KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
08-Aug-2023
Vikramjeet Singh Brar, a key aide of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, on August 8 was granted a three-day police remand in Faridkot, Punjab in relation to the attempt to murder case of a Dera Sacha Sauda follower. He was brought from New Delhi following his deportation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Brar is facing multiple cases, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and his alleged involvement in the Sidhu Moosewala murder case, operating as a "control room" for the Lawrence Bishnoi terror gang from the UAE.
08-Aug-2023
The Amritsar Customs and DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) on August 8 destroyed 527 kgs of narcotics, including Heroin and Ganja, through incineration in Amritsar, Punjab. The event was virtually attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
07-Aug-2023
Police on August 7 arrested three alleged drug peddlers, identified as Gurjinder Singh alias Sabi, Sandip Singh alias Fauji and Sanyam Aneja, and recovered four kilograms of heroin from their possession, after intercepting their car near Pulli village in Bathinda District.
07-Aug-2023
Gurcharan Singh Hawara, the foster father of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) chief Jagtar Singh Hawara, on August 7, announced that the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha (QIM) plans to observe August 15 as a "Black Day" by marching from Mohali to Chandigarh. He said that the protesters will use black and saffron flags to protest the Punjab government's failure to release Sikh prisoners who have completed their sentences. The ongoing protest at Mohali's YPS Chowk, which started on January 7, has caused disruptions in traffic. A previous clash with the police on February 8 resulted in injuries to 33 officers.
07-Aug-2023
Several Delhi residents received pre-recorded threat calls from the banned Khalistani organization Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), asking people to steer clear of the Red Fort on August 15 and warning of a potential terrorist attack during Independence Day celebrations. Following the initial report from Rohini, Delhi Police lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at Budh Vihar police station in North West Delhi district. Many individuals, including government and media figures, subsequently received similar messages from overseas numbers.
07-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) in a joint operation with Punjab police on August 7 intercepted and recovered a Pakistani drone from the outskirts of Rajoke Village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone is a quadcopter, model DJI Matric RTK- 300.
07-Aug-2023
The anti-drug committee of Bhagta Bhaika village on August 7 apprehended three drug smugglers and turned them over to the police after recovering 15 gm of heroin and a weighing fork from their possession in Bhagta Bhaika village in Bathinda district. A video of the smugglers confessing to selling heroin to local residents was circulated on social media.
06-Aug-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on August 6 at around 10 pm intercepted a drone entering Indian territory from Pakistan near Rattan Khurd village in Amritsar district. The following morning, on August 7, a joint search operation with Punjab Police was conducted, leading to the recovery of a damaged Hexacopter drone and a battery in a nearby farming field.
06-Aug-2023
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami on August 6 raised objections to the appointment of a non-Sikh administrator for the Gurdwara Board of Takht Hazur Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra.
06-Aug-2023
Counter Intelligence (CI) Wing of Punjab Police on August 6 arrested two traffickers, identified as Gagga Gill alias Gaga alias Kali and Veer Singh alias Veeru and recovered 41.8 kg of heroin, two 9 mm pistols, four magazines with 100 rounds, and a .30 Turkish semi-automatic pistol with two magazines and 15 rounds from their possession in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district.
06-Aug-2023
Counter Intelligence (CI) Wing of Punjab Police on August 6 arrested two traffickers, identified as Jasbinder Singh alias Bhinda, and Jagdip Singh alias Bhuchhar and recovered 6 packets of heroin, weighing 36 kg near Palla Megha Village in Ferozepur District.
05-Aug-2023
The Ludhiana police on August 5 recovered an illegal country-made .32 bore revolver, a magazine and two live cartridges based on information provided by a member of Davinder Bambiha gang, identified as Gurvir Singh alias Guri who was arrested in May.
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 arrested a member of the Shubham Mota gang, identified as Kunal Sharma alias Kembi and recovered two pistols, 32 bore and a .315 bore guns, along with five live cartridges from his possession from New Kundan Puri in Ludhiana district.
05-Aug-2023
Deceased United Kingdom (UK) based head of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Avtar Singh Khanda's sister, Jaspreet Kaur on August 5 presented documents, including an expired passport, driving license, and Class XII certificate, to establish his Indian citizenship before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The central government had previously informed the court that it possessed no documents to establish Khanda's citizenship. The case is scheduled for its next hearing on August 18.
