KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
13-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police, on August 13, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 600 grams and a drone from fields near Wan village in Tarn Taran district. The seized drone was identified as a DJI Air 3S model.
13-Aug-2025
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Baltej Pannu on August 13 revealed that since March 1, Punjab Police have registered 16,400 First Information Reports (FIRs) and arrested 25,646 individuals in drug-related cases, seizing 1,059 kilograms of heroin, 366 kilograms of opium, 215 quintals of poppy husk, 32.35 lakh intoxicant pills and tablets, and INR 12.32 crore in drug money, across Punjab.
13-Aug-2025
According to reports, more than a month after the murder of Abohar businessman Sanjay Verma, the three main shooters—identified as Shakti, Rajinder alias Billa, and Jaskaran alias Katta—remain absconding, with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang suspected of facilitating their escape to Nepal. Punjab Police have so far arrested seven individuals linked to the case. A Special Investigation Team (SIT), constituted on July 12, is probing possible extortion motives and alleged international links, including foreign remittances traced to suspects’ accounts.
13-Aug-2025
Punjab Police on August 13 busted a narcotics and arms smuggling network by arresting five individuals identified as Vinay Kumar, Major Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Gurpreet Singh, and Gagandeep Singh, and seizing 1.50 kg of heroin and seven .32-bore pistols from their possession in Jalandhar district.
12-Aug-2025
On August 12, Punjab Police and intelligence agencies detained vlogger Amrik Singh from Turna village in Lohian, Jalandhar district, for over 24 hours in connection with his YouTube channel ‘Walk with Turna’ and his December 2024 visit to Pakistan. His wife, Manpreet Kaur, stated that their phones were seized for investigation and the family was initially unaware of his whereabouts. Singh was later released following intervention by local leaders.
12-Aug-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 12 ruled that a Punjab Police inspector injured in the 2015 Dinanagar terror attack is entitled to promotion as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). The court observed that the state government had consciously decided to promote all personnel injured in the cross-border assault by Pakistan-based terrorists disguised in army uniforms, a policy already implemented for others. The bench noted that the petitioner’s bravery and injuries had been recognised with the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry and the Parakram Padak, and held that denying him promotion while granting it to others was unjust.
12-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 12 recovered three small packets of heroin weighing 1.649 kg and a large packet containing two pistols from fields near Bhakra village in Ferozepur district.
12-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 12 recovered one packet of heroin weighing 609 grams from fields near Daoke village in Amritsar district.
12-Aug-2025
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, on August 12 in Chandigarh, said that over 5,000 drug-related cases were registered in a year through the ‘Safe Punjab’ WhatsApp chatbot, launched in August 2024 under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ anti-drug drive. The portal has become a key intelligence source, enabling major seizures and thousands of arrests under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
12-Aug-2025
Punjab Police on August 12 busted a terror module of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), arresting two operatives, Ritik Naroliya and Sonu Kumar alias Kali, along with three juveniles, recovering a hand grenade, a .30 bore pistol with two live cartridges, and two empty shells, from Tonk and Jaipur districts of Rajasthan. The module, run by foreign-based gangsters Mannu Agwan, Gopi Nawanshehria, and Zeeshan Akhtar under the directions of Pakistan-based BKI operative Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, was tasked with carrying out grenade attacks ahead of Independence Day.
11-Aug-2025
On August 11, Mumbai Police increased security for comedian Kapil Sharma following two shooting incidents within a month at his restaurant, Kap’s Café, in Surrey, Canada. Police said precautionary measures were in place to ensure Sharma’s safety. The Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility for the latest attack, citing Sharma’s alleged association with actor Salman Khan.
11-Aug-2025
Indian intelligence agencies, in a joint operation with Nepal Police, on August 11 arrested illegal arms supplier Salim Sheikh alias Salim Pistol and brought him to New Delhi. Sheikh had been detained on August 9 at the Indo-Nepal border. He is accused of supplying Zigana pistols to gangsters including Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba, and is allegedly linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company. Police stated that Sheikh is also connected to several high-profile murders, including that of Sidhu Moose Wala, and is currently in custody under interrogation for his role in multiple organised crime cases.
11-Aug-2025
Border Security Forces (BSF) troops on August 11 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 581 grams from fields near Wan village in Tarn Taran district.
11-Aug-2025
The Delhi High Court on August 11 overturned a 40-year-old acquittal of four men in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and ordered a retrial for the sole surviving accused, citing a “hasty” trial and serious lapses in the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe. The case pertains to the killing of Harbhajan Singh in Ghaziabad’s Raj Nagar, a day after Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi’s assassination, where the victim was set on fire along with his home. The court observed that investigative failures and trial court errors had led to a “miscarriage of justice,” depriving the victim’s family of their fundamental right to a fair trial, and directed the CBI to complete the probe expeditiously.
11-Aug-2025
Dr. Amarjit Singh, a prominent Khalistan movement leader, recently endorsed the forthcoming Pakistani book The War That Changed Everything, which alleges that India’s “Operation Sindoor” in Pahalgam was a false flag operation to justify war against Pakistan. Scheduled for release on August 11, the book claims the four-day conflict harmed India’s military and diplomatic standing while boosting Pakistan’s position. Singh also accused Indian agencies of orchestrating the 2000 Chitti Singh Pura massacre, allegations strongly rejected by Indian officials.
11-Aug-2025
According to sources, Khalistani separatist activities are regaining visibility in the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada, raising concern in New Delhi. The UK Charity Commission recently allowed a Slough gurdwara to retain “Khalistan” plaques, while in Canada, a sign declaring the “Embassy of the Republic of Khalistan” appeared inside a Surrey gurdwara. India condemned both, warning such acts—often justified as free speech—are linked to organised crime and terrorism. The United States (US) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has also exposed Khalistani ties with drug cartels, transnational crime networks, and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
11-Aug-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on August 11 chaired a security review meeting in Amritsar with senior officials, including Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar and DIG Border Range Nanak Singh, ahead of Independence Day celebrations. He reviewed counter-terror measures and directed enhanced inter-district coordination, round-the-clock surveillance, and high-visibility checkpoints, particularly in light of recent pro-Khalistan graffiti incidents linked to the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
11-Aug-2025
According to Delhi Police records, former Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) officer Vikash Yadav—named by United States (US) authorities in an alleged plot to kill Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun—is linked to Jalaluddin alias Sameer, an accused in the Mahadev Online Book betting racket. Investigators allege Jalaluddin, operating from Dubai, hired Yadav to kidnap and threaten a businessman over unpaid dues, resulting in a INR 16 lakh hawala transfer. Yadav, Jalaluddin, and Yadav’s associate Abdullah Khan are currently out on bail, while police prepare a supplementary chargesheet in the case.
11-Aug-2025
On August 11, Punjab Police, on day 163 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 74 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 104 drug smugglers and seized 6.4 kg of heroin, 500 grams of opium, and 1092 intoxicant tablets/capsules from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab.
10-Aug-2025
On August 10, Punjab Police, on day 162 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, registered 50 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 68 drug smugglers and seized 1.4 kg of heroin and 1594 intoxicant tablets/capsules from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab.