KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-Jan-2023
According to the police, pro-Khalistan slogans were found written on the walls of Peeragarhi flyover, Peeragarhi Chowk, Paschim Vihar, Vikaspuri, Janakpuri Metro Station, Vosco Public School wall, Rohtak Road, Vikaspuri bus stand and Tilak Nagar among other places in New Delhi on January 19 morning. At some places slogans were written in Punjabi.
19-Jan-2023
Delhi Police on January 19 removed graffitis painted on a wall with slogans like “Khalistan Zindabad” and “Referendum 2020” in the Paschim Vihar area in West Delhi. Text such as “SFJ” (Sikhs For Justice), “Referendum 2020”, “Vote for Khalistan” were also seen painted on a wall. According to Delhi Police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Suman Nalwa, "Some people had painted anti-national, Khalistan-related graffiti at some locations in Delhi. This is not a security-related issue. Legal action will be taken in this matter. Delhi Police is ensuring that no wrong activities take place ahead of Republic Day.”
19-Jan-2023
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India has taken a serious note of recent incidents of vandalism of temples in Australia by alleged Khalistani supporters and urged the law enforcement agencies there to thoroughly probe and take measures to prevent such incidents in future. Arindam Bagchi said New Delhi condemned such acts. “Our Consulate General in Melbourne has taken up the matter with local Police. We’ve requested expeditious investigation against the perpetrators and measures to prevent such incidents in future. The matter has also been taken up with the Australian Government and we are looking forward to it,” he added. He also said the Indian government is aware that a couple of temples have recently been vandalised in Australia. “We strongly condemn these actions. These actions have also been publicly condemned by Australian leaders, community leaders and religious associations there,” Bagchi said.
19-Jan-2023
The Special Cell of Delhi Police arrested two more terror suspects, identified as Jagpreet alias Jagga and Gurupreet, who were tasked with carrying out terror activities in Delhi and Punjab, in Delhi. According to police, both, residents of Gurdaspur, Punjab, were also planning to kill a politician in Punjab.
18-Jan-2023
A category ‘A’ gangster, Tirath Singh Dhilwan died of an ailment on January 18. He was admitted to Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) in Ludhiana following an infection in the brain on January 9. A resident of Dhilwan Village in Faridkot, Tirath was involved in the killing of gangster Sukha Kahlwan in Phagwara as well as in the killing of gangster-turned-politician Jaswinder Singh ‘Rocky’.
18-Jan-2023
The Khanna police busted an international extortion and targeted killing module operated by Amrit Bal-Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang which has links with foreign-based terrorist organization, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). According to police, they have arrested a total of 13 persons till now, including target suppliers, shooters and shelter providers and seized five illegal weapons and 53 live cartridges from them. The arrested accused have been identified as Mahinder Verma, alias DK, of Madhya Pradesh; Ramesh of Rajasthan; Sandeep Singh Shelly of Fatehgarh Sahib; Gurjant Singh, alias Janti, and Sukhvir Singh, both of Ludhiana; Rafi and Waris Ali, both of Malerkotla; Charlas and Parveen Singh, both of Gurdaspur, and Harsimranjit Singh Simma, Sarabjot Singh, Daljit Kaur, alias Mano, and Shamsher Singh, all four of Amritsar. Ludhiana Range Inspector General (IG) Kaustubh Sharma, said Amrit Bal and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria had given the job of 14 targeted killings to the suspects. “It all started on December 5, 2022 when the Khanna police arrested two persons — Mahinder Verma and Ramesh Chauhan — from whom a .32 bore pistol, a .315 country made, 10 live cartridges were seized. During their questioning, their links with gangster Bal came to the fore. In November 2022, these two were also sent to Yamunanagar in Haryana by Bal but they could not commit killing due to some reasons,” he added. On the further disclosures of these two, three more gang members Gurjant, Sandeep and Sukhvir were arrested with a US-made .45 bore and 20 live cartridges and on further questioning, these three admitted that on the directions of Bal, Mahinder and Ramesh were to commit a killing in Batala and Harsimranjit, Shamsher and Charlas were to arrange shelter and arms for them there, said the IG, adding that on December 18, these three were nabbed with illegal weapons. The arrested woman, Daljit Kaur, is a close confidant of Bal; Sarabjot Singh and Parmod, alias Bahman (yet to be arrested), are her aides and three used to get instructions for targeted killings from Bal and Bhagwanpuria and they would then arrange resources for shooters, said the IG, adding that on December 24-25, Sarabjot and Kaur were arrested.
18-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 18 seized Chinese-made weapons dropped by a Pakistani Drone in the frontier village Uncha Takala in the Gurdaspur district. BSF Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Prabhakar Joshi said four Chinese-manufactured pistols, 47 rounds and eight magazines were found in the agriculture fields during a search. He added that the consignment bore the name of ‘Norinco.’ “Later, we got to know that the arms and ammunition were manufactured by China North Industries Group Corporation going by the acronym ‘Norinco’,” he said.
