KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Aug-2023
Sikh organizations, Panth Sewak and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on August 3 strongly criticized the Narendra Modi government, in the wake of a raid conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Khalsa Aid, claiming it is an attempt to target those actively working for the betterment of the Panth.
03-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 3 arrested a gang of robbers who were planning to strike at a grocery store in Ludhiana and a jewellery shop in Mohali, identified as Kulwant Singh alias Guddu, Narinder Singh alias Nandi, Amarinder Singh alias Captain, Lovish Kumar alias Lovi and Parampratap Singh and recovered two illegal country made pistols and eight live cartridges from their possession. Their accomplice, Yadwinder Singh managed to escape. Kulwant Singh is also associated with the Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
03-Aug-2023
Minister of State for Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), Nityanand Rai in his reply to a question put by Congress Member of Parliament (MP) KC Venugopal informed the Rajya Sabha that Punjab ranks third among states with the highest number of First Information Reports (FIRs) registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between 2019 and 2021. Uttar Pradesh leads the list with 31,482 FIRs, followed by Maharashtra with 28,959, and Punjab with 28,417. The UMHA shared various measures taken by the Union and state governments to combat the drug menace, including the approval of new regional and zonal offices for the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and strengthening the organizational structure.
03-Aug-2023
A report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha on August 3 revealed a shocking rise in drug addiction among children, young adults, and adults in India. According to the report, in Punjab alone, 6.97 lakh children between 10-17 years are addicted to drugs, with opioids, cocaine, and inhalants being widely prevalent. The situation is equally alarming in other states like Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, with millions of drug users reported among adults. The committee expressed distress over the exorbitant numbers and called for urgent measures to address the drug menace.
03-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 3 arrested a person, identified as Shinder Singh and recovered six kilograms of heroin and INR 1.50 lakh cash from his possession, near Amritsar.
02-Aug-2023
The Police on August 2 arrested a smuggler, identified as Gurlal Singh and seized 1kg heroin and a 30 bore China-made pistol with five rounds of ammunition from his possession in Manawala village in Amritsar district. The accused had shot at a police team during a checkpoint operation in Sukhewal village in Nabha tehsil of Patiala district in Punjab and fled towards Amritsar. He was finally nabbed near Manawala village, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP-rural) Satinder Singh.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 2 sought information on the whereabouts of Sukhpal Singh, who went missing 29 years ago in Fatehgarh Churian in Gurdaspur district, amid allegations from his family that he was killed in a fake encounter by the suspended Punjab Police Inspector General (IG), Parmraj Singh Umranangal. Sukhpal Singh's wife claims that Umranangal killed him and falsely presented his body as that of a wanted militant, Gurnam Singh Bandala, who is still alive. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is probing the case, and Umranangal has been questioned in connection with the alleged disappearance.
02-Aug-2023
According to senior officials, security agencies are concerned about the ‘reverse drone’ operations by smugglers at the India-Pakistan border, especially the Punjab region. Some senior officials said that the forensic analysis of downed drones revealed that some originated from the Indian side, particularly in Punjab, indicating a trend that could increase. Smugglers dispatch drones from India to Pakistan, where they are loaded with drugs and weapons before being called back to India, avoiding the risk of getting caught while dropping items in Indian territory. Anti-drone systems have been installed at the border to address the issue.
02-Aug-2023
Police on August 2 arrested two persons, identified as Sahil Bhatia and Taranjeet Singh, and seized 153 kg of poppy husk and a mini truck from them, in Kandrodi Morr Nangal village in Pathankot district of Punjab. According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Harkamal Preet Singh, two notorious gangsters, Preet Sekhon and Sonu Roadmajra, were assisting the smugglers with logistical support. The authorities are currently investigating their connections in the matter.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 2 conducted a statewide search operation in all 26 prisons in Punjab, called "Operation Satark," to prevent the entry of narcotics, cell phones, and prohibited items into the jails. According to Special Director General of Police (DGP-Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, Police, during the operation, recovered 21 mobile phones, SIM cards, chargers, knives, nails, and 8.7 grams of opium.
02-Aug-2023
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on August 2 directed officials to identify and act against errant officials in the prisons department to tackle the drug menace in jails.
01-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on August 1 conducted raids at 31 locations in Punjab and Haryana to uncover the conspiracy behind the attack on the Indian High Commission in London on March 19 and seized incriminating digital data, documents, and other evidence. The attack occurred during a pro-Khalistan protest where around 50 individuals committed trespass, injured officials, and damaged public property. The NIA's searches targeted an office of United Kingdom (UK) based NGO Khalsa Aid and the residence of its Managing Director (MD), Amarpreet Singh, in Patiala, Punjab and the residence of Paramjit Singh Pamma, a wanted Khalistan Terrorist Force (KTF) militant, in Mohali, Punjab.
