KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
27-Jun-2024
A joint operation of the Counter Intelligence (CI) and the Bathinda police on June 27 arrested three shooters and close associates of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, identified as Karandeep Singh alias Kannu, Raghuveer Singh, and Kulwinder Singh alias Bittu and seized three pistols along with six live cartridges, six magazines, and a Hyundai Verna car from their possession in Bathinda district.
27-Jun-2024
Police on June 27 arrested a member of a gang engaged in extorting money from affluent families, identified as Jagtar Singh, at a checkpoint on Fatehgarh Sahib-Chandigarh Road near Fatehgarh Sahib in Fatehgarh Sahib district. His accomplice, Gurwinder Singh, fled and remains at large. The gang, active in Fatehgarh Sahib, used threatening letters and surveillance on their targets.
27-Jun-2024
Fazilka police on June 27 arrested two persons identified as Sukhyad Singh alias Yaad and Jugraj Singh, and seized 66 kg of opium from their possession at a checkpoint near Dalmeer Khera village in Fazilka district. The police stated that they were smuggling the opium from Jharkhand, and their accomplice, Tarsem Singh, has been identified. The accused have been booked under Sections 18, 27(A), and 29 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
26-Jun-2024
According to sources, Bhagwant Singh alias Pradhan Mantri Bhagwant Bajeke, an aide of Khalistani preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD) Amritpal Singh, is set to contest the Gudherbaha assembly by-elections in Punjab. This announcement follows Amritpal Singh's recent victory in the Lok Sabha elections from the Khadoor Sahib seat. Bhagwant Singh is also currently detained in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, alongside Amritpal.
26-Jun-2024
On June 26, Punjab Police, along with the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF), launched a massive search operation after a villager reported seeing two suspicious armed men near Kot Bhattian village in Pathankot district. The search, focused on the Bamial area in Gurdaspur district, also involved heightened security checks at bus stands and railway stations in Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.
26-Jun-2024
On June 26, to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Punjab Police destroyed over 83 kg of heroin, 100 quintals of poppy husk, 100 kg of ganja, and 4.52 lakh pills and capsules across 10 locations in the state.
26-Jun-2024
Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, on June 26, ordered strict compliance with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's directives to curb the drug menace while chairing a state-level Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) meeting in Chandigarh. He emphasised targeting major drug traffickers and publicising Section 31 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for habitual offenders.
26-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on June 26, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 580 grams along with a drone near Kalia village in Tarn Taran district.
26-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on June 26, recovered a packet containing 540 grams of heroin wrapped in yellow adhesive tape, along with a metal loop and an illuminating strip attached, near Noorwala village in Tarn Taran district.
26-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops conducted a search operation on June 26 and recovered a drone along with 510 grams of heroin in a packet tied to it, from fields near Barreke village in Ferozepur district.
26-Jun-2024
Amidst the ongoing crisis in the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, while addressing the anniversary of the Akal Takht's foundation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on June 26, urged Sikh political leaders to unite under the Akal Takht's guidance. He emphasised the significance of 'Miri' (temporal authority) and 'Piri' (spiritual authority) and criticised current leaders for looking towards Delhi instead of the Akal Takht.
25-Jun-2024
Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh, who assassinated former Indian Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, took the oath as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi on June 25.
25-Jun-2024
Khalistani preacher and Member of Parliament (MP)-elect and the chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD), Amritpal Singh, was unable to take his oath as an MP on June 25, when the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected MPs from Punjab was held, due to being detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
25-Jun-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 25 announced a reward of INR 10 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of Harjit Singh and Kulbeer Singh, accused in the murder of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Vikas Prabhakar in Punjab. The case, registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Arms Act, pertains to ongoing investigations where both individuals remain absconding.
25-Jun-2024
On June 25, during a monthly meeting overseen by District Commissioner (DC) Pallavi and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Simrat Kaur, it was disclosed that assets worth INR 9.85 crore were frozen and INR 1.16 crore in drug money was recovered from 113 peddlers under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Malerkotla district, Punjab. Additionally, 20 kg of opium was seized from 13 individuals in the district. The meeting, part of the Narco Coordination Centre Mechanism, emphasized the need for community engagement in combating drug abuse and discussed upcoming seminars and rehabilitation initiatives for the affected youth.
24-Jun-2024
Tarsem Singh, father of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, who is currently detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, expressed uncertainty about his son taking the oath on June 25 as Member of Parliament (MP)-elect from Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab. Despite his detention, Amritpal has a window of 60 days to take the oath, according to his lawyer, Rajdev Singh Khalsa.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 intercepted a drone and later recovered the drone along with 510 grams of heroin, from fields near PS Wala Hithar village in Fazilka district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 carried out a search operation, based on information provided by villagers, and recovered a packet containing 560 grams of heroin and a drone near Raja Rai village in Ferozepur district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 recovered a broken drone from fields near Thekalan village in Tarn Taran district.
24-Jun-2024
The police on June 24 arrested two drug smugglers identified as Jagannath Singh and Raj Kumar and seized INR 27.10 lakh along with a car from their possession in Amritsar, Amritsar district. The duo was reportedly in contact with Pakistan-based handlers since February and involved in exporting furnishings and agricultural produce. This arrest is part of a broader operation that began on June 20, leading to the capture of 10 individuals, the seizure of 4 kg of heroin, INR 29.17 lakh in drug and hawala money, two pistols, 45 bullets, and eight vehicles.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 intercepted and shot down a drone ferrying 400 grams of heroin near Chaklabaksh village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
24-Jun-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on June 24 recovered a packet containing 530 grams of heroin along with a drone, near Lakha Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
24-Jun-2024
In response to local residents and traders in Ambala calling for an end to the 133-day protest by farmers at the Shambhu border, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee leader Sarvan Singh Pandher, on June 24, insisted they were not protesting frivolously. They claimed the government had set up barricades preventing them from marching to Delhi and had not initiated talks or fulfilled promises regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
23-Jun-2024
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, via a statement on social media site X on June 23, described the 1985 Kanishka bombing of Air India Flight 182 as one of the worst acts of terrorism in history and paid homage to the 329 victims while emphasizing that terrorism should never be tolerated.
23-Jun-2024
Former diplomat and current Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, on June 23 paid tribute to the victims of the 1985 'Kanishka' flight bombing, denouncing it as one of the most reprehensible acts of terror against India, via a statement on social media site X. He stated that such extremist actions have no place in a sane and civilized world and lamented that the systems and mindsets supporting such terrorism still find sympathizers, undermining international efforts to combat violent extremism.