KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-Aug-2024
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on August 19 in Amritsar criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for failing to address Punjab-specific issues in Parliament, despite claiming to be panthic and pro-Punjab. He also highlighted his own efforts to honour the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's sons in Parliament in 2018, a tribute that the SAD had never pursued.
19-Aug-2024
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 19 asserted his commitment to the principles of the Khalsa Panth and the development of Punjab while addressing the community on the occasion of the Rakhar Puniya festival in Baba Bakala, Amritsar district.
19-Aug-2024
Police on August 19 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Vishal and his brother Sonu, and seized 1.05 kg of heroin, INR 12.9 lakh in drug money, a country-made pistol, seven live rounds, and an SUV in Nawan Purba village in Ferozepur district. Vishal has a criminal history with multiple cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and for attempted murder.
19-Aug-2024
The Special Cell Unit of the Delhi Police, in collaboration with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), on August 19 arrested an arms supplier identified as Dharminder Kumar alias Kunal, from Ludhiana in connection with the murder of Vikas Bagga, president of the Nangal unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Dharminder had previously been booked under the Arms Act in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Punjab, and was reportedly involved in procuring and supplying the weapons used in the assassination.
19-Aug-2024
Ludhiana police on August 19 arrested Category-A gangster Sagar Newton in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh (UP), revealing significant lapses in Punjab's jail security. Newton, who faced 18 criminal cases, was found to have been in regular contact with notorious gangster and drug smuggler Butta Khan alias Bagga Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Amritsar, Punjab. Investigations revealed that Bagga had orchestrated drug and arms smuggling operations from within the jail, possibly using a mobile phone. The Ludhiana police have alerted jail officials and initiated further interrogations to dismantle Bagga's illegal network, which he had been operating with Newton’s assistance.
18-Aug-2024
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF) on August 18, arrested three drug peddlers, identified as Gurmukh Singh, Harpreet Singh, and Sukhman Singh, and seized 14 small packets of contraband, two knives, two mobile phones, and a bike from their possession near the Saidogazi checkpoint in Anjala in Amritsar district. The suspects were handed over to Ajnala police, who registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and are investigating further links to a drug syndicate.
18-Aug-2024
A 27-year-old environmental and social activist from Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh (HP), identified as Siddharth Bakaria, has been receiving constant death threats from Khalistani supporters after posting on social media platform X about a Khalistani separatist poster of Bhindranwale placed on a vehicle in Banikhet, Chamba district, HP. Despite reporting the threats and an attempted attack by a group, including a man dressed as a Nihang Sikh, to the police, no action has been taken so far. He has written to the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Chamba District, Himachal Pradesh, requesting immediate action.
18-Aug-2024
Police Anti-Narcotic Cell on August 18 arrested an individual, identified as Gurdeep Singh alias Deepu and seized 15,000 Pregabalin 300 mg capsules along with a car from his possession in Abohar, Fazilka district.
18-Aug-2024
Police on August 18 arrested a drug dealer, identified as Jaidev and seized 7,000 Pregabalin 300 mg capsules and 100 tablets of Tramadol from his possession in Nihal Khera village in Fazilka district. The police revealed that Jaidev used to sell drugs and intoxicant capsules under the guise of selling cotton cake and feed at his shop.
18-Aug-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 18 recovered a packet containing 500 grams of heroin from fields near Machhiwara village in Ferozepur district.
18-Aug-2024
Patiala Police are investigating the use of web-based smart apps by criminals to procure and smuggle firearms for targeted killings and other crimes following the arrest of Tarun, a Rajasthan-based weapon smuggler, who was caught with four illegal pistols while attempting to deliver a consignment in Bathinda, Punjab. The investigation has revealed his connections with gangsters operating from foreign locations, particularly a Dubai-based criminal. Additionally, the police are tracing the source of the weapons, believed to be supplied by a man in Bihar, and have uncovered that the illegal weapon manufacturing industry has shifted from Uttar Pradesh (UP) to Madhya Pradesh (MP).
17-Aug-2024
Police on August 17 arrested two people identified as Jassu Ram and Rawal Ram and seized 2.7 kg of opium from their possession on Moga-Dharamkot road near Dharamkot in Moga district. The suspects had arranged the drug deal through social media and were caught during a police patrol.
17-Aug-2024
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on August 17 detained two drug lords, Akshay Chhabra and Jaspal Singh alias Goldy, under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (PITNDPS) in Punjab, with both set to be held in Dibrugarh, Assam. Despite being incarcerated, they continued their drug operations, leading to additional charges. Chhabra was arrested at Jaipur International Airport in 2022 while attempting to flee the country. Their Ludhiana-based syndicate is responsible for smuggling nearly 1,400 kg of heroin, and the NCB has seized significant quantities of drugs and frozen assets worth over INR 57 crore linked to the group.
