KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Dec-2024
The Akal Takht's decision to revoke Parkash Singh Badal's "Fakhr-e-Qaum" (Pride of the Nation) title and impose religious punishments on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders represents a critical juncture for the party, challenging its moral authority in Sikh politics. Criticizing the SAD's failure to protect Sikh interests, the Akal Takht called for a comprehensive reorganization of the party, urging rival factions to unite and elect new leadership to rebuild trust and restore integrity.
03-Dec-2024
Sukhbir Singh Badal, Punjab's former Deputy Chief Minister, has been punished by the Akal Takht for "religious misconduct" during the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) tenure from 2007 to 2017. He admitted to favouring Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the 2015 sacrilege case, which led to violent clashes in Punjab. His punishment includes cleaning utensils and bathrooms and serving at the Golden Temple while wearing a plaque acknowledging his misconduct. The Akal Takht has also mandated reforms in SAD leadership within six months.
03-Dec-2024
Police on December 3 froze property worth INR 1.42 crore belonging to three drug peddlers: Rajwinder Kaur of Plasaur, Gurbhej Singh Bheja, and Jagrup Singh in Punjab. Rajwinder Kaur's property in Plasaur, Tarn Taran district, was valued at INR 66.40 lakh, Gurbhej Singh Bheja’s in Meharbanpura village, Amritsar district, at INR 35.80 lakh, and Jagrup Singh’s in Balia Manjhpur village, Amritsar district, at INR 40 lakh. The action involved the attachment of residences, commercial properties, and land, with notices affixed to their respective properties.
03-Dec-2024
Police on December 3 froze property worth INR 1.42 crore belonging to three drug peddlers: Rajwinder Kaur of Plasaur, Gurbhej Singh Bheja, and Jagrup Singh in Punjab. Rajwinder Kaur's property in Plasaur, Tarn Taran district, was valued at INR 66.40 lakh, Gurbhej Singh Bheja’s in Meharbanpura village, Amritsar district, at INR 35.80 lakh, and Jagrup Singh’s in Balia Manjhpur village, Amritsar district, at INR 40 lakh. The action involved the attachment of residences, commercial properties, and land, with notices affixed to their respective properties.
03-Dec-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on December 3 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 560 grams along with a drone from fields adjacent to Rattan Khurd village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
03-Dec-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on December 3 recovered a drone in broken condition from fields near Wan Tara Singh village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a DJI Air 3S model.
02-Dec-2024
Purnea Police on December 2 arrested Rambabu Yadav for allegedly threatening independent Member of Parliament (MP) Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav from Dumaria village in Bhojpur district, Bihar. Rambabu Yadav, who previously had associations with Yadav's Jan Adhikar Party, claimed he was offered INR 2 lakh to issue video death threats to the MP, reportedly to prompt an upgrade in his security. During interrogation, the police found no connections to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, and further investigations are ongoing.
02-Dec-2024
According to sources, the Indian government has blocked approximately 10,500 URLs linked to the pro-Khalistani referendum over the past three years under Section 69A of the IT Act, citing national security concerns. Additionally, over 28,000 social media URLs, including those from platforms like Facebook and X, were blocked during this period for fraud and other malicious activities. The actions were taken based on recommendations from intelligence agencies and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA).
02-Dec-2024
On December 2, a video surfaced on social media showing Khalistan leader and self-styled head of Damdami Taksal Rajpura, Barjinder Singh Parwana, issuing death threats against Dhirendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham, referencing the assassination of Indira Gandhi as a warning. The threats were reportedly triggered by Shastri's perceived remarks about the Golden Temple, although his supporters deny these allegations. The video has sparked widespread outrage, and complaints have been filed accusing Parwana of sedition and incitement to religious hatred.
02-Dec-2024
The five high priests on December 2 imposed religious punishment (‘tankhah’) on Sukhbir Singh Badal, directing the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to accept his resignation as party chief within three days and conduct elections for new office-bearers within six months. Sukhbir Singh Badal was also instructed to perform ‘sewa’ at the Golden Temple as penance for his government’s shortcomings between 2007 and 2017, including its handling of the 2015 sacrilege incidents. Additionally, the Akal Takht revoked the ‘Panth Rattan Fakhr-e-Qaum’ title previously awarded to the late Parkash Singh Badal.
02-Dec-2024
A Delhi court on December 2 adjourned the hearing in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler to December 9, as two former police officials summoned as witnesses were unable to depose. The case pertains to the killings of three Sikhs at Gurdwara Pul Bangash, with Tytler facing charges of murder and other offences.
