KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
11-Jul-2024
Police on July 11 arrested the brother of radical Khalistani preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD), currently jailed Member of Parliament Amritpal Singh, identified as Harpreet Singh alias Happy, along with Harpreet’s aide Lovepreet Singh and drug supplier Sandeep Arora and seized 4 grams of ice (methamphetamine), two lighters, a digital weighing scale, three mobile phones, a half-burnt Rs 20 note, and a silver paper from their possession near Phillaur in Jalandhar district. A First Information Report (FIR) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act has been registered against them. Police reported that Harpreet admitted to consuming drugs for three years, and a medical examination confirmed the presence of multiple drugs in their systems. They have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days.
11-Jul-2024
Punjab Police disclosed that gangster Gopi Nawanshahria, implicated in the murder of Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant Rattandeep Singh, fled to the United States (US) using a fake passport and is now believed to be in California. This revelation followed the arrest of BKI member Simranjeet Bablu, linked to a module directed by Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Rinda and Nawanshahria. The duo had orchestrated the April 3 murder in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar, Punjab, aiming to instill societal panic.
11-Jul-2024
Sikh leader and national president of the National Akali Dal, Paramjeet Singh Pamma, called for decisive governmental action following a terror attack in Kathua district, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), which resulted in the deaths of five soldiers and injuries to five others. Pamma highlighted the need for a strong response, including potential air strikes, to counteract Pakistan's continued attempts to destabilize Kashmir and Punjab through acts of terrorism. The Sikh community, deeply concerned by the escalating violence, seeks effective measures to ensure peace and security in the region.
11-Jul-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on July 11 recovered one pistol body (without upper slide and barrel), one empty pistol magazine, and less than 1 gram of heroin in farming fields near Mastgarh village in Tarn Taran district.
11-Jul-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on July 11 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 570 grams from farming fields near Kilche village in Ferozepur district.
11-Jul-2024
Balkaur Singh, the father of the slain rapper Sidhu Moose Wala, criticized the Punjab government and Punjab Police in a video message, alleging misinformation regarding interviews conducted by gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Balkaur asserted that the interviews, broadcast on March 14 and 17, 2023, took place in Punjab, not elsewhere. He accused Punjab’s leadership of concealing the truth, reflecting his ongoing frustration with the investigation into his son's murder.
10-Jul-2024
According to a senior police official of the Special Task Force (STF) against drugs, Punjab Police arrested 974 habitual offenders or suspected peddlers from June 6 to July 6 as part of an ongoing drive against drugs, particularly in Tarn Taran, Amritsar Rural, and Gurdaspur districts in Punjab. These arrests were made under Section 110 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Section 129 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNNS), which allow for preventive custody of up to 10-15 days. This initiative aims to disrupt the drug supply chain and closely monitor the offenders, even post-release, to deter drug-related activities.
10-Jul-2024
On July 10, the Border Security Force (BSF) stated that its troops have recovered 126 drones and 150 kg of heroin in the first six months of 2024, significantly outperforming 2023 figures along the 553-km long India-Pakistan border in Punjab. In 2023, the BSF had captured 107 drones from Pakistan. Additionally, the force neutralized one Pakistani national and arrested 21 others attempting to cross the International Border (IB), demonstrating their enhanced capability and dedication to safeguarding national security.
10-Jul-2024
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Punjab Police on July 10 told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that one of the two controversial TV interviews of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was conducted inside Bathinda jail in Punjab using the Signal app. The SIT, investigating these interviews, requested more time to complete its probe and clarify the circumstances of the second interview. The next hearing date was set for August 7.
10-Jul-2024
The Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi on July 10 deferred the final arguments in an anti-Sikh riots case involving former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar due to his hospitalization. This case is related to the deaths of Jaswant Singh and his son Tarundeep Singh during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the Saraswati Vihar area. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 18.
10-Jul-2024
The police on July 10 busted a fake arms license racket operating from the Tarn Taran Sewa Kendra and arrested eight persons, including one of its employees and seized six fake arms licenses, Aadhaar cards, seven pistols, revolvers, a double-barrel rifle, and a laptop with details of forged documents, a printer, and a scanner from their possession in Amritsar district. District manager of the Sewa Kendra, Suraj Bhandari, who is the prime suspect, is absconding.
10-Jul-2024
Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Raghbir Singh, strongly condemned the registration of a sedition case against Tejinder Pal Singh Timma, Mukh Sevadar of Baba Deep Singh Gurdwara in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. He criticized the case as a misuse of new legal measures, highlighting it as the first sedition case against a Sikh since India's independence. Giani Raghbir Singh argued that if advocating for a separate state constitutes treason, similar charges should apply to those promoting a Hindu Rashtra. He urged the Indian government to stop treating Sikhs as second-class citizens and to dismiss the case against Timma.
