KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
08-May-2025
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on May 8 accused the Union and Haryana governments of attempting to 'steal' Punjab’s waters through the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and stated that Punjab is fighting twin battles—against Pakistan on its borders and Delhi over water rights—while staging a sit-in at Nangal in Rupnagar district. Mann held the sit-in to protest the alleged diversion of water to Haryana by the BBMB, calling it a 'nefarious design,' and vowed to challenge the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.
08-May-2025
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on May 8 accused the Union and Haryana governments of attempting to 'steal' Punjab’s waters through the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and stated that Punjab is fighting twin battles—against Pakistan on its borders and Delhi over water rights—while staging a sit-in at Nangal in Rupnagar district. Mann held the sit-in to protest the alleged diversion of water to Haryana by the BBMB, calling it a 'nefarious design,' and vowed to challenge the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.
08-May-2025
The Amritsar Counter Intelligence (CI) unit on May 8 arrested two operatives of foreign-based smuggler Jassa, identified as Gurpinder Singh and Sajan, and seized 10 kg of heroin along with INR 1 lakh in drug money from their possession in Amritsar district.
08-May-2025
Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Police on May 8 arrested a key associate of foreign-based gangster Rajesh Kumar alias Sonu Khatri, identified as Harjinder Singh and seized two .32 bore and one .30 bore along with 14 carriages from his possession, in Kharar in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
08-May-2025
On May 8, missile debris was found in agricultural fields across three villages—Jethuwal, Makhanwindi, and Pandher—with fragments even scattered inside homes in Jethuwal in Amritsar district. No casualties or property damage were reported. Authorities confirmed that the debris belonged to missiles launched by Pakistan in an attempt to target military installations in northern and western India. Security forces, including the Army and the Indian Air Force, secured the area and advised residents to stay away from the debris.
08-May-2025
On May 8, in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, blackouts were ordered in several border districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab, as well as in border areas of Rajasthan and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chandigarh Administration also imposed a blackout following air raid sirens, affecting nearby areas such as Zirakpur, Mohali, and Panchkula. In Gurdaspur, the blackout is enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, with exemptions for central jails and hospitals, where windows must remain closed during these hours. Authorities have urged residents to keep their lights off and stay indoors, while emphasizing that there is no need for panic.
08-May-2025
On May 8, in response to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, blackouts were ordered in several border districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Hoshiarpur in Punjab, as well as in border areas of Rajasthan and Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir. The Chandigarh Administration also imposed a blackout following air raid sirens, affecting nearby areas such as Zirakpur, Mohali, and Panchkula. In Gurdaspur, the blackout is enforced from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily, with exemptions for central jails and hospitals, where windows must remain closed during these hours. Authorities have urged residents to keep their lights off and stay indoors, while emphasizing that there is no need for panic.
08-May-2025
On May 8, flight operations at Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport in Amritsar were temporarily suspended, resulting in the cancellation of 22 flights, including international services such as a Qatar Airways flight, which was diverted to Muscat, and a SpiceJet flight from Sharjah. Although passengers were informed of the suspension in advance, many were left stranded, including individuals with urgent travel plans. Security at the airport was heightened, with senior police officials deployed to manage the situation.
08-May-2025
Police on May 8 busted an international narco-terror smuggling with the arrest its two operatives identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Love and Jagroop Singh, and seized 5 kg of heroin along with four .30 bore Beretta, two PX5 and one .30 bore Star Mark pistols, INR 7.20 lakh drug money and currency counting machine and a Hyundai i20 car, from their possession, near Kakka Kandiala village in Tarn Taran district.
07-May-2025
Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, on May 7 strongly condemned the recent attack in the Poonch region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), which resulted in civilian casualties, including three Sikhs, and significant damage to the Central Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha. Expressing sorrow over the loss of lives, the Jathedar called for sincere efforts from both nations to restore peace, emphasizing the devastating impact of war on humanity.
07-May-2025
On the intervening night of May 7–8, the Border Security Force (BSF) neutralized a Pakistani intruder attempting to cross into Indian territory along the International Border (IB) in the Ferozepur sector of Ferozepur district. The intruder, who was moving toward the security fence under the cover of darkness, was fired upon by BSF personnel. After daybreak, the body was handed over to the police. In response to escalating security concerns, both Punjab and Rajasthan have been placed on high alert, with stringent security measures in place.
