KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
05-Mar-2023
Delhi Police on March 5 arrested a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang after an exchange of fire near Qutub Minar metro station, in New Delhi. Police said the accused gang member was identified as Neeraj alias Katiya (30), and they also recovered a semi-automatic pistol and two live cartridges, and four empty cartridges from him. According to police sources, Neeraj was involved in over 25 criminal cases, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, robbery, kidnapping, injury, assault, threatening, and theft in Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
05-Mar-2023
The Anti-Terrorist Front of India (ATFI) on March 5 held a protest and burned pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh's effigy at the Devi Nagar toll plaza on the Shambhu Border of Punjab and Haryana in Ambala. Viresh Shandilya, the national president of the ATFI raised a slogan against Amritpal Singh as a "terrorist" and an "anti-national" who is destroying Punjab's environment.
05-Mar-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 5 said that it has attached five assets as part of its ongoing investigation against north India-based gangsters involved in organised crimes like extortion and murder, including that of a Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. These attachments and seizures come in the wake of the searches conducted by the NIA at 76 locations in February linked to gangsters and their associates in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Delhi-NCR. The recent development is in connection with the cases filed by the NIA under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in August 2022 against three significant organized criminal syndicates.
05-Mar-2023
The Punjab government on March 5 suspended seven jail officials in connection with the Goindwal Sahib Central jail gang clash that took place on February 26 in Tarn Taran district. Five of the suspended officials, including the Central Prison Superintendent, were arrested for dereliction of duty and connivance with gangsters. The related video of the jail clash went viral on social media. Inspector General (IG) (Headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said that the state police had been ordered to thoroughly investigate each case and tighten the noose around those responsible for the irregularities.
04-Mar-2023
On March 4, the Phagwara Police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Sunil Kumar along with 10 gm of heroin at a checkpoint near Dana Mandi, Phagwar in Kapurthala district.
04-Mar-2023
Police arrested one person, identified as Sikander Singh and seized 15-gm heroin from him in Abohar in Fazilka district on March 4.
04-Mar-2023
A Khalistan flag was found atop a bridge and some pro-Khalistan slogans were inscribed under the bridge, at the Shambhu toll plaza in Ambala district of Haryana on March 4. Later, Police removed the flag and washed away the Khalistan slogans. A case has been filed in this regard against an unidentified person.
04-Mar-2023
Punjab police on March 1 arrested one person, identified as Tejvir Singh who was another shooter in the murder of electrician Paramjit Singh who was shot dead on January 4, from Bardeke village in Jagraon in Ludhiana district. Tejvir Singh was presented in the court on March 4 and sent to four days police remand. Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla took responsibility for the killing of the electrician in a purported Facebook post.
04-Mar-2023
Police on March 4 arrested two persons, identified as Vijay Kumar and Suraj Singh, and recovered two country-made pistols from them in Patiala in Patiala district. They were part of a gang that supplies illegal weapons to criminals or gangsters in Punjab from other states.
03-Mar-2023
In order to combat the drug problem in the state, an NGO (Non-governmental organization) led by a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer has recommended the Punjab government prescribe opium or poppy husk to drug addicts in a controlled manner. The recommendation stated that if poppy husks are sold legally, the state government will spend less on drugs for drug addicts and will earn revenue.
03-Mar-2023
‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh visited Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on March 3 at the Takht secretariat in Amritsar. The meeting comes against the backdrop of Amritpal was criticized for carrying a "saroop" of the Guru Granth Sahib during the protest at the Ajnala police station on February 23. He said that this was not a prearranged meeting with the Jathedar and that he had come to do obeisance at the Golden Temple. He, however, disproved the speculations that the meeting was about carrying the Guru Granth Sahib to the protest sites.
03-Mar-2023
The Fatehgarh Sahib District Police conducted a cordon and search operation on March 3 to nab Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) supporters in the Jassran village of the Fatehgarh Sahib District. The homes of two former SFJ sympathizers were raided by the police, but nothing incriminating was found. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jangeet Singh, said that the Punjab Police initiated a cordon and search operation campaign, to nab anti-nationals, drug dealers, gangsters, and criminals from the district.
03-Mar-2023
The police on March 3 arrested a man with an illegal pistol and six live cartridges from Barkandi Road in Muktsar district. The suspect was identified as Sukhpal Singh alias Sukha and a case has been registered against him under the Indian Arms Act.
