KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
24-Sep-2024
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police detained the owner of a poultry feed factory on September 24 on suspicion of possessing drug money, seizing INR 70 lakh in cash from his residence in Shastri Nagar, Ludhiana. This raid was linked to the recent arrest of seven individuals and the seizure of 1 kg of heroin, INR 48 lakh, weapons, and other items. The factory owner was taken to Jalandhar for questioning regarding his involvement in the drug racket.
24-Sep-2024
Police on September 24 booked three individuals identified as Monu, his brother Happy and Sajan, in connection to the death of Suraj who died of a drug overdose, in Sultanwind village in Amritsar district.
24-Sep-2024
The spectre of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a controversial Khalistani militant separatist leader, has resurfaced in Punjab politics following Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Som Parkash's reference to him as 'Sant' while criticizing actress Kangana Ranaut's comments on Bhindranwale. This has sparked controversy, as Bhindranwale, who was killed in 1984 during Operation Blue Star, remains a divisive figure, particularly among BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders who have historically opposed him due to his role in promoting violence and separatism. Parkash’s remarks have drawn attention to the BJP’s delicate position in Punjab, where it seeks to expand its voter base.
24-Sep-2024
A court on September 24 sentenced drug smuggler Karnail Singh to eight years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of INR 80,000 for possession of 100 grams of intoxicant powder, in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district. Despite his claims of false implication, the court upheld the conviction, noting the absence of a complaint to higher authorities and citing a ruling that independent witnesses often refuse to cooperate with the police.
24-Sep-2024
The Jalandhar Rural Police on September 24 arrested two smugglers, identified as Roshan Lal and Narinder Singh, and seized 1.2 kg of opium from their possession near Kamalpur village in Jalandhar district. The accused had procured the opium from Jharkhand, with Narinder acting as the courier, transporting the drugs via train for delivery to Roshan’s customers.
24-Sep-2024
Police on September 24 arrested two individuals, identified as Pargat Singh and Kamalpreet Singh alias Babbu, and seized 4 kg of opium along with a truck and a car from their possession near Panjgrain village in Faridkot district.
23-Sep-2024
The Fazilka police, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), on September 23, held a meeting with border area villagers and members of village defence committees (VDCs) aiming to curb narcotics smuggling and enhance safety among farmers, especially as infiltration attempts increase during winter at the Joint Check Post Sadiqi, near the International Border (IB) in Fazilka district.
23-Sep-2024
The Jalandhar Rural Police on September 23 busted a drug racket being operated from within jail and arrested two individuals for drug smuggling, identified as Amandeep Singh and Mandeep Singh, and seized 3 kg of opium from their possession, near Alawalpur in Jalandhar district. During interrogation, the accused revealed that the drug operation was being coordinated by ringleaders from within the jail.
23-Sep-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, in a joint operation on September 23, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 570 grams along with a drone from near Nestha village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
23-Sep-2024
Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, while addressing a rally in Tohana in Haryana on September 23, criticised Rahul Gandhi for his remarks suggesting Sikhs were not allowed to wear turbans or Kada in India, and reminded Gandhi of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots under Congress rule and urged him to apologise to the Sikh community.
23-Sep-2024
On September 23, an inter-state coordination meeting was held between Kaithal and Punjab police to ensure smooth elections and curb cross-border criminal activities, at Cheeka police station in Kaithal in Haryana. The meeting focused on joint efforts to prevent drug, liquor, and arms smuggling, with plans for coordinated patrolling and security checks. Lists of wanted criminals were exchanged, and locals were urged to report any suspicious activities confidentially.
22-Sep-2024
The Sadar police on September 22 arrested a drug peddler, identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Labbu and seized INR 53,000 drug money and a mobile phone from his possession, in Kalasia Khurd village in Tarn Taran district in Punjab. The suspect, linked to Pakistan-based smugglers, reportedly smuggled contraband into India using drones. The police are investigating his network and have sent his mobile phone for forensic examination.
