KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
18-Sep-2023
Mohali police on September 18 brought gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria from Kurukshetra jail in Haryana to Mohali, Punjab, on a production warrant for questioning regarding the supply of weapons and ammunition to other gang members. He was presented before the Kharar court and taken into four-day police remand in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district, Punjab.
17-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on September 17, recovered 3.130 kg of heroin airdropped by a Pakistani drone in Amisha village in Tarn Taran district.
17-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on September 17, recovered a large parcel containing 2.5 kg of heroin from a field after intercepting and shooting down the drone near Gatti Rajoke village in Ferozepur district.
17-Sep-2023
The staff of the Counter-Intelligence (CI) Wing of Punjab Police on September 17 arrested a smuggler identified as Jagdish Singh and seized 1 kg of heroin from his possession in Lakho ke Behram village in Ferozepur district. Jagdish, during interrogation, revealed that he, along with two other individuals named Bittu Singh and Buta Singh, had brought a heroin consignment from Pakistan.
17-Sep-2023
Police personnel at Faridkot Modern Jail on September 17 arrested two women, identified as Preeti and Simran Kaur and seized 30 grams of heroin and 105 grams of sulfa drugs, along with a mobile phone and a sim card from their possession, in Faridkot district. According to Assistant Jail Superintendent Karamjit Singh Bhullar, the women were allegedly attempting to smuggle heroin to their husbands inside the jail with the help of Vishal Singh, an inmate of the jail.
17-Sep-2023
The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP-STF) arrested a gangster, identified as Ravi Kumar, who was a sharpshooter affiliated with the Sunny Kakran gang and known to freelance for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, from Incholi region of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. He was arrested following a brief encounter with the police. Kumar had been involved in over a dozen criminal cases and was arrested due to his involvement in a ransom threat case earlier this year.
16-Sep-2023
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), claimed in a video message on September 16 that the killings of Indian soldiers in occupied Kashmir were a result of the conflict with indigenous Kashmiri freedom fighters and not acts of terrorism. He warned of the potential escalation of conflict in Punjab if a peaceful resolution was not pursued and expressed concerns about the situation in Kashmir, suggesting that the conflict might eventually extend to Punjab in an effort to free it from Indian control.
16-Sep-2023
The villagers of Tendi Wala and Jallo Ke villages held a protest on September 16, demanding a thorough investigation and alleging that a recent drug recovery episode in Jallo Ke, Ferozepur district, was staged. This pertains to a case in which the Border Security Force (BSF), along with the Punjab Police, recovered 1.710 kg of heroin from Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur district on September 15. Two Punjab police officials, Sub-Inspector (SI) Nishan Singh and Head Constable (HC) Harvinder Ram, were found in possession of 1.710 kg of heroin and a firearm by the BSF. Questions have arisen about the police's modus operandi and their use of a private vehicle, prompting calls for a high-level probe into the matter.
16-Sep-2023
Jalandhar Rural police on September 16 froze properties worth INR 40.5 crore amassed by six drug peddlers identified as Kulwant Singh alias Kanti, Varinderpal Singh, Sukhpreet Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Dilbagh Singh, and Swaran Singh from Rehrwan village in Jalandhar district. Two more villagers, Avtar Singh and Charanjit Singh, were also named by the police. According to SSP Jalandhar (Rural) Mukhwinder Singh, the properties acquired through drug smuggling in Rehrwan village include a farmhouse (valued at INR 50 lakh), a residential house (valued at INR 2 crore), 255 kanal and 1 marla of land (valued at INR 4.78 crore), 5 cars, 5 motorbikes, 1 truck, 1 combine, 1 JCB machine, 6 tractors, and 2 tippers. The seized assets will be auctioned by the government.
16-Sep-2023
On September 16, members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) removed posters for an upcoming event scheduled for September 23-25, which was set to feature Canada-based singer and Khalistan supporter Shubneet Singh alias Shubh, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The BJYM, the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), protested against the event and demanded its cancellation, asserting that there is no place for Khalistan supporters in India, especially in Maharashtra. BJYM President Tajinder Singh Tiwana warned that if the program proceeds, the organizers will face opposition. Tiwana also accused Shubh of sharing a distorted map of India on social media on March 23, 2023, and demanded legal action against him.
16-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police, on September 16 intercepted and shot down a drone, which was eventually discovered to be a China-made Pakistani quadcopter, a DJI Mavic 3 drone, after its recovery in a field near Rajoke village in Tarn Taran district.
15-Sep-2023
Simranjit Singh Mann, the Member of Parliament (MP) in Lok Sabha from Sangrur, criticized the lack of democracy within the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) during a rally in Amritsar on September 15. He called on the Central Government to conduct SGPC elections promptly to restore the democratic functioning of the institution.
15-Sep-2023
According to reports, the radicalization efforts of Amritpal Singh, the jailed Khalistani supporter from Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar district, have been dismantled. The residents of his village now claim that Khalistan was a false narrative created by Singh, and there is no such sentiment on the ground. They attribute the issue of drug abuse as a more significant concern and emphasize the need for job opportunities to prevent youth from turning to drugs or Khalistani ideologies. Amritpal Singh's influence in the village appears to have waned, and he is expected to remain in jail for a long time due to serious charges against him.
