KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
02-Oct-2025
On October 2, Punjab Police, on day 215 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 60 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 78 drug smugglers and seized 4 kg of heroin, 500 grams of opium, 842 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2.13 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
02-Oct-2025
Delhi Police Special Cell on October 2 arrested two members of the Rohit Godara–Goldy Brar–Virender Charan gang, identified as Rahul and Sahil Kumar, after a brief exchange of fire on the Jaitpur–Kalindi Kunj Road in New Delhi. The duo had allegedly been tasked with assassinating comedian Munawar Faruqui.
02-Oct-2025
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, Punjab recorded more cases of narcotics trafficking than consumption, highlighting its role as a major transit hub. The state topped the country with the highest proportion of drug smuggling cases—25.3 per lakh population—while drug use cases stood at 12.4 per lakh, underscoring a clear tilt toward trafficking rather than consumption. Punjab also reported the highest number of drug overdose deaths in India for the second consecutive year, with 89 fatalities, though down from 144 in 2022. In absolute terms, Punjab lodged 11,589 NDPS cases in 2023, ranking third after Kerala (30,697) and Maharashtra (15,610). However, most cases in these southern states were linked to consumption, unlike Punjab, where its border with Pakistan positions it as a primary corridor for narcotics smuggling. Drugs, especially heroin, are funneled from Afghanistan through Pakistan into Punjab before being distributed to other states.
02-Oct-2025
Amritsar Police on October 2 arrested five persons, including a juvenile, identified as Jovan Singh, Karandeep, Ajaypal Singh, and Jaspreet Singh, and seized 12 brand-new .30 bore pistols—smuggled via drone—along with 1.5 kg of heroin in Amritsar district. Police said the arms-and-drugs syndicate was being run by smugglers in Pakistan and handlers based in Europe, while preliminary inquiries indicated that organized crime gangs had placed the orders for these weapons.
02-Oct-2025
Faridkot Police on October 2 arrested two drug smugglers and seized 12.1 kg of heroin in Jhariwala village in Faridkot district. According to police, the consignment had been smuggled from Pakistan using a drone.
02-Oct-2025
On October 2, the Union government lifted restrictions and allowed select Sikh jathas to travel to Pakistan for the upcoming Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev. Under the revised rules, only jathas specifically recommended by state governments and cleared by central ministries after security vetting are permitted. Previously, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on September 12 barred cross-border travel by Sikh pilgrims to Pakistan on security grounds.
01-Oct-2025
National Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal has submitted a formal complaint to the Governor of Punjab, alleging that gangsters and land mafias, led by Tarsem Singh Soni in collusion with Jimmy Phagwara and Preet Chautala, have issued credible death threats against him. He stated that the same complaint, along with audio evidence in which the gangsters can be clearly heard issuing threats, has also been submitted to senior police officials. Grewal claimed that the gangster-terrorist nexus has direct links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
01-Oct-2025
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report, Punjab recorded the highest number of drug overdose deaths for the second consecutive year in 2023, with 89 fatalities, down from 144 in 2022. Punjab was followed by Madhya Pradesh with 85 deaths and Rajasthan with 84, out of a national total of 654 overdose fatalities in 2023.
01-Oct-2025
On October 1, Punjab Police, on day 214 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 63 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 81 drug smugglers and seized 2.6 kg of heroin, 1.3 kg of opium, 1.34 lakh intoxicant pills and INR 8110 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
01-Oct-2025
Since the launch of its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) campaign on March 1, 2025, which has now completed seven months, Punjab Police has registered 20,641 first information reports (FIRs) and arrested 31,478 drug smugglers. The operations have led to the recovery of 1,359.5 kg of heroin, 437 kg of opium, 248 quintals of poppy husk, 31 kg of charas, 498 kg of ganja, 7.2 kg of ICE, 37 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets, and INR 12.73 crore in drug money.
01-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 1 seized a bag containing 3.165 kg of ICE drug (methamphetamine) near Burj village along the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar district.