18-Jan-2023
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami was attacked during the ongoing Quami Insaaf Morcha when he was leaving the protest site in Mohali on January 18. Dhami along with members of SGPC executive committee had reached the site to address the protesters. The SGPC chief was attacked after he finished speaking and was leaving the protest site in his car.
18-Jan-2023
Police submitted a supplementary report against two accused in the Mohali rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack case in a local court on January 18. The RPG was fired at Punjab Police’s intelligence headquarters in Mohali on May 9, 2022. The supplementary report was submitted in the court of additional district and sessions judge Avtar Singh against key accused Charat Singh and the sole juvenile in the case whom the juvenile justice board has recently directed to treat as an adult. Police claimed that the May 9 attack was conspired by the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) backing.
17-Jan-2023
A Mohali court allowed the National Investigating Agency (NIA) to question an accused in a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack as well as other terror related cases. The accused was earlier deemed to be tried as an adult by a district court.
17-Jan-2023
A week after two suspects were arrested for killing a man, Delhi Police have uncovered a complex terror web stretching from Pakistan to Canada with “handlers” directing hit jobs on political leaders in India, in return for hefty cash rewards. The revelations come ahead of the Republic Day celebrations in India. Delhi Police has now launched a search for at least four people suspected to be part of the terror conspiracy in which gangsters planned “targeted killings” of certain political leaders through two criminals – Naushad and Jagga.
17-Jan-2023
The Punjab Police State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on January 17 arrested two aides of alleged Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh of Moga (currently residing in the Philippines), identified as Yuvraj Singh and Nishan Singh in Mohali. According to sources, they were planning to eliminate a Hindu leader in Mohali. “They had done recce of the house of a Hindu leader here and were supposed to meet another accomplice residing in Mohali. The accused revealed that their accomplice here possessed weapons too but they were nabbed before they could meet their aide,” said a senior police officer. Amritpal had given them a target to kill some religious leaders in Punjab. “Amritpal is a close associate of Paramjit Singh Pamma who is residing in England. Our teams are raiding the possible hideouts of the associates of Nishan and Yuvraj. Pamma and Amritpal are in touch with Khalistani radicals,” said another police official. Amritpal is one of the seven NRIs who were booked by SSOC, Mohali, in October 2022 for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition illegally in Punjab to disturb peace in the state. He is also suspected to be a close aide of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa.
17-Jan-2023
According to report, Baldeep Singh, brother of Canada-based wanted gangster cum terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, has managed to flee abroad after getting a passport based on forged documents. Baldeep Singh was out on bail in an attempt to murder case when he managed to get a passport made based on forged documents and fly abroad. The Moga Police on January 17 registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Baldeep Singh, his brother Arshdeep Dalla, their father Charanjit Singh and four other accomplices who are currently lodged in different jails of Punjab. The jailed accomplices allegedly helped Baldeep in getting a passport based on forged documents, as per the FIR registered by the Moga Police. Gangster Arshdeep, a native of Dala village of Moga, and his father Charanjit Singh were recently booked by Ludhiana rural police for the alleged murder of one Paramjit Singh of Bardeke village who was shot dead by two shooters who had stormed inside his house. In a purported Facebook post, Arsh, an alleged operative of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), had claimed responsibility for his murder. He was designated as a terrorist by the Centre over his alleged association with Khalistan movement and terror activities.
16-Jan-2023
Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said on January 16 that Punjab Police arrested 258 drug smugglers and registered 194 first information reports (FIRs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act across the state in last one week. He said the police have also recovered 41.26kg heroin, 13.5kg opium, 53.25kg ganja, 4.8 quintals of poppy husk, and 5.28 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of pharma opioids besides INR 20.48 lakh drug money. He also said that with 15 more proclaimed offenders in police net, the total number of arrests reached 623 since the special drive to arrest them was launched on July 5, 2022.
16-Jan-2023
Ludhiana rural police January 16 said that “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans were written on a wall of a vehicle repairing workshop in Baddowal village in Ludhiana District. Police rounded up the workshop owner Gurjant Singh, who expressed unawareness about the person who wrote the slogan.
15-Jan-2023
According to police sources, two terror suspects arrested in Delhi beheaded a man and chopped up his body. They filmed the gruesome crime and sent the video to their handlers in Pakistan, the sources said. The identity of the victim is yet to be established. The police have recovered several body parts -- among them his hand, which had a Trishul tattoo. The man, aged around 21, was apparently a drug addict the two had befriended, sources said. Police sources said Naushad was tasked with killing “influential Hindus” by his handler Sohail, an operative of the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul Ansar. His accomplice, Jagjit Singh, was asked to propagate the Sikh separatist group Khalistan's activities in India, sources said. Jagjit Singh was allegedly in contact with Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Dalla, who is currently in Canada.
