KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
30-Jul-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on July 30 shot down a Pakistani drone and recovered 3 kg of heroin near Kalash village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. On July 31 morning, in a joint search operation, Punjab Police and the BSF recovered heroin and the hexacopter from near Khemkaran village in Patti tehsil, Tarn Taran district.
30-Jul-2023
The makers of the biopic on human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra unveiled a new poster of the film with a changed title, "Punjab 95," on July 30. Initially titled "Ghallughara," the film faced delays with the Censor Board requesting a title change and content modification. The makers have approached the Bombay High Court against the Censor Board, which demanded 21 cuts and modifications to some dialogues. Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh, who plays the lead role, had earlier revealed that the film has been selected to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
30-Jul-2023
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on July 30 criticized the denial of a visa to United Kingdom (UK) based chief of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) to Avtar Singh Khanda's mother Charanjit Kaur and sister Jaspreet Kaur to attend his last rites in the UK on August 5. Khanda, who was under scrutiny for alleged anti-India activities, had political asylum in the UK and passed away on June 15. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Delhi Unit chief Paramjit Singh Sarna also urged the British High Commission to issue visas to Khanda's family, citing universal human rights.
29-Jul-2023
The Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the State Special Operation (SSOC) Cell, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar, on July 29 busted a foreign-based terror module of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and arrested five yet to be identified individuals and recovered two illegal weapons and live ammunition from them in SAS Nagar district. According to the Director-General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the KLF module, backed by foreign-based handlers, aimed to target minority leaders, police officials, and prominent individuals to disturb harmony. They were also recruiting foot soldiers through jailed individuals operating under the fake name, Ranjodh Singh, using social media to propagate false narratives and providing monetary incentives for carrying out targeted killings in Punjab.
29-Jul-2023
Police on July 29 busted a narco-crime syndicate operated by gangster Sandeep Kumar alias Ravi Balachauria and arrested Akashdeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh alias Billa and recovered 1.2 kg of heroin, 3 pistols, 260 live cartridges and INR 1.4 lakh drug money and a weighing machine from their possession in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
29-Jul-2023
A former pro-Khalistan leader and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member, Avtar Singh Sanghera during his visit to India, was alarmed by the widespread drug addiction among Punjabi youth and calls on them to focus on education and nation-building instead of falling prey to false propaganda and money-driven political leaders. He urged pro-Khalistan elements abroad to avoid actions that could harm Sikhs, especially the youth in India. Sanghera leads a quiet life in the United Kingdom (UK) and distances himself from Khalistani events.
29-Jul-2023
Maninderjeet Singh Bitta, former President of Indian Youth Congress (IYC) and chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AITF), blamed the politicians accountable for the rise of terrorism in Punjab during the 1980s and 1990s. He advocated for united efforts to combat extremist elements attempting to revive militancy in Punjab with Khalistan sentiments. Bitta urged the Union government to publish a White Paper on Operation Blue Star and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots to clarify misconceptions.
29-Jul-2023
The Punjab Cabinet on July 29 approved an increase in the monthly maintenance grant for Sikh soldiers who deserted their barracks during Operation Blue Star in 1984. The grant will be raised from INR 10,000 to INR 12,000 for 76 "Operation Blue Star-affected" soldiers to meet their increased daily needs and cope with market inflation, according to a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office.
29-Jul-2023
The Ludhiana police on July 29 arrested two gangsters, identified as Boota Khan and Manish Prabhakar in Haibowal, Ludhiana in Punjab, in connection with a complaint filed by Retired Punjab Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Sandeep Sharma, regarding him and his wife receiving calls threatening to harm their children. Sharma stated that his family was receiving threats due to his past actions against drug peddlers and gangsters during his service with the anti-drug Special Task Force (STF).
28-Jul-2023
The Mohali district court on July 28 directed the physical production of Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh's assassination, on August 10 in connection with an 18-year-old terror-related case. Hawara, currently in Tihar Jail, was booked in 2005 under the Explosive Act and Arms Act. The court ordered the issuance of production warrants and a letter to Tihar Jail's superintendent for his appearance in the case.
28-Jul-2023
The police on July 28 arrested a woman drug peddler, identified as Rekha and recovered heroin from her possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
28-Jul-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on July 28 recovered a bottle containing around 425 grams of heroin on the outskirts of Mode village in Amritsar district.
28-Jul-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, in a statement on July 28, warned the Punjab government against interfering in Sikh religious affairs, stating that the 'Panth' will respond strongly to Chief Minister Bhagwant (CM) Mann's attempts to control sacred Sikh institutions. Badal accused CM Mann of following the path of past anti-Sikh tyrants. The SAD plans to meet Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on July 29 to address the issue and discourage further confrontation with the Khalsa Panth.