07-May-2025
On May 7, 2025, the Indian Armed Forces launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, striking nine terrorist infrastructure sites, including camps linked to banned groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed, in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. In retaliation, Pakistan shelled forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Rajouri districts in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The Union Home Secretary reviewed civil defence measures, while the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) discussed the situation in closed-door consultations.
07-May-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), claimed in a video statement on May 7 that Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army have begun rebelling against the Indian state. He alleged that Sikh troops raised the Pakistani flag at Dashmesh College and painted pro-Pakistan slogans on its walls in Zirakpur, Punjab. Pannun further claimed that the Indian government had confiscated the soldiers’ phones and threatened their families. He urged Sikh soldiers to side with Pakistan to establish Khalistan and march on Delhi.
07-May-2025
On May 7, four members of the local Sikh community—identified as ex-army man Amarjeet Singh, shopkeepers Amreek Singh and Ranjit Singh, and homemaker Ruby Kaur—were killed, and a gurdwara wall was damaged when Pakistan launched heavy shelling in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
07-May-2025
On May 7, the Kartarpur Corridor, the only open surface link between India and Pakistan, was closed following the launch of Operation Sindoor. Around 150 Indian Sikh pilgrims who had arrived to visit the Sri Darbar Sahib gurdwara in Narowal were asked to return after waiting for over an hour at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) announced the closure 'till further orders,' without specifying when it would reopen.
07-May-2025
Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on May 7 announced that all border districts in Punjab had been placed on high alert, with public events cancelled, following missile strikes by the Indian armed forces on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Arora praised the army’s actions under Operation Sindoor, emphasizing Punjab’s strong support for national security. He confirmed that the Punjab Police is fully prepared to support the Indian Army. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also postponed his anti-drug events in light of the rising tensions.
07-May-2025
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, speaking in Chandigarh on May 7, hailed the Indian defence forces’ precision strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. He praised the forces for targeting only terrorist camps while avoiding civilian and military installations, underscoring India’s intent to prevent escalation. Amarinder condemned Pakistan’s response, which involved heavy shelling in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), resulting in civilian casualties.
07-May-2025
Counter-Intelligence (CI) unit of Ferozepur Police on May 7 dismantled a cross-border narco-smuggling network and arrested two smugglers, identified as Sandeep Singh and Judge Singh and seized 465 grams of heroin, two Chinese-made pistols (7.65mm) with four magazines, a pistol slide along with a motorcycle near Kotwal village in Ferozepur district.
07-May-2025
Police on May 7 arrested a smuggler, identified as Babbu Singh alias Babbu and seized 5 kg of heroin from his agricultural field in Bhakhra village in Ferozepur district.
07-May-2025
On May 7, as the Border Security Force (BSF) remained on high alert following recent military strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Punjab Police intensified security in border villages of Amritsar district. Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, accompanied by senior police officials, visited several villages near the Indo-Pakistan border and reassured residents that the situation was under control. Punjab Police officials emphasized their preparedness to prevent any disturbances, maintaining close surveillance on potential threats while ensuring law and order in the border areas.
06-May-2025
On May 6, a Special Task Force (STF) team was attacked while attempting to apprehend drug traffickers in Teona Pujariyan village in Bathinda district. The six suspects tried to break through the police cordon and assaulted the team with sticks and bricks. A case has been registered, and the police are currently searching for the suspects
06-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on May 6 arrested three unidentified smugglers and seized 25 grams of heroin along with one pistol, a magazine, four live rounds, INR 2,000 as drug money, four smart phones, a motorcycle and a tractor from their possession, in Awanbasu village in Amritsar district.
06-May-2025
The Supreme Court (SC) on May 6 issued a notice in appeals filed by the Delhi Police challenging the Delhi High Court’s acquittal of 14 accused in six cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. The Court directed the accused to respond by July 21 and ordered the production of trial court records. The appeals stem from a 2018 petition seeking implementation of the Dhingra Committee’s recommendations to address botched investigations.
06-May-2025
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, in coordination with a central intelligence agency, recovered two rocket-propelled grenades, two improvised explosive devices, five P-86 hand grenades, and a wireless communication set from a forested area near the Tibba Nangal–Kular road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district on May 6. Officials suspect the cache was part of a larger terror plot backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) aimed at destabilising the region, adding that preliminary investigations point to attempts to revive sleeper cells.
06-May-2025
Police on May 6 arrested an unidentified woman, a member of a drug peddling gang, and seized 110 grams of heroin near Hussainpura village in Ludhiana district.