KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
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.
06-May-2025
Police on May 6 shot dead an unidentified gangster and arrested two of his unidentified associates in Shekhchak village, Tarn Taran district. Preliminary reports suggest the trio had gone to extort money from a local family but were intercepted by the police. When the gangsters opened fire, the police retaliated, resulting in the death of one gangster and the arrest of the other two.
06-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint search operation with Punjab Police on May 6 arrested three unidentified smugglers and seized 25 grams of heroin along with one pistol, one magazine, four live rounds, INR 2000 in drug money, four smartphones, one motorcycle, one tractor from their possession, in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
05-May-2025
On May 5, Bhagwant Singh alias 'Pradhan Mantri Bajeke', a close aide of jailed Khalistani radical preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, cautioned the youth of Punjab against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia while speaking to the media in Bathinda district. Bajeke alleged that Majithia was misleading the youth about Amritpal Singh and suggested that Majithia should seek medical treatment, even offering financial assistance if needed.
05-May-2025
On May 5, India lodged a strong protest with the Canadian High Commission over a pro-Khalistan rally held in Toronto on May 4, which featured derogatory imagery of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar. The Indian government expressed deep concern over slogans promoting extremism and targeting Indian-origin Canadians. This was the first diplomatic communication since Mark Carney assumed office as Canada’s PM.
05-May-2025
Executive Chairman of the Maharashtra State Punjabi Sahitya Academy and Convenor of the Maharashtra Sikh Association Bal Malkit Singh, on May 5 strongly condemned Khalistani terrorist and the chief of banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikh For Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun’s recent anti-India remarks where he claimed that two crore Sikhs, including those serving in the Indian armed forces, would side with Pakistan in the event of a war between India and Pakistan, calling them baseless and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) driven. He asserted that the Sikh community firmly rejects such propaganda and stands united with India and Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. Singh emphasised that Sikhs are rooted in nationalism, sacrifice, and service, and will not be swayed by foreign agendas.
04-May-2025
According to sources, Punjab is witnessing a troubling rise in the involvement of women in drug trafficking and consumption, with over 400 women arrested since March 2025 under the state’s anti-drug campaign. Data indicates that women are increasingly being used as couriers, operatives, and even cartel leaders—often driven by poverty, addiction, or coercion. High-profile arrests and forensic investigations suggest systemic exploitation, while the lack of gender-specific rehabilitation services exacerbate the crisis. Authorities have pledged a decisive crackdown, setting a May 31 deadline to reduce narcotics on the streets.
04-May-2025
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson RP Singh on May 4 responded to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, asserting that if Gandhi truly meant what he said and was ready to take responsibility, he should expel Jagdish Tytler, Kamal Nath, and Sam Pitroda from the Congress party. Singh stressed that mere acknowledgment of past mistakes was insufficient, and only concrete actions—such as removing those linked to the riots—would demonstrate genuine repentance.
04-May-2025
On May 4, hundreds gathered in Phagwara, Kapurthala district, Punjab, to pay tribute to the great Sikh warrior and founder of the Kapurthala state, Nawab Jassa Singh Ahluwalia, on his 307th birth anniversary. The royal family, led by Brigadier (Retd) Sukhjit Singh Ahluwalia and his son Tikka Raja Shatrujit Singh Ahluwalