KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
06-Jan-2026
A gangster, identified as Harnoor Singh, who was on the run for allegedly masterminding the January 4 murder of an AAP sarpanch in Amritsar, was killed in a police encounter near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district on January 6. Preliminary investigations said he had conducted reconnaissance ahead of the killing of sarpanch Jarmal Singh.
06-Jan-2026
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) along with the Border Security Force (BSF) on January 6 arrested four accused including the key operative managing the supply chain and recovered nearly 20 kg of heroin in Amritsar district.
06-Jan-2026
Punjab Police on January 6 averted a targeted killing by arresting three persons linked to the Arsh Dala gang, identified as Kuldeep Singh, a Canada-based operative, Gurwinder Singh and Gagandeep Singh seized four pistols (a Glock, a Zigana, a .30 bore and a .32 bore), four magazines, and 26 live cartridges in Bathinda district. Preliminary investigations revealed the trio was planning a targeted attack, with Kuldeep Singh having recently arrived from Canada, and disclosed involvement in an ongoing gang rivalry.
06-Jan-2026
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) denied bail to Gurmukh Singh, son of former Akal Takht Jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, and Gurmej Singh in a narco-terrorism case involving the smuggling of arms, explosives—including tiffin bombs—and narcotics from Pakistan via drones. The court observed that sponsoring terrorism is an “expensive affair,” noting that heroin smuggling, along with arms and ammunition, was allegedly used to fund terrorist activities in Punjab and elsewhere in India.
05-Jan-2026
Ludhiana (Rural) Police on January 5 arrested a prime accused in the killing of bouncer Gagandeep Singh, identified as Gursewak Singh Mota in Ludhiana district. Police cited old enmity as the motive.
05-Jan-2026
Two gangsters, identified as Sukhpreet Singh and Lovepreet Singh, were injured in an encounter with a joint Police– Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) team near Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran district on January 5. The duo, part of a three-member gang involved in a firing at a fertilizer store in Fatehbad on December 29, 2025, were admitted to the local Civil Hospital.
05-Jan-2026
On January 5, Punjab Police, on day 310 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 54 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 65 drug smugglers and seized 657 grams of heroin, 440 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2630 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
05-Jan-2026
Amritsar police on January 5 said they had identified the shooters and launched raids to arrest them in connection with the January 4 murder of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch Jarmal Singh in Amritsar district. Meanwhile, foreign-based gangsters Donny Bal and Prabh Dassuwal of the Bambiha gang claimed responsibility, alleging the killing was carried out by their shooter, Gangu Thackarpuria.
05-Jan-2026
Punjab Police on January 5 arrested a 15-year-old boy, Sanjeev Kumar, for allegedly sharing sensitive national security information with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), in Pathankot district. Police said he had been in contact with Pakistan-based terror-linked handlers for nearly a year, was lured via social media, and manipulated into sharing videos and details of sensitive locations. Investigators added that the minor was also communicating with ISI-linked operatives and Pakistan-based gangsters involved in terror modules.
05-Jan-2026
Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Kuldip Singh Gargaj on January 5 summoned Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann to appear before the Takht secretariat on January 15 over alleged statements denigrating Sikh institutions. Mann said he respected the summons and would comply, posting on X that he would appear “walking barefoot like a humble Sikh, not as the Chief Minister.”
05-Jan-2026
On January 5, a former kabaddi player working as a bouncer, identified as Gagandeep Singh, was shot dead by a group of armed assailants in agricultural fields near the grain market on the outskirts of Manuke village in Jagraon, Ludhiana district. According to reports, Singh, who was a close relative of Jagraon Aam Aadmi Party MLA Saravjit Kaur Manuke, was targeted for supporting a kabaddi player from Ekam village. Preliminary investigations indicated that two rival groups had been involved in a scuffle on the evening of January 4. Before fleeing the area, the assailants allegedly assembled outside the victim’s family residence and announced that he had been killed.
05-Jan-2026
On the intervening night of January 5–6, three motorcycle-borne assailants opened fire at a closed readymade garment showroom in Civil City, Haibowal, Ludhiana district, and subsequently issued extortion threats claiming affiliation with the Rohit Godara gang. The owner, Himanshu, reported receiving a call from an overseas number demanding a ransom of INR 5 million. In connection with the case, police produced gangster Shubham Grover from Ferozepur Jail on a production warrant for questioning.
