KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
02-Sep-2023
Police on September 2 arrested two persons, including a woman, identified as Lovepreet Singh and Baljit Kaur under the charges of culpable homicide and drug smuggling after a 32-year-old man identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi died of an alleged drug overdose, in Gagomahal village in Amritsar district.
02-Sep-2023
The Punjab police uncovered the active involvement of the drug smuggler Amrik Singh with the Pakistan spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Amrik Singh, who is serving a sentence for a drug-related offense, was found to have shared sensitive information about an Indian Army camp in Himachal Pradesh (HP) with ISI officials. This information included details about personnel, vehicles, and convoy movements. Amrik Singh had escaped from custody in October 2022 but was rearrested in November 2022. He now faces charges under the Official Secrets Act, and his relative working in the Army is also under investigation.
02-Sep-2023
According to reports, the Patiala police in Punjab are actively pursuing the seizure of properties belonging to drug smugglers involved in commercial drug activities, following directives from the Punjab Police leadership. They have already proposed seizing properties worth INR 5.67 crore, with seven properties valued at INR 2.1 crore already frozen in the district. The police are employing a multi-pronged strategy to apprehend drug smugglers and confiscate their ill-gotten assets under Section 68 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
02-Sep-2023
According to reports, Sangrur police in Punjab have frozen properties worth INR 1 crore belonging to three drug smugglers who were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act for possessing drugs in commercial quantities. Over 100 panchayats in the district have passed resolutions against drug sales in their villages and are actively supporting the Punjab Government's anti-drug campaign.
01-Sep-2023
A video depicting a young girl involved in a drug-related transaction went viral on September 1, leading to the arrest of Gurjant Singh, the girl's brother, in Badshahpur village of Kapurthala district. The police recovered 10 grams of heroin from his possession, while the girl and her mother remain at large.
01-Sep-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Punjab Police, in a joint search operation, on September 1, recovered 2.7 kilograms of heroin from near the international border (IB) on the outskirts of Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The heroin consignment was found in a white coloured sack with illuminating strips and hooks attached to it, indicative of a drone drop.
01-Sep-2023
A joint team of the Punjab Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) on September 1 recovered 2.43 kilograms of heroin from the residence of an individual, identified as Bittu Singh, in Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran district.
01-Sep-2023
Police, on September 1, arrested an alleged member of Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, identified as Anjeet from Rohini in North West Delhi district of Delhi. Anjeet had a criminal history involving illegal drug supply and was also involved in extortion attempts and other criminal activities for the gang. He had been evading court proceedings in multiple cases.
31-Aug-2023
Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Mohali Police, on August 31 arrested six associates of Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, identified as Roshan Kumar, Saurab Kumar, Vikram Kumar, Amrinder Singh alias Billi, Arshveer Singh and Sunny, and recovered five pistols along with ammunition from their possession in Zirakpur in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. According to the Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav, the suspects were traveling in a Hyundai Verna car when they were arrested, and one of the accused, Arshveer Singh, was wanted for a double murder case in Patiala.
31-Aug-2023
Within hours of Delhi Police announcing the arrest of two operatives of banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on August 31, SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a threat that its operatives would storm Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi with Khalistan flags to avenge the arrests. He also declared a cash reward of INR 1 lakh for information about the families of Delhi Police officers in Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, Italy & Australia.
31-Aug-2023
The rural police in Punjab have arrested seven drug smugglers and frozen their properties, valued at INR 4.11 crore, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the Amritsar district of Punjab. Five of the smugglers—Bara and Dalbir of Dhanoe Khurd village, Bikka of Kakkar village, Bhalwan of Dhanoe Kalan village, and Lali of Cheecha village—were arrested with 42 kg of heroin, while Navjot and Samme of Amritsar city were arrested with around 9 lakh intoxicating tablets. The frozen assets include residential houses, agricultural land, a commercial plot, two cars, a motorcycle, and cash. These smugglers had allegedly used drug money to acquire these properties, and the police plan to take similar action against other drug smugglers in the district. Dhanoe Kalan, Kakkar, and Cheecha villages are notorious for drug smuggling and have been hotspots for the recovery of Pakistani drones and heroin shipments by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police.
31-Aug-2023
Delhi police on August 31 arrested two persons, identified as Preetpal Singh alias Kaka and Rajvinder Singh alias Kale, in Faridkot district and Bathinda district of Punjab, respectively, in connection with the defacement of metro stations in Delhi which took place on August 27. Preetpal had maintained social media contact with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), for over a year. During this time, Pannun pledged to provide USD 7,000, of which Preetpal had already received USD 3,500. Both individuals were tracked based on CCTV footage near the metro station areas, and further investigation is currently underway.
30-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali on August 30 ordered the attachment of the property of an operative of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Varinder Singh Chahal, in connection with a case related to the recovery of heroin and drug money in 2019. Chahal, who was part of an international narco-terror network, was involved in heroin trafficking and money collection on behalf of the KLF. The network operated globally, with links to drug smugglers, terrorists, and money launderers, including Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker by the United States (US) Department of Treasury.
