaki Prashad for their alleged involvement in drug smuggling and recovered 4 kg opium from their possession from the T-point on Sirhind-Patiala road near Chaurwala village in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
14-Feb-2020
A Sikh leaders delegation led by the Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa met the Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and requested his intervention to end monopoly on the live telecast of Gurbani from Golden Temple. However, Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh directed the preachers to refrain from controversial issues while delivering discourse on Gurbani. He said that the purpose was to spread a message that the preaching references should be quoted only from Gurbani so that there should be no confusion among the Sikhs.
13-Feb-2020
The top Sikh body, Akal Takht extended its support to the Muslim groups that have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for weeks. After meeting with a delegation led by Delhi Minority Commission chief Zafarul Islam Khan, the Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpeet Singh stated that there is a sentiment of fear and insecurity among the minorities and the Sikhs are bound to stand by the oppressed. "Sikhs are bound by their principles to stand for the victim and against injustice. We had received a similar request from another group of the Muslim community. There is a sentiment of fear and insecurity among minorities and it is not good for the country," he said. He asked the Muslim leaders to also seek the support of Hindu groups against the CAA.
13-Feb-2020
An undertrial drug smuggler, identified as Manjit Singh alias Chappi escaped from the police custody after he was produced before a Sessions Court in Hoshiarpur in Punjab.
13-Feb-2020
Punjab Police on February 13 claimed that they have arrested 23 criminals from Ferozepur and adjoining states Haryana and Rajasthan, based on information revealed by the gangster Sukhpreet Singh alias Budha who was arrested in November 2019. Budha, the wanted gangster, was deported from Armenia and arrested when he landed at the Delhi airport in November 2019. The DGP, Dinkar Gupta said that "Budha made several revelations, which led the state police to solve many untraced heinous crimes in Punjab."He added that the arrested criminals were facing charges of murder, dacoity and extortion, kidnapping and targeted killing. Police have also recovered 36 firearms from the criminals and four shops dealing in guns have been sealed.
13-Feb-2020
The officiating Akal Takht Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh said that he would be happy to receive Ludhiana MP Ravneet Singh Bittu but in the presence of kin of those who were killed during the tenure of Beant Singh as Chief Minister. Bittu, the grandson of Beant Singh, on February 12 said he wanted to ask the Jathedar about what action he intended to take against him. Earlier, Bittu had objected to the Jathedar’s remarks hailing Paramjit Singh Bheora, convicted in the Beant assassination case.
13-Feb-2020
An unidentified caller threatened to kill the Congress’ Member of Parliament (MP) from Ludhiana, Ravneet Singh Bittu and another local party leader Gursimran Singh Mand in Punjab. Gursimran Singh Mand said that the caller gave the threat in a three-minute long call on February 13 evening in which the person also used abusive language against late Chief Minister Beant Singh. Ravneet Singh Bittu is the grandson of Beant Singh who was killed by Khalistani militants in 1995. Bittu had been threatened by the radical Khalistani elements earlier as well.
12-Feb-2020
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali issued Non-Bailable Warrants (NBWs) against two Khalistani terrorists belonging to the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) in a case related to dropping of arms and ammunition in Punjab by drones originating from Pakistan. NBWs were issued against KZF chief Ranjeet Singh Neeta,a resident of R. S. Pura in Jammu, who is based in Pakistan at present and Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga, a resident of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab who is based in Germany now. An NIA spokesperson said that, "During investigation, role of Neeta, Pakistan based chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), a proscribed terrorist organisation and Singh, a key operative of KZF based in Hamburg, Germany has been found in the conspiracy of trafficking of illegal arms, ammunition, explosives, communication devices and FICNs into India to further terrorist activities." The duo is wanted for dropping arms and ammunition and fake currency notes in September 2019 at Chola Sahib in Punjab via unmanned aerial vehicles or drones that originated from Pakistan. A case against the two was filed under Sections 489-A, 489-B, 489-C and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Explosive Substances Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Prisoners Act in Amritsar.Nine persons have been arrested in this case till now and the probe is ongoing, the NIA spokesperson said.
12-Feb-2020
The Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, Dinkar Gupta expressed the need for modern anti-drone technology to check the menace of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that have been making drugs and weapons drops in the Punjab region since last year. He said that the state police was in talks with the Indian Air Force (IAF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indian Army and intelligence agencies to counter the drone menace, which, he feared, could lead to the next round of militancy in the state. Punjab Police is concerned about the growing use of technology in a narco-terrorism racket from across the border in Pakistan, with about 40 movements of sophisticated UAVs noticed in the Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozpur and Fazilka districts of Punjab.
12-Feb-2020
According to Indian official sources, since the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mounted pressure against Pakistan government, terror groups based in Pakistan have been smuggling weapons for their recruits in Jammu and Kashmir via Punjab. It said that since the February 2019 Pulwama suicide attack, dozens of weapons enroute Jammu and Kashmir, have been seized in Punjab. There has also been a rise in the Pakistan-originating Chinese drones dropping weapons and communication devices in Punjab following the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5, 2019.Pakistan-based terror groups have sent at least eight drone sorties, air-dropping 80 kg of weapons in Punjab during the last few months, sources said.
12-Feb-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested three persons, identified as Simarjit Singh alias Simmi, Varinder Kumar alias Vinkal and Rajwant Singh alias Raj and recovered 200 gm of heroin, besides one country-made pistol and two live rounds from them in Ferozepur district.
11-Feb-2020
Police arrested two persons, Balwinder Singh and Balwinder Singh and recovered 24 kg of poppy husk from near Kikarwala Rupa village in Fazilka district.