22-Sep-2024
Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on September 22, in an interview to Times of India, endorsed Rahul Gandhi's comments on the Sikh community as "correct," but pointed out that worse had occurred under Congress-led governments. He stated that despite changes in government, Sikhs have faced continuous persecution and hate propaganda.
22-Sep-2024
According to officials, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval remained in India to address security concerns related to the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir elections and other domestic issues, dismissing speculation regarding a New York court summons. The summons, issued due to a civil suit by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, coincided with the introduction of the Transnational Repression Reporting Act in the United States (US) Congress, which accuses India of targeting diaspora members.
22-Sep-2024
According to sources, the Punjab Police have stated in an affidavit filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh that radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates, detained under the National Security Act (NSA), pose a serious threat to law and order, as well as to the life of Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann. The police referenced video clips in which Amritpal Singh allegedly insinuates that CM Mann could meet the same fate as former CM Beant Singh, who was assassinated. They argued that such inflammatory remarks could incite violence and disrupt public order, justifying the detention of Amritpal Singh and his associates in Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
22-Sep-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint search operation on September 22, recovered five large packets of suspected heroin weighing 2.840 kg along with a drone near Machharala village in Gurdaspur district. The drone was a China-made DJI Matrice 350 RTK model.
22-Sep-2024
On September 22, a man identified as Surinder Singh was brutally attacked after confronting drug peddlers openly selling heroin in the Tobri Mohalla area in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. He claimed that those who opposed the illegal activities faced severe repercussions and revealed that he had previously reported the issue to senior officials, but no action was taken. Surinder, along with his mother and sister-in-law, was injured during the attack.
22-Sep-2024
In a two-week operation, the Jalandhar Commissionerate Police dismantled an interstate cartel involved in the illegal trade of weapons and arrested 17 criminals, including gangster Kannu Gujjar, a close associate of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuriya and seized 1.1 kg of heroin along with 18 weapons and 66 cartridges from their possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district.
22-Sep-2024
Fazilka police on September 22 arrested an unidentified woman wanted in a five-year-old drug smuggling case near Kamalwala village in Fazilka district. The woman was en route to deliver 10 kg of ganja to Goma Bai, a resident of Kamalwala village, when she was apprehended.
21-Sep-2024
The CIA-2 of the Police Commissionerate on September 21 arrested two persons, identified as Jatin Sidhu and his juvenile accomplice, and seized 100 grams of heroin from their possession, in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district. Jatin was reportedly supplying heroin to clients in the city, with the teenager assisting in retail distribution.
21-Sep-2024
The Anti-Narcotics Cell of Ludhiana Police on September 21 arrested a woman, identified as Janki Kanojia and seized 30 kg of poppy husk from her possession in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district.
21-Sep-2024
Rahul Gandhi defended his remarks made in the United States (US) regarding the Sikh community on September 21 via the social media site X, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spreading lies and attempting to silence him. He questioned whether there was anything wrong in advocating for every Sikh's right to practice their religion freely and without fear.
21-Sep-2024
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Shehzad Poonawalla criticized Gandhi on September 21, accusing him of defending his comments instead of apologizing and claiming that he was trying to gain support from the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). The BJP also cited a joint statement from several Sikh organizations asking Gandhi to withdraw his comments, which they claimed had created an atmosphere of fear.
21-Sep-2024
A delegation of Sikh committees and organizations met with Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai on September 21 in New Delhi, demanding that Rahul Gandhi retract his recent remarks suggesting that Sikhs are restricted in practicing their faith in India. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also criticized Gandhi's statements, warning that they were creating fear and recalling similar rhetoric used before the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
21-Sep-2024
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of the Punjab Police, in a joint operation with a central agency on September 21, busted a major drug-trafficking syndicate, arresting 10 individuals and seizing 1 kg of heroin, 381 grams of charas, three pistols (including one sophisticated Glock pistol), 62 live cartridges, two empty shells, INR 48.7 lakh in drug money, 262 grams of gold, and electronic devices in Chandigarh. The police revealed that the suspects were operating the drug network in the Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Ludhiana districts of Punjab and were sending money to Pakistan-based smugglers via hawala after smuggling drugs across the border.