30-Aug-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali on August 30 ordered the attachment of the property of an operative of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Varinder Singh Chahal, in connection with a case related to the recovery of heroin and drug money in 2019. Chahal, who was part of an international narco-terror network, was involved in heroin trafficking and money collection on behalf of the KLF. The network operated globally, with links to drug smugglers, terrorists, and money launderers, including Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker by the United States (US) Department of Treasury.
30-Aug-2023
The Khanna Police on August 30 arrested a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant, identified as Gursewak Singh alias Babla for allegedly stealing two-wheelers within the jurisdictions of the Doraha and Payal police stations in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Babla has a history of 65 First Information Reports (FIRs), primarily from the 1983-84 Punjab militancy era. He became inactive in hardliner circles after a 2004 accident but was recently captured on CCTV engaging in petty thefts, primarily stealing and selling two-wheeler parts for survival.
30-Aug-2023
The Khanna Police on August 30 arrested a former Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) militant, identified as Gursewak Singh alias Babla for allegedly stealing two-wheelers within the jurisdictions of the Doraha and Payal police stations in Ludhiana district of Punjab. Babla has a history of 65 First Information Reports (FIRs), primarily from the 1983-84 Punjab militancy era. He became inactive in hardliner circles after a 2004 accident but was recently captured on CCTV engaging in petty thefts, primarily stealing and selling two-wheeler parts for survival.
30-Aug-2023
According to reports, multiple agencies are actively countering cyber threats to prevent the disruption of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, particularly against potential attacks on the event's website and critical information infrastructure. Hackers supported by Pakistan and the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) are under surveillance for engaging in disinformation activities. These activities involve SFJ's attempts to send mass emails opposing the summit. To bolster cybersecurity measures such as monitoring the dark web and social media platforms have been implemented to safeguard against ransomware, phishing, and other forms of attacks.
30-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered six packets heroin weighing 6.3 kilograms and one packet of opium weighing 70 grams, concealed in a 12-volt battery, near the international border (IB), near Dostpur village in Gurdaspur district.
30-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 30 recovered 2.6 kilograms of heroin dropped by a drone at a farming field on the outskirts of Ranian village in Amritsar district.
30-Aug-2023
According to Kaustubh Sharma, the Inspector General (IG) of Ludhiana Range and in-charge of the Special Task Force (STF) in Punjab, the police have registered 758 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the past year in four different districts within the Ludhiana range such as Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Nawanshahr and Rupnagar. They have also arrested 1,037 drug smugglers and seized various contraband, including 13 kilograms of heroin, 2,000 kilograms of poppy husk, 160 kilograms of opium, and 140,000 drug pills.
30-Aug-2023
Police on August 30 arrested one person, identified as Jashanpreet Singh and seized 10 gm heroin from his possession in Ram Nagar in Abohar in Fazilka district.
30-Aug-2023
According to reports, as India prepares for the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10, various anti-India groups, including the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), have intensified negative propaganda efforts, which they refer to as the “battle of G20”. On August 27, SFJ defaced Delhi Metro properties, launched a social media campaign with hashtags like #Khalistan and #G20India2023, and issued threats against the G20 Summit and Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. This surge in activities aims to highlight the Khalistan agenda and disrupt the summit, raising concerns about national security and international support for such activities. SFJ has also sent a letter to the government of India expressing their intention to prevent the G20 summit in Delhi from taking place without addressing the Khalistan issue.
30-Aug-2023
According to Punjab Police sources, many individuals from Punjab are reportedly seeking political asylum in countries like the United States (US), Canada, United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand, Australia, and Germany, citing political persecution in India. However, 4,280 asylum claims on the basis of political persecution were rejected in the last 10 years. This includes gang members, Khalistan terrorists, and job seekers. Illegal immigrants using the 'donkey route' to reach Western countries are reportedly misusing letterheads of small political parties for political asylum claims. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has also raised concerns about its letterheads being forged for such purposes. More than two dozen wanted Khalistani terrorists are attempting to secure political asylum in Canada, the US, and the UK despite being sought by Indian agencies for terror and criminal cases.
30-Aug-2023
Head constable Rashpal Singh on August 30 submitted a court application urging the summoning of 14 protesters, including six leaders, for allegedly causing injuries to police and damaging public property during the 2015 Kotkapura incident where Rashpal suffered head injuries, in the Faridkot court in Faridkot district. Rashpal's plea states that CCTV footage and a 13-minute video, submitted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) as evidence, confirm the protesters' involvement in the crime.
30-Aug-2023
Punjab police on August 30 registered a case against director Bhushan Kumar, producers Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, and actor Meezaan Jafri for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in their upcoming movie 'Yaariyan-2,' in the Jalandhar district. The case was filed on the basis of a complaint lodged by Harpreet Singh, a member of the Sikh Talmel Committee.