03-Mar-2023
Police on March 3 arrested one person, identified as Sonu Singh and recovered 110-gm heroin from him on the mega highway in Abohar in Fazilka district.
03-Mar-2023
According to police sources, the investigation into the alleged kidnapping and assault complaint filed on February 16 against Waris Punjab De head Amritpal Singh and six other people is almost completed. A senior police officer said that the higher authorities would soon get a report on this case.
02-Mar-2023
Notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was sent to judicial custody by a local court after the completion of his remand period on March 2. Bishnoi's attorney Deepak Chouhan said that the gangster was produced before the court through a video conference.
02-Mar-2023
The police in Delhi and Punjab were warned by intelligence agencies that pro-Khalistan elements may attempt to disturb communal harmony by attacking Amritpal Singh and would try to inflame sentiments in the aftermath. The agencies have also alerted about the terrorist outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), threatening to storm the IGI Airport building in Delhi with Khalistani flags and unfurl one on top ahead of the G20 summit. Also, intelligence agencies have asked that the police to keep a close check on the funds that the Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal is receiving. Security agencies also suspect that Amritpal Singh is receiving financing aid from Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) to be promoted as Bhindranwale 2.0 on social media.
02-Mar-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on March 2 criticized the central government for "taking a U-turn" on Balwant Singh Rajoana's release in the Supreme Court. He also stated that this had hurt the Sikh community's sentiments. He also stated that it was shocking that the central government had turned down its commitment to release nine Sikh prisoners on the 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak in 2019.
02-Mar-2023
Police searched some houses of suspected drug peddlers and addicts in Panjpir Colony, Jammu Basti, Dharam Nagari and Seetogunno Road in Abohar in Fazilka district on March 2. However, most of the suspects were not available in their houses during the search. According to reports, Abohar has emerged as a gateway for drug smuggling from the neighbouring state of Rajasthan. Many truck drivers have also been arrested while carrying drugs in the past. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Avneet Kaur Sidhu, who conducted the search, said, “The aim is to eliminate drug trafficking and protect the people.”
02-Mar-2023
Faridkot police on March 2 arrested five alleged drug dealers in Surghuri village of Faridkot district. According to an official, three of the five peddlers were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while the other two were under investigation.
02-Mar-2023
According to reports, senior police officials from northern states and Union Territories, on March 2, decided to create a special working group so that local law enforcement officials could frequently exchange information and coordinate their efforts to combat the drug problem. In a meeting organized by the Chandigarh Police on March 2, the officials held a thorough discussion on the drug problem and its sources, the substances, the routes, etc., and strategies to combat it.
02-Mar-2023
‘Waris Punjab De’ head Amritpal Singh, in an interview on March 2, said that, "(Our) Ultimate goal is Khalistan. Khalistan is our destination, the struggle for it is our path ahead. Khalistan is the ultimate solution to every problem we have right now.” Speaking out against his allegation of being labeled an ‘ISI agent, he said, "The propaganda to brand anyone who discusses the Panth or Punjab as an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent is not new". “Someone who recognizes the issue and attempts to solve it is subjected to this type of blame game when others who should be repairing the societal system fail to do so. I am Sikhi's servant”, he stated.
01-Mar-2023
The foreign secretary of the United Kingdom (UK), James Cleverly on March 1 assured that violent attacks on Indian residents will be closely monitored by UK police and security services, and that appropriate measures will be taken to stop such illegal activity. While addressing the G-20 summit in New Delhi, Cleverly said that "We take the security of people very seriously. Our police and security services always pay close regard to such activities and if it is an illegal activity, we act upon it."
01-Mar-2023
The pro-Khalistani propagator and self-proclaimed leader of ‘Waris Punjab De’ Amritpal Singh on March 1 stated that he will go before the Akal Takht over the issue of carrying the saroop (copy) of Guru Granth Sahib to Ajnala Police Station during the protest on February 23. He also said that there were historical examples and references to back up his claim that their actions at Ajnala as it did not violate the maryada. “If Akal Takht Sahib Jathedar summons us and asks us to clarify the issue, we will surely appear there. We will have no hesitation in doing so. We will go there to present our side,” he said.
01-Mar-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 1 filed a supplementary chargesheet against three operatives of the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in a case of seizure of weapons, ammunition, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Haryana in 2022. According to an NIA spokesperson, charges were brought against the accused Akash alias Akashdeep, Sukhbir Singh alias Jashan, and Jarmalpreet before a special court in Panchkula under sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and the Explosives Substances Act.