15-Sep-2023
According to an intelligence source, the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has reportedly used drones to drop a terrorist into Indian Punjab. An exclusive video obtained by CNN-News18 shows LeT terrorists testing the capability of drones to transport humans, with one terrorist confirming to the source that he was sent by LeT leadership to settle in Punjab and collect weapons and ammunition. This development highlights the increasing use of drones by terrorist organizations for infiltration and operations.
15-Sep-2023
On September 15, two police officials, identified as Sub-Inspector (SI) Nishan Singh and Head Constable (HC) Harvinder Ram from Jalandhar, Punjab, were taken into custody by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in a case of 'mistaken identity' at Jalloke Chowk near Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur district. The police officials were found in possession of 1.710 kg of heroin, one .32 bore revolver, and 13 rounds of ammunition. The police later clarified that the officers were on duty and had seized the heroin based on information provided by a smuggler.
15-Sep-2023
Punjab State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on September 15 arrested three cross-border smugglers identified as Gurmeet Singh, Angrej Singh and Balwinder Singh alias Billa and seized 1.6 kg of heroin from their possession near Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran district. The heroin is suspected to have been delivered via a drone by smugglers based in Pakistan, with whom the arrested individuals had links.
15-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) along with Punjab Police on September 15 recovered 1.710 kg of heroin based on the input provided by Jalandhar Rural Police, in Tendi Wala village in Ferozepur district.
15-Sep-2023
According to a senior investigating official, cow vigilante Monu Manesar reportedly approached gangster Lawrence Bishnoi between August 28 and September 10 to join his gang. An online conversation revealed Manesar's offer to handle the gang's affairs in the region due to their shared 'devotion to cows.' Manesar made multiple calls to Bishnoi and forwarded a 'resume' highlighting his local influence and connections. His aim was to re-establish Bishnoi's gang presence in the area, particularly in Haryana and Punjab, where it had diminished. Investigations are ongoing to determine if Manesar carried out any assignments for Bishnoi.
15-Sep-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on September 15 ruled that cases against drug kingpins should be registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in addition to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Opium Act.
14-Sep-2023
The Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Border Range, Narinder Bhargav, stated on September 14 that the Drone Emergency Response System (DERS), implemented by the Amritsar Border Range police in collaboration with Village Defence Committees (VDCs) in the border area, has been effective in apprehending drug peddlers using drones for cross-border smuggling. The border belt has multiple VDCs that work in coordination with the police and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities. When a drone sighting is reported, VDC members inform the village police officer, who then alerts police and BSF officials. This streamlined approach has led to the more efficient recovery of drones and contraband, thwarting smuggling attempts.
14-Sep-2023
On September 14, following a tip-off from a Village Defence Committee (VDC), Punjab Police arrested a 14-year-old Pakistani boy in Dhanoe Khurd village in Amritsar district. The boy was taken into custody, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether his entry into the country was accidental or deliberate.
14-Sep-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced, through a press release on September 14, that it had secured a landmark court order from a special NIA court in Haryana to forfeit the properties of terrorists, including cash and an SUV, belonging to four associates of Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda. The four associates have been identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Mandeep Singh alias Deepa, Parminder Singh alias Pinder, and Bhupinder Singh. This action, taken under Section 26 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), marks a significant step in the NIA's strategy to disrupt the financial resources of terrorist organizations.
14-Sep-2023
According to reports, the Kartarpur corridor, established in 2019 to facilitate visa-free entry for up to 5,000 Indian Sikh pilgrims daily, has faced challenges due to stringent entry requirements imposed by both Pakistan and India. India requires pilgrims to possess passports, while Pakistan charges a USD 20 entry fee, which limits visits for low-income families. As a result, the number of Indian pilgrims remains low, with only 152,577 out of a total of 680,381 visitors from November 2021 to August 2023 being Indian nationals. Experts suggest relaxing these conditions and allowing family visits to enhance the corridor's popularity among Sikhs.
14-Sep-2023
The internal security wing of the Punjab Police has conducted intelligence-based operations leading to the record seizure of around 200 kg of heroin in the past 40 days. Most of these seizures were carried out by the State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) wing of Internal Security in the Fazilka district. While SSOC typically focuses on matters of internal security and counterterrorism, it has recently been enlisted to address various intelligence reports and combat extensive drug smuggling activities along the Pakistan international border. The biggest hauls occurred on the following dates: 20 kg of heroin was seized on July 23 in Ferozepur, 77.8 kg of heroin and three pistols were seized on August 6, 3 kg of heroin was seized on August 16, 29.2 kg of heroin was seized on August 21, and 43.5 kg of heroin was seized on September 7. This change in strategy targets major players in drug smuggling operations, with a list of identified smugglers from both India and Pakistan. The crackdown on the prominent figures involved in drug trafficking has resulted in significant heroin hauls, and authorities aim to seize the assets of these smugglers as part of their approach.
13-Sep-2023
All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) on September 13 organized an anti-drug march to raise awareness about the harmful impact of drugs on society from Bhai Gurdas Hall to Sri Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar. Hundreds of youths participated in the march, holding placards with anti-drug slogans.