17-Aug-2024
Punjab Police on August 17 arrested Gulab Singh, a key suspect wanted for the 77-kg heroin haul in 2023, in Deep Singh Wala village in Faridkot district. His arrest is expected to disrupt cross-border smuggling networks, as he was involved in delivering 36 kg of heroin and had connections with Pakistan-based smugglers.
17-Aug-2024
Punjab Police on August 17 arrested Gulab Singh, a key suspect wanted for the 77-kg heroin haul in 2023, in Deep Singh Wala village, Faridkot district. However, villagers claim that he had been freely roaming in Deep Singh Wala for a year, despite their repeated alerts to the police. The arrest came after the Naujawan Bharat Sabha (NBS) threatened protests, pressuring the police to act. Faridkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pragya Jain stated that the police had been actively searching for Gulab Singh, who was declared a proclaimed offender and had links to Pakistan-based drug traffickers.
17-Aug-2024
Police on August 17 arrested an individual, identified as Gurdev Singh for allegedly threatening to blow up Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport in Amritsar. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) received an email from Gurdev demanding INR 1 crore and claiming to have planted six bombs at the airport. During preliminary interrogation, Gurdev named two individuals, whose identities are currently being verified by the police.
17-Aug-2024
The Government Railway Police (GRP) on August 17 arrested an individual identified as Happy and seized ten pistols and ten magazines from his possession in Rajpura, Patiala district. The weapons were found in a bag discarded from a moving train at Rajpura Railway Station. The police recovered the bag and launched an investigation, which led to Happy’s arrest.
17-Aug-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on August 17 arrested a suspected smuggler, identified as Jaj Singh, and seized a mobile phone containing various suspicious contacts during an ambush near Dona Nanak village in Fazilka district. Singh was already on the BSF's list of suspected smugglers due to his involvement in previous narcotics cases.
17-Aug-2024
Jarnail Singh Sakhira, chief organizer of Sarbat Khalsa, criticized Sukhbir Singh Badal for failing to provide a detailed acknowledgment of alleged mistakes under the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) regime, such as the Bargari sacrilege and the pardoning of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, following an emergency meeting of the group in Amritsar on August 17. Sakhira claimed that this omission undermines accountability and shifts the blame onto Sukhbir's late father, Parkash Singh Badal.
16-Aug-2024
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on August 16 alleged that since the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parted ways in 2020, the Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government has been ignoring Sikh issues, including the demand to rename Sahibzadas Martyrdom Day and address concerns about historic gurdwaras. SGPC Chief Harjinder Singh Dhami also alleged deliberate neglect by the Central Government in engaging with the Akal Takht's panel on Sikh political prisoners. In contrast, sources claimed that when SAD and BJP were allies, Sikh issues were addressed more promptly, such as the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor in 2019.
16-Aug-2024
On August 16, protests erupted after an individual identified as Hardev Singh allegedly desecrated the Guru Granth Sahib at Singh Sabha Gurdwara in Bhagwanpur village in Kapurthala district. Granthi Sohan Singh discovered the desecration and reported the incident, leading to Hardev Singh being beaten by locals and later hospitalized. The protests, led by villagers and Sikh organizations, were suspended after the police assured that action would be taken.
16-Aug-2024
A Delhi court on August 16 reserved its order for August 30 on whether to frame charges against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the killing of three people at Pul Bangash during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Tytler, accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) of inciting the mob that carried out the killings, faces charges of rioting, abetment, and murder under the Indian Penal Code.
16-Aug-2024
On August 16, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) held an executive committee meeting in Chandigarh and decided to urge the Akal Takht Jathedar to lead efforts in addressing the cases of Balwant Singh Rajoana and other Sikh prisoners who remain in jail despite having completed their sentences. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami criticized the government for discriminating against Sikhs and expressed frustration over the lack of response from the Centre while addressing the media after the meeting. The SGPC also decided to double the monthly compensation for Sikh prisoners from INR 20,000 to INR 40,000.
16-Aug-2024
In memory of the lakhs of Punjabis who lost their lives during the 1947 partition, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) organized an ardas (Sikh prayer) at Sri Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab, on August 16. Following the bhog of Sri Akhand Path Sahib, the event featured Gurbani Kirtan, with Ardas offered by Bhai Prem Singh and a hukamnama recited by Giani Malkeet Singh. Addressing the gathering, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh highlighted the severe suffering of Punjabis, especially Sikhs, during the partition and criticized the ongoing injustices against Sikhs, urging the community to unite against these challenges.
16-Aug-2024
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on August 16 arrested one person, identified as Vinod Kumar alias Rahul for running an inter-state organized arms smuggling racket and seized four .32 bore pistols from his possession near a toll plaza in Gharuan, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Kumar, who has a criminal background, was involved in supplying illegal arms from Madhya Pradesh (MP) to Punjab and providing logistical support to various gangs. Further investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the smuggling network.