01-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police, recovered 580 grams of heroin and a drone from a field near Dal village in Tarn Taran district on October 1.
01-Oct-2025
Police on October 1 arrested two persons, identified as Sunil Kumar and Gursharan Singh alias Gury and seized 167 grams of heroin along with 26,000 banned Pregabalin capsules, in Garhshankar, Hoshiarpur district.
30-Sep-2025
On September 30, Punjab Police, on day 213 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 48 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 71 drug smugglers and seized 5.38 kg of heroin, 1.3 kg of opium, 5 kg of poppy husk, 465 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1480 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
30-Sep-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on September 30 stated that officers across the state have been given a free hand to deal firmly with gangsters and anti-social elements. Chairing a state-level law and order virtual meeting with senior officers, including Station House Officers (SHOs), the DGP outlined a comprehensive action plan ahead of the festive season. He directed officials to remain vigilant, ensure peace and harmony, and safeguard citizens. Yadav further instructed police personnel to identify and arrest associates of gangsters, assuring them, “You have full protection and support from the department. Deal with the gangsters fearlessly.”
30-Sep-2025
Bihar Police arrested a Punjabi youth, identified as Sandeep Paswan for allegedly threatening to kill Bihar’s Minister of Building Construction Jayant Raj Kushwaha on Facebook Messenger while claiming affiliation with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in Ludhiana district, Punjab. A mobile phone used in the incident was seized. Initial investigations revealed that Paswan had no prior criminal history and no genuine links to the Bishnoi gang.
30-Sep-2025
According to official sources, while Canada designated the Lawrence Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity on September 29, India had repeatedly warned Ottawa about the group’s activities in the past. These warnings, conveyed in 2021 and 2022, were largely ignored by the government of then–Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau, which subsequently accused India of using gang members to target pro-Khalistan separatists based in Canada. The issue was first discussed during the 2021 visit of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials to Ottawa for talks with Canadian counterparts, and was raised again in the summer of 2022, when Indian officials expressed concern about ‘transnational criminal gangs’ exploiting Canada as a base for planning criminal activities in India.
30-Sep-2025
The Global Sikh Council (GSC), an umbrella organisation representing national Sikh bodies from 28 countries, adopted a resolution during its virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) calling for the restoration of the sovereignty, dignity, and spiritual authority of the ‘Takhats,’ as well as the revival of Sikh heritage sites in Pakistan.
30-Sep-2025
The Counter Intelligence (CI) unit of Punjab Police on September 30 arrested a drug trafficker, identified as Vansh Kumar and seized 4.70 kg of heroin from his possession, in Patiala district. Preliminary investigation revealed that Kumar is closely associated with Dubai-based Amritpal Singh, an aide of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria.
29-Sep-2025
According to Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, Punjab Police has intensified security across all districts, particularly along the Indo-Pak border, following intelligence inputs about attempts to disturb peace in the region. After chairing a high-level Law and Order Review Meeting in Amritsar on September 29, the DGP stated, "There are specific intelligence inputs suggesting that after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan’s ISI is desperately trying to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab. To counter this, we have deployed 57 additional companies, including seven from the Border Security Force (BSF), across seven border districts."
29-Sep-2025
On September 29, Punjab Police, on day 212 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 39 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 49 drug smugglers and seized 3.2 kg of heroin, 20 kg of poppy husk, 420 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1210 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
29-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Rural Police Special Cell on September 29 arrested three persons, identified as Karanbir Singh, Husandeep Singh, and Sahilpreet Singh, and seized a Glock pistol (9 mm), a Zigana pistol (.30 bore), 532 grams of opium, a motorcycle, and four mobile phones from their possession, in Amritsar district.
28-Sep-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on September 28 seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone near Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
28-Sep-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on September 28 seized 558 grams of heroin along with a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from a field ahead of the border fence near Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district.
28-Sep-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), arrested a smuggler and seized 810 grams of heroin in Lopoke, Amritsar district on September 28.