KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
26-Dec-2024
Punjab Police on December 26 arrested three associates of a gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, identified as Manjit Singh, Amandeep Singh and Davinderpal Singh, following a brief encounter, and seized a 9 mm pistol, five .32-bore pistols and eight rounds of ammunition from their possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district.
26-Dec-2024
Fazilka district police reported that in 2024, they registered 231 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, arrested 348 individuals, and seized over 48 kilograms of heroin, 86 kilograms of opium, and other narcotics valued in crores. Authorities also attached assets worth INR 7.46 crore, recovered stolen weapons, and intensified efforts to counter smuggling from Pakistan and Rajasthan, underscoring the region’s role as a critical transit route.
25-Dec-2024
Chheharta police on December 25 arrested a drug peddler, Aniket Verma, and seized 192 grams of heroin, INR 10,150 in drug money, and a computer scale from his possession in Chheharta, Amritsar district.
25-Dec-2024
According to sources, following the killing of three Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terrorists—Gurvinder Singh, Jasanpreet Singh, and Varinder Singh—in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP), security agencies have intensified their search for local accomplices in the Terai region of UP.
25-Dec-2024
According to sources, Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti, arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the Punjab terror conspiracy, had been living in Mumbai, Maharashtra, for four years and working as a crane operator at a metro construction site. Singh, an aide of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), is accused of supplying weapons to operatives linked to the group. Investigations have revealed that Singh was receiving cash payments from Khalistani sympathisers and maintaining contacts with known terrorists in Mumbai. Security agencies are probing his network and connections in Maharashtra, particularly in Navi Mumbai, where he had been hiding.
25-Dec-2024
Punjab has experienced a significant rise in militant activity since November 2024, marked by grenade and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks targeting police establishments. Investigations have uncovered a nexus between pro-Khalistan groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and criminal gangs, many of which operate from abroad. Key figures, including Harwinder Singh Rinda and Arshdeep Singh, have been implicated in orchestrating these attacks, underscoring connections with international operatives and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
25-Dec-2024
Pilibhit Police on December 25 disclosed that three pro-Khalistan operatives killed in an encounter had stayed at a local hotel in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP), using fake Aadhaar cards. Their movements were tracked during an extensive search operation, with efforts underway to identify a fourth individual captured on CCTV with them. Authorities are also probing their possible stay at a local gurdwara and with a relative in Lakhimpur, Lakhimpur Kheri district, UP. Autopsy reports are awaited to further the investigation.
25-Dec-2024
According to sources, security forces have intensified operations to counter attempts to revive the Khalistan movement, driven by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed groups like the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). Intelligence reports indicate that the ISI is exploiting unrest along the Bangladesh and Jammu and Kashmir borders to divert India’s security focus while strengthening Khalistan-related activities in Punjab. Under the leadership of Ranjeet Singh Neeta, the KZF is actively recruiting youth with support from operatives in countries like Germany, the United States, and Canada. The group reportedly plans targeted attacks in Punjab, prompting a coordinated effort by police across states to neutralize the threat.
25-Dec-2024
According to sources, in response to eight blasts targeting police stations, posts, and check posts last month, the Punjab Police is enhancing security measures around its establishments in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts. The measures include raising wall heights, constructing sentry posts, and installing nets on rooftops and boundary walls to mitigate the risk of grenade attacks.
25-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 25 recovered a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from fields near Dhariwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
24-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, on December 24, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 460 grams from fields near Bachiwind village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
24-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, on December 24, recovered a damaged DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from fields near Khemkaran village in Patti, Tarn Taran district.
24-Dec-2024
The Punjab Police on December 24 revealed that Jagjit Singh alias Fateh Singh Baagi, a Khalistani terrorist and former British Army soldier, was operating his own terror outfit, the Akaljot Khalistan Force (AKF), while also collaborating with the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). Singh, originally from Mianpur village in Tarn Taran, Punjab, had reportedly engaged in radical activities under the pseudonym "Fateh Singh Baagi." However, his father, Joginder Singh, an ex-serviceman, refuted the allegations, stating that his son had no involvement in terrorism and emphasizing the family's history of serving the nation.
24-Dec-2024
A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on December 24 sentenced three former police officers—Gurbachan Singh, the former Station House Officer (SHO) of Tarn Taran Police Station, Sub-Inspector Resham Singh, and Sub-Inspector Hans Raj—to life imprisonment in connection with the 1992 case of kidnapping and a fake encounter in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. In addition to the life sentences, the officers were also fined and ordered to pay INR 2 lakh each in compensation to the families of the deceased.