02-Dec-2024
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, issued new threats via a video message on December 2, urging farmers to surround Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab Engineering College on December 3 in Chandigarh.
02-Dec-2024
According to sources, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to investigate threats issued by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to disrupt the All India Directors General of Police (DGP) and Inspectors General of Police (IGP) Conference 2024 in Bhubaneswar. Pannun reportedly sent threatening emails and audio messages to journalists in Odisha, prompting a high alert. Authorities suspect the involvement of sleeper cells, as the messages included text in both Odia and English, potentially prepared locally or with the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
02-Dec-2024
Fazilka police on December 2 dismantled an inter-state network of illegal opioids operating from Rajasthan, arresting an unidentified individual and seizing 1.71 lakh Clovidol-100 tablets in Khuian Sarwar, Abohar, Fazilka district.
01-Dec-2024
The Jagraon City police on December 1 arrested three persons, identified as Ravideep Singh alias Ravi, Amandeep Singh alias Jassu and Karan alias Nikku and seized 50 grams of heroin along with a Hyundai i20 from their possession, near Kothe Ath Chak village in Ludhiana district.
01-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 1 recovered two heroin consignments weighing 541 grams and 750 grams respectively, along with four Pakistani drones from fields in Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts in Punjab. The recovered drones included two DJI AIR 3S and two DJI Mavic 3 Classic models.
01-Dec-2024
Khalra police on December 1 arrested two bike-borne persons, identified as Jaspal Singh and Nirvail Singh and seized 115 grams of heroin from their possession, near Khalra village in Tarn Taran district. The Police revealed that the accused had received the consignment from the Pakistan side through a drone.
01-Dec-2024
Sadar police on December 1 arrested an individual, identified as Sukhjinder Singh Chhindha and seized an unlicensed 12 bore pistol from his possession while patrolling on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road in Fazilka district.
01-Dec-2024
On December 1, a five-member committee of Sikhs from Haryana, comprising Sukhwinder Singh Mandebar (Yamunanagar), Swaran Singh (Bunga Tibbi, Panchkula), Malkit Singh Panniwala (Sirsa), Swaran Singh Ratia (Fatehabad), and Umrao Singh Chhina (Kaithal), paid obeisance at Akal Takht in Amritsar and prayed for the prosperity of the newly formed Shiromani Akali Dal (Azad) (SAD-A). The committee, tasked with nominating the party's president, aims to address Sikh issues in Haryana and field candidates for religious elections, including those for the Haryana Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HGPC), Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC).
01-Dec-2024
Additional Director General (ADG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) Western Command, Satish S. Khandare, while addressing the media during BSF's 60th Raising Day in Chandigarh, revealed a nearly 150% increase in drone seizures along Punjab's 553-km border with Pakistan in 2024, with 242 of the 250 recovered drones spotted in Punjab. He also highlighted significant recoveries, including 663 kg of narcotics and 69 weapons, and commended the force's efforts in preventing infiltration and smuggling.
01-Dec-2024
Police on December 1 arrested a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang along with his two associates, identified as Bhupendra Singh Rawat, Adesh Chaudhary and Deepak Singh Rawat, and seized three pistols and six bullets were recovered from their possession in Indore in Madhya Pradesh (MP). The suspects were reportedly planning to hijack a liquor truck.
01-Dec-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on December 1 recovered a packet containing 500 grams of heroin along with a drone from fields near Rajatal village in Amritsar district. The drone was a DJI AIR 3S model.
01-Dec-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on December 1 recovered a packet containing 540 grams of heroin along with a drone from fields near Dhariwal village in Ajnala in Amritsar district. The drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-Nov-2024
At the 60th Raising Day press conference in Attari, Punjab, on November 30, Inspector-General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) (Punjab Frontier), Atul Fulzale, revealed that the BSF had shared a list of 136 drug peddlers involved in cross-border smuggling via drones with the Punjab Police, urging action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (PIT-NDPS) Act. Fulzale noted a sharp rise in drone interceptions, with 270 rogue drones captured this year compared to 107 last year, alongside the seizure of 254 kg of heroin. The BSF has also set up a laboratory in Amritsar to analyze seized drones and predict smuggling patterns.
30-Nov-2024
On November 30, Inspector-General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) (Punjab Frontier), Atul Fulzale, revealed during the 60th Raising Day press conference in Attari, Punjab, that 87% of the heroin seized by the force was smuggled using drones from Pakistan. He noted that Pakistani smugglers have increasingly turned to low-cost drones carrying smaller quantities of drugs to reduce losses from detection.