01-Aug-2023
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court on August 1 declared six gangster-turned-terrorists, identified as Canada-based Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge, Lakhbir Sandhu alias Landa, and Pakistan-based Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, Lakhbir Rode and Wadhawa Babbar as Proclaimed Offenders (PO). The NIA had on July 22 filed a chargesheet against nine accused, including Dala, Landa and Rinda, in a case registered by the agency on August 20, 2022. According to the NIA, they were involved in a criminal conspiracy to smuggle arms and ammunition across international borders to support terrorist acts in India, linked to pro-Khalistan organizations such as Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The accused were engaged in smuggling arms, explosives, IEDs, drugs, and other contraband into India with the support of terror outfits and organized criminal gangs.
01-Aug-2023
Senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler, on August 1 filed an application seeking anticipatory bail in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots at Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi.
01-Aug-2023
Gangster Sachin Bishnoi, involved in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, was extradited on August 1 from Baku, Azerbaijan to New Delhi, India, and produced in Delhi’s Patiala House court, which remanded him in police custody for ten days. He is the cousin of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, another suspect in Moosewala's murder. His arrest is part of a series of arrests breaking the backbone of foreign-based criminal networks in Punjab.
01-Aug-2023
The Union Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, Nisith Pramanik in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on August 1 stated that anti-national elements and smugglers are using drones to smuggle arms and narcotics across the India-Pakistan border in Punjab and in the last three years till June 30, 2023, 53 such incidents have been detected. According to him, the government has taken various measures, including increased border surveillance by the Border Security Force (BSF), laying of nakas in suspected dropping zones, and sensitizing the public in border areas to report any drone activities to the authorities. The Home Ministry has also established an Anti-Rogue Drone Technology Committee (ARDTC) to counter rogue drones effectively.
01-Aug-2023
Rupnagar Police on August 1 arrested six persons and seized 2,000 litres of 'lahan' (raw liquor), 322 grams of heroin, and INR 7,600 in drug money, in Rupnagar district of Punjab.
01-Aug-2023
On August 1, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Jagtar Singh Hawara, linked to the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, appeared in a district court through video conferencing for a trial related to his alleged escape from the Model Burail jail in Chandigarh. The court scheduled the next hearing for August 11. Hawara is currently held in Delhi's Tihar Jail.
31-Jul-2023
A graffiti carrying a pro-Khalistani slogan “Haryana will become Khalistan” was spotted on July 31 outside the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s (SDM) office in Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa district of Haryana. Later, the banned Khalistani organization Sikhs For Justice’s (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a video message, claimed responsibility for the act, and issued a warning to the Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, and Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Manohar Lal Khattar, stating that India will cease to exist on August 15, and Haryana will transform into Khalistan.
31-Jul-2023
The Police on July 31 arrested two high-profile gangsters, identified as Jatinder alias Jindi and Puneet Bains alias Mani, and recovered nine illegal weapons from them, in Ludhiana district.
31-Jul-2023
Fatehgarh Sahib Police on July 31 initiated a special campaign to educate school children about the harmful effects of narcotics and drug abuse, following Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann's directives in Fatehgarh Sahib.
31-Jul-2023
The Punjab Police on July 31 conducted a cordon-and-search operation (CASO) and arrested 12 persons and seized 40 grams of heroin, 12 kg ganja, and 1 kg poppy husk and INR 2.50 lakh in drug money from their possession, in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar and Fatehgarh Sahib districts in Rupnagar Range in Punjab. The operation was conducted under the direction of Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav and overall supervision of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rupnagar Range Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.
31-Jul-2023
Police on July 31 arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Roop Chand and Jaswinder Singh, and recovered 211 intoxicant tablets from their possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
30-Jul-2023
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on July 30 urged for compulsory registration of drones to curb drug and weapon smuggling from across the border. He highlighted incidents where drones from Punjab went to Pakistan and returned with consignments. Mann has already requested the Union government to enforce drone registration to identify owners involved in illegal activities.
30-Jul-2023
Rupnagar police on July 30 arrested four inter-state drug peddlers, identified as Sohan Lal alias Kala, Poonam alias Mona, Baljit Singh alias Beeta and Veer Singh alias Veeru and recovered 1kg of heroin, 143 grams of gold ornaments, INR 1 lakh drug money and a Fortuner SUV from them, near Jot Palace at Bunga Sahib in Rupnagar district.