15-Jan-2023
A probe by an intelligence agency has revealed that the two suspected terrorists arrested by Delhi Police’s special cell were being handled by the K2 (Kashmir-Khalistan) desk of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The duo, Jagjit alias Yaqub and Naushad, have revealed the names of at least two Shiv Sena leaders and two other religious leaders in Punjab who they were tasked with eliminating. Delhi Police will follow up with Punjab Police and intelligence agencies regarding this, sources said. Police said they have not been able to identify the man whose body parts they had recovered on January 14. The police are also analysing mobile communication between the two accused and their handlers - Canada-based Arsh Dalla and an ISI operative. Dalla, a permanent resident of Canada, is accused of being involved in over two dozen cases of murder, extortion and targeted killings, police said, adding a red notice by Interpol is pending against him. Dalla has been operating as an associate of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and engaged in providing logistics for targeted killings on ISI’s instructions, sources said.
15-Jan-2023
The controversy over the Army’s desire to purchase helmets for Sikh soldiers has seen politicians cutting across party lines and religious leaders expressing their annoyance over the move. However, it is also a fact that Sikh soldiers serving in the British, Canadian and Australian armies are required to wear a helmet under combat conditions.
15-Jan-2023
According to report, the state special operation cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police has begun a thorough investigation to “tighten the noose” on alleged gangster-terrorist nexus, which is actively using virtual numbers for targeted and contract killings and smuggling of drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives from across the border. The police believe that members of the gangster-terrorist syndicate have been generating virtual numbers by using various platforms available on the public domain on internet by using their fake identification and with the help of their foreign-based associates to dodge the police. A virtual phone number provides you with the opportunity to communicate with anyone in the world at any time, using almost any internet-connected device. Virtual phone numbers offer flexible communication options and a layer of privacy.
15-Jan-2023
Punjab Police on January 15 arrested an active operative of Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar, identified as Inderpreet Singh alias Parry (32) from Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh. Parry, who came in contact with Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi at DAV College, Chandigarh, in 2011, had a notorious past with over a dozen cases pertaining to murder and attempt to murder registered against him in Punjab and Haryana, he said. The accused is also involved in the targeted killing of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh, who was shot by six persons outside his shop in Kotkapura on November 10, 2022. He was also involved in Bishnoi’s escape from police custody.
15-Jan-2023
Pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh Sandhu was admitted in an Amritsar hospital on January 15 evening after he blacked out at a public gathering in Muktsar in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. He complained of uneasiness after the episode at the Maghi Mela, where he addressed the turnout. Sources said his condition was stable although there was no official statement on his medical status.
13-Jan-2023
According to India government sources, India has raised strong objections with the local authorities of Australia in connection with the Melbourne Temple vandalism. The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park was defaced on January 12, with graffities against India. India asked them to initiate a probe and arrest the Khalistani group behind the incident. “Hindus live peacefully in Melbourne, but some groups are trying to creating tension between the authorities and the community. The Melbourne authorities should look into this otherwise these groups will spread here like the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada," said government sources.
13-Jan-2023
According to reports, Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh organisation, which has for years been advocating for a separate homeland for the people of Punjab, is again harping on about a referendum in the state. Dal Khalsa will take out a march ‘Sovereignty through the right of self-determination’ to highlight its demand for a referendum in Punjab under the United Nations (UN) in the last week of January 2023. The march will be held in Amritsar on January 25 on the eve of Republic Day. A decision to this effect was passed in an executive meeting of the Sikh hardline body chaired by its president Harpal Singh Cheema.
13-Jan-2023
Ferozepur Police on January 13 arrested an associate of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, identified as Gurpreet Singh from near Talwandi Bhai in Moga district. He was arrested when he was coming from Moga on a bike. When he reached near Talwandi Bhai, the police party at a checkpoint signaled him to stop but the accused opened fire at them with his .38 bore revolver and tried to escape, police said. The accused was hit in the leg in return fire by police and was arrested. He was admitted to Zira civil hospital.
13-Jan-2023
According to sources, to increase the presence of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Punjab, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has approved the opening of a full-fledged regional office of the bureau in Amritsar. It will be headed by a Deputy Director-General of the rank of an Inspector General (IG) or above. Punjab will be the first state where drug-related cases will be pursued by two separate offices of the NCB — the existing Zonal Division in Chandigarh and the upcoming regional office. While the Amritsar office will oversee operations in the Majha and Doaba regions, the Chandigarh division will have jurisdiction over the Malwa belt.