10-Jul-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops intercepted and neutralized a drone on July 10, recovering both the drone and a packet containing 566 grams of heroin in Kalash village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic.
10-Jul-2024
Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) president Bhupinder Singh Assandh announced on July 10, while addressing the media in Kurukshetra, that the committee will ensure the reconstruction of demolished homes for four Sikh families in Amupur village, Karnal district, either through government efforts or by the committee itself. Additionally, the HSGMC plans to repurchase the land taken from these families. Assandh also revealed plans to discuss further Sikh community issues in Haryana with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and to support local farmer union activities with provisions for langar and tea.
09-Jul-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on July 9, recovered one drone and a packet of heroin weighing 550 grams from farming fields near Kalia village in Tarn Taran district.
09-Jul-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police, recovered a drone on the outskirts of Kalia village in Tarn Taran district on July 9.
09-Jul-2024
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) issued a notification on July 9 extending the ban on Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), declaring it an unlawful association for another five years, effective from July 10, 2024, under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The SFJ stands accused of engaging in anti-national and subversive activities that threaten India's sovereignty and internal security, including support for violent extremism and militancy aimed at establishing a sovereign Khalistan. The UMHA underscored the necessity of halting SFJ's operations to prevent the escalation of subversive actions and violence within the country.
09-Jul-2024
The Rajasthan Police recently filed charges against prominent Sikh leader Tejinder Pal Singh Timma for allegedly posting a video on July 5 on social media that glorified radical Khalistani preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh, in Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan.
09-Jul-2024
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh on July 9 issued a strong warning against the exploitation of Sikh religious practices by filmmakers for profit. He highlighted a recent incident in Ghaura village near Chandigarh, where a film shoot involving a replica of the Guru Granth Sahib during an Anand Karaj ceremony was interrupted by the local Sikh community. Singh stressed the importance of filmmakers honoring Sikh maryada and traditions. He announced plans to prepare a report addressing the violation and preventing similar incidents in the future.
09-Jul-2024
Four Sikh leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab, including National General Secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa, along with BJP leaders Tejinder Singh Saran, Parminder Brar, and Srinivasulu, received death threats on July 9 through a letter sent to the BJP's office in Chandigarh. The letter contained inflammatory content and slogans supporting Khalistan and Pakistan, demanding that the leaders either resign from the BJP or face fatal consequences. Describing the leaders as "traitors of Sikhism," the letter has prompted the leaders to report the threat to the Chandigarh Police. It also mentions seeking revenge for deaths of "brothers" in Canada and warns BJP ministers to leave Punjab.
09-Jul-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed another chargesheet on July 9 in the Salaya drug seizure case, naming Manoj Kumar Sharma as the 25th accused in connection with the smuggling of 500 kg of heroin from Pakistan into India via Gujarat, before the NIA Special Court in Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
08-Jul-2024
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, while speaking to the media in Chandigarh on July 8, stated that external pressures are being applied to Balwinder Kaur, mother of jailed radical Khalistani preacher and Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, concerning her comments denying her son's support for Khalistan. Bittu emphasized that Amritpal, having sworn an oath on the Indian Constitution, is expected to prioritize the welfare of the nation and Punjab. Despite this, Amritpal recently expressed pride in the idea of a Khalsa state, revealing a tension between his constitutional commitments and personal convictions.
08-Jul-2024
The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of the Jalandhar police on July 8 arrested a key assailant and member of the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Simranjit Bablu, involved in the fatal shooting of former Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK) chief Rattandeep Singh, and seized one .32 Webley revolver, a .32 pistol, along with a magazine and 19 cartridges from his possession on the outskirts of Jalandhar city in Jalandhar district. He was arrested after a brief encounter with the police, during which he sustained bullet injuries to his legs while attempting to flee. The police are investigating links to Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda and US-based gangster Gopi Nawanshehria, who orchestrated the killing.
08-Jul-2024
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Laxmi Kanta Chawla condemned the sword attack on Punjab Shiv Sena leader Sandeep Thapar in Ludhiana, urging against framing the incident as a Hindu-Sikh conflict. The attack occurred on July 5, and the Ludhiana police have since arrested two suspects, Sarabjit Singh and Harjot Singh, while a third suspect, Tahal Singh, remains at large. Meanwhile, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar criticized the state's deteriorating law and order under Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann's governance.
08-Jul-2024
Punjab Police, on July 8, busted an interstate organized crime syndicate and arrested the kingpin of the gang, identified as Jai Sharma alias Sukha Pistol Ambarsarya, along with four members - Nikhil Sharma alias Lala, Moni, Arpit Thakur, and Karan Sharma and seized two .32 bore pistols, three magazines, and eight live rounds from their possession in Kharar, SAS Nagar district. This marked the first case registered under the new "organized crime" sections of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), which allows for life imprisonment or the death penalty for crimes resulting in death.