28-Jul-2023
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on July 28 urged the Centre Government to develop a new policy to counter Pakistani drones smuggling illicit drugs into Indian territory. He emphasized the need to strengthen the border with modern technologies to prevent drug smuggling. This reaction came after a Pakistani official Malik Mohd Ahmad Khan’s admission on July 17, regarding the use of drones for drug smuggling.
28-Jul-2023
In a joint operation, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police and Moga Police on July 28 arrested three members of the Gopi Dallewalia gang, identified as Nirmal Singh alias Nimma, Aprail Singh alias Shera and Jaskaran Singh alias Karan and recovered three .32 calibre pistols along with 10 live cartridges and a Hyundai Verna car, from Mehatpur in Jalandhar district. According to the Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, the arrest has resulted in the successful solving of the murder case of Santokh Singh. The murder of Singh resulted from an ongoing gang conflict between the Lawrence Bishnoi and Devinder Bambiha gangs. The masterminds behind the murder are identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Dallewalia and Gaurav Sharma alias Goru Bacha.
27-Jul-2023
The Operation Cell of Punjab Police on July 27 arrested two alleged members of Deepu Banur gang, identified as Amandeep Singh alias Mani Topi and Rakesh Kania, and recovered a country-made pistol and live cartridges from him, in Chandigarh.
27-Jul-2023
The Gurdaspur Police on July 27 arrested three alleged drugs smugglers, identified as Vikramjeet Singh, Kuldeep Singh and Sandeep Kaur, and recovered 18 kg of pure-grade heroin, along with a swift car and a car camera from them at a check-post set up near Paniar sugar mill in Gurdaspur district. The gang is linked to United States (US) based narcotics smuggler Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal.
27-Jul-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on July 27 recovered approximately 885 grams of heroin concealed in two plastic bottles and a motorcycle from a farming field in Mode village in Amritsar district. The recovery was made based on specific information about the suspected movement.
27-Jul-2023
Punjab Police stated on July 27 that it will seek evidence from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding the involvement of gangster and a key aide of Lawrence Bishnoi, Vikramjeet Singh alias Vikram Brar, in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case. This comes after Brar's arrest by the NIA upon deportation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on July 26. The NIA had claimed that Brar operated a 'communications control room' for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang from the UAE, facilitating extortion calls and actively assisting in executing the Moose Wala murder. Although Brar has not been named in the charge sheets filed by the Punjab Police Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the murder case, they are now seeking NIA's evidence on his link to the crime. The Faridkot police also plan to bring Brar on production warrants in two cases, including an attempted murder and extortion case registered against him in Faridkot district.
27-Jul-2023
The Indian government informed the Parliament on July 27 that it had identified 15 shrines in Pakistan for pilgrimage under the India-Pakistan Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines. Among these, 11 are gurdwaras, and around 5,000 Sikh pilgrims from India have visited them in the past year. The Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, inaugurated on November 9, 2019, has been used by approximately two lakh pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Shri Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan.
27-Jul-2023
67 villages and 20 wards in Sangrur district of Punjab on July 27 passed a resolution to make their areas drug-free and socially boycott drug sellers.
27-Jul-2023
The police on July 27 arrested five persons identified as Gurpreet, Rohit, Jaswinder Jassa, Sarvesh and Bhoop Ram under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in Abohar in Fazilka district.
27-Jul-2023
The Chandigarh Police's anti-narcotics task force (ANTF) on July 27 arrested Shubham Jain and recovered 108 gm amphetamine and 70 gm heroin. Based on Subham’s disclosure, the Police arrested Puneet Kumar on July 30 and recovered an illegal .32-bore country loaded with five live cartridges, near Bazaar Number 4 in Ferozepur Cantonment in Ferozepur district. Puneet’s father is serving as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in Ferozepur. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Udaypal Singh, Puneet was part of a drug syndicate and used international numbers to communicate with other smugglers based in Pakistan, while his accomplice, Shubham Jain, delivered drugs locally.
26-Jul-2023
The Khanna police on July 26 busted an inter-state weapon supply gang by arresting four members, identified as Prashant Kaura, Krish Lawrence, Karambir Singh and RJ Rupak Joshi and recovered 32 bore pistol with two magazines, 13 live cartridges of .32 bore, a country made .315 bore pistol, six live cartridges of .315 bore, a Tata Nexon and OPTRA car from their possession, in Doraha, in Ludhiana district. The arrests were made during a special drive to apprehend criminals involved in supplying weapons in Punjab.
26-Jul-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on July 26 arrested a key aide of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Vikramjeet Singh alias Vikram Brar, for his alleged involvement in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala as well as targeted killings, weapons smuggling, and extortion, after his deportation from United Arab Emirates (UAE) in New Delhi. Earlier, an NIA team had travelled to the UAE to facilitate his deportation and subsequently brought him back to India. According to NIA, Vikram Brar, a native of Rajasthan, acted as a bridge between Bishnoi's gang and Khalistani terrorists, sending extortion money abroad. An Interpol-issued global arrest warrant was in effect for him.