05-Aug-2023
The President of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Harjinder Singh Dhami on August 5 welcomed the Queensland High Court's ruling in Australia, which favoured Sikhs' right to wear the 'kirpan' as part of their religious faith.
05-Aug-2023
Former Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on August 5 appeared before a court as an accused in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, where a supplementary charge sheet included witnesses' statements which claimed that Tytler had urged the mob to "kill the Sikhs," leading to deaths and a gurdwara being set on fire. The charge sheet also states he violated prohibitory orders, incited the mob, and promoted enmity between religious groups.
05-Aug-2023
Gangster Vikramjeet Singh, an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was remanded in three days' police custody by a Faridkot court on August 5 for an INR 50 lakh extortion case. He was brought from the UAE (United Arab Emirates) to New Delhi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and then to Faridkot on a day’s transit remand on August 4. Singh is accused of making extortion calls on Bishnoi's orders and is also linked to an attempt on the life of a Dera Sacha Sauda follower, as well as the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 recovered an additional four kilograms of heroin from Bute Dian Chhana village in Jalandhar District of Punjab in a follow-up operation after arresting Shinder Singh on August 3 with six kilograms of heroin and INR 1.50 lakh cash. Singh had hidden the drugs under a road being constructed in his village, which was located and retrieved by the police. The total seizure now stands at 10 kg.
05-Aug-2023
According to sources, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) is considering deploying advanced anti-drone systems along the International Border (IB) in Punjab to counter rogue drones from Pakistan, which are often used to transport contraband. Systems such as SkyWall 100, DroneGun Tactical CHIMERA, and anti-drone radar from Bharat Electrical Limited are currently under evaluation. These systems would possess enhanced night-vision, laser, and jamming capabilities, with a range of up to 400 meters, enabling them to jam signals from rogue UAVs and even capture them using a net. The primary focus is on countering Pakistani drug smugglers and terrorist activities, and there are plans for establishing an advanced drone forensic lab and collaborating with start-ups.
05-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 5 revealed that they had on August 1 arrested two arms suppliers identified as Harpal Singh and Kishore Singh Rathore and recovered 17 pistols of .32 bore along with 35 magazines from their possession from Khargone and Bharwani districts Madhya Pradesh (MP). The weapons were intended for criminal gangs associated with Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Ravi Balachauria, according to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
05-Aug-2023
The Police of August 5 arrested two persons, identified as Rohit and Daljinder and recovered two pistols and nine live cartridges from their possession, in Hoshiarpur in Hoshiarpur district.
05-Aug-2023
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Prem Singh Chandumajra on August 5 expressed concern over the recent National Investigation Agency (NIA) raids in Punjab, targeting Khalsa Aid's office and the manager's house. He also condemned the alleged harassment of Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, a Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) from the United Kingdom (UK), at the international airport in Amritsar. Chandumajra drew parallels between these incidents and past instances of targeting Sikhs during Congress rule, comparing the current events to historical anti-Sikh actions.
03-Aug-2023
A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, tabled in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) on August 3, revealed that Punjab, with a population of approximately three crores, has 66 lakh drug users. The report highlights that 21.36 lakh people are consuming various types of opioids, 30.68 lakh are regular cannabis users, 9.93 lakh are using sedatives, 1.87 lakh are using inhalants, 1.5 lakh are using cocaine, and 1.36 lakh are using stimulants.
03-Aug-2023
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on August 3 arrested Harjeet Singh, an Indian national based in Spain, on charges of terror financing and facilitating target killings in Punjab, at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. His associate, identified as Amrinder Singh alias Bunty, was also arrested in Khanna, in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Harjeet funded and assisted Bunty in carrying out the target killings, and investigations revealed their connection with foreign entities linked to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), according to Additional Inspector General (AIG) SSOC, Mohali, Ashwani Kapur. Harjeet also used fake Facebook accounts to promote radical content and activities of banned separatist group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
03-Aug-2023
Immigration officials at the Guru Ramdas Jee International Airport in Amritsar, Punjab on August 3 detained Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi, a Sikh Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom (UK), due to the lack of necessary travel documents before eventually releasing him after two hours. Dhesi is known for being the first Sikh MP to wear a turban in Britain and has been in the headlines in Punjab politics, with controversies surrounding his alleged support for Khalistan and criticism of the Indian government's actions in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).