04-Jan-2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against two main shooters in the September 2024 firing at a hotel in Neemrana, Haryana, linking the attack to the Khalistani terrorist–gangster network led by designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala. The accused, Puneet and Narinder Lalli, both from Punjab, allegedly carried out the firing at the Highway King Hotel and were also involved in issuing threats and demanding extortion from the owners. The NIA said the attack was part of a broader conspiracy to spread fear and raise funds, executed by the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) in collusion with the Bambiah gang. With this chargesheet, nine accused have been charge sheeted so far, with the plot allegedly planned by gang members Dinesh Gandhi and Saurabh Kataria under the direction and protection of Arsh Dala.
04-Jan-2026
Health Department officials, along with the police, on January 4 raided three unlicensed godowns and seized 1,41,900 intoxicating tablets, 3,64,230 intoxicating capsules, and 140 kits, including Pregabalin and Tapentadol, in Ferozepur city, Ferozepur district.
04-Jan-2026
On January 4, Punjab Police, on day 309 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 79 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 94 drug smugglers and seized 593 grams of heroin, 1.2 kg of opium, 1198 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 11,620 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-Jan-2026
An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch (head of the Panchayat, village level local self-Government institution), Jarmal Singh, was shot dead by two armed assailants during a wedding ceremony at a resort near Verka on the Amritsar–Attari Road in Amritsar district on January 4. The sarpanch of Valtoha Sandhua village in Tarn Taran was shot at point-blank range, triggering panic among guests. This was reportedly the fourth attempt on his life. Associates said Jarmal Singh, a commission agent and construction contractor, had been receiving extortion threats for over a year from foreign-based gangster Prabh Dassuwal. However, Amritsar Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jagjit Singh Walia said police were not aware of any such threats. Earlier, Congress leader Umarsir Singh was shot dead on January 3 in Bhinder Kalan village, Moga district, in an incident allegedly linked to political rivalry.
04-Jan-2026
Police on January 4 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Pawan Kumar, and recovered 35 grams of heroin from his possession in the Fattudhinga area of Kapurthala district.
03-Jan-2026
Police on January 3 arrested two suspected drug traffickers, Mohammad Shaban and Mohammad Zeeshan Ansari, and seized 200 grams of heroin from their possession near the high-security residence of the Punjab Chief Minister in Sector-1, Chandigarh.
03-Jan-2026
On January 3, Punjab Police, on day 308 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 103 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 119 drug smugglers and seized 2.2 kg of heroin, 595 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 17,620 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
03-Jan-2026
Police and the Border Security Force (BSF), during a joint search operation on January 3, seized 557 grams of heroin from fields in Van Tara Singh village, Tarn Taran district. Sources said the contraband was dropped by a drone, with smugglers increasingly using smaller drones to evade detection by anti-drone systems.
03-Jan-2026
Police on January 3 arrested a 25-year-old postgraduate student, identified as Mohammad Tanveer and recovered 15.2 kg of charas from his possession near the Railway Colony in Jalandhar district. A Bihar resident, Tanveer allegedly has links to a Nepal-based drug trafficking racket and was previously involved in smuggling liquor from Punjab to Bihar.
03-Jan-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 3 seized 1.107 kg of heroin along with a drone used to transport the contraband from across the border in Habib Wala village, Ferozepur district.
03-Jan-2026
Punjab’s Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on January 3 announced that the second phase of the anti-narcotics drive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ will be launched on January 5 to intensify efforts against drug abuse. He said rehabilitated youths would play an active role in motivating others to quit addiction. Following the success of phase one, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed the rollout of phase two with the aim of making Punjab drug-free.
03-Jan-2026
Himachal Pradesh Police on January 3 registered an FIR under provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the January 1 blast near the Nalagarh police station in Solan district. While two Khalistani terrorist groups have claimed responsibility, the claims remain unverified. The probe has been expanded, with assistance sought from the Punjab Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
02-Jan-2026
Police on January 2 arrested two persons, identified as Arshdeep Singh alias Dara and Gurbir Singh alias Gora and seized 1 kg of heroin from their possession in Nihal Singh Wala, Moga district.