24-Dec-2024
According to Indian intelligence sources, the December 20 attack at a Christmas market in Germany underscores the dangers of granting asylum to fugitives under the guise of activism. Taleb Abdulmohsen, a Saudi Arabian fugitive, exploited Germany's asylum system before orchestrating the attack. Officials compare this pattern to Khalistani terrorists like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who misuse asylum protections to advance anti-India agendas. Experts caution that Europe’s liberal immigration policies risk enabling similar incidents, urging stricter vetting measures to prevent misuse by individuals posing national security threats.
24-Dec-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, leader of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), issued a video threat on December 24 to disrupt the Mahakumbh Mela 2025. In the video, Pannun declared that the 2025 Mahakumbh Mela will be the last one, and incited violence against Hindus on key dates, including January 14, 2025, January 29, 2025, and February 3, 2025 citing retaliation for the deaths of three Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) members in the recent Pilibhit encounter (Uttar Pradesh). Reiterating his demand for a separate Khalistan state, he urged his supporters to target the religious gathering, escalating concerns about security at the event.
24-Dec-2024
An investigation by ThePrint has revealed that Jagjeet Singh, a British soldier suspected of leading the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) module responsible for the December 18 grenade attack in Punjab, was formerly a member of the Indian Army. His elder brother remains in service with the Indian Army, while their family resides in Tarn Taran, Punjab. Singh is alleged to have collaborated with Pakistan-based KZF chief Ranjeet Singh Neeta and Greece-based operative Jaswinder Singh Mannu. Authorities are also examining connections between the KZF and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), with a focus on shared suppliers of weapons and explosives.
24-Dec-2024
Gurdaspur Member of Parliament (MP) Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, in a letter dated December 24, urged Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah to initiate a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the recent spate of bomb blasts in Punjab. Randhawa highlighted security concerns following the December 12 explosion at the Ghanian Ke Bangar police station in Batala, claimed by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). He emphasized the need for the NIA's involvement to ensure a coordinated and effective response to these escalating threats.
24-Dec-2024
The police on December 24 arrested four members of the Landa Harikey gang, identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Ladu, Yadwinder Singh alias Yada, Prabhdeep Singh alias Judge and Pawandeep Singh after a brief encounter, and seized one .32-bore pistol and live cartridges from their possession, in Johal Dhai village in Tarn Taran district. Investigations revealed that the seized weapon belonged to Pawandeep Singh, a serving Punjab Police officer, who had mortgaged it for drugs.
23-Dec-2024
The families of Gurvinder Singh, Jasanpreet Singh, and Varinder Singh, alleged operatives of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) killed in a police operation in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP), on December 23 raised questions about the circumstances surrounding their deaths in Gurdaspur in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. The families asserted that the men were innocent labourers and expressed scepticism about official photographs, which purportedly show the deceased in the same outfits as during the encounter. These allegations have sparked controversy and calls for a thorough investigation into the incident.
23-Dec-2024
In November and December 2024, Punjab experienced eight blasts involving RDX and Pakistan-supplied Austrian-made Arges grenades, linked to ISI-backed terror groups Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). Police traced five cases, arrested several suspects, and dismantled 11 other modules. The grenades, likely from old Pakistan Army stock, were delivered via drones and deployed by handlers recruited through gangsters and drug smugglers. Investigations are ongoing in the remaining cases.
23-Dec-2024
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Special Task Force (STF) and Punjab Police on December 23 killed three pro-Khalistan terrorists, identified as Gurwinder Singh, Virendra Singh alias Ravi, and Jasan Preet Singh alias Pratap Singh, in retaliatory firing, and seized two AK-47 assault rifles, two Glock pistols, and a large cache of ammunition from their possession in Pilibhit district, UP. The terrorists, linked to the Khalistani Zindabad Force (KZF), were reportedly involved in a recent grenade attack on a police outpost in Gurdaspur, Punjab.
23-Dec-2024
The December 23 encounter of three Khalistani terrorists in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP), highlights the Terai region's history as a safe haven for Khalistan sympathizers, officials noted. In June, Khalistani posters outside gurdwaras in Pilibhit and Bareilly signaled attempts to garner local support, especially during Shahid Diwas (Martyrs' Day) events. UP Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar reiterated the state's resolve to combat terrorism and uphold national sovereignty and integrity.
23-Dec-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 23 arrested Jatinder Singh alias Jyoti, a key aide of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa and gangster Bachitar Singh alias Pavitar Batala, in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Jatinder, associated with the banned Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), was reportedly involved in procuring weapons from Madhya Pradesh (MP) and supplying them to operatives in Punjab.
23-Dec-2024
On December 23, an ambulance carrying the bodies of three Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) terrorists—Gurvinder Singh, Virender Singh alias Ravi, and Jaspreet Singh alias Pratap Singh—killed in an encounter with Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police in Pilibhit, met with a road accident in Rampur, UP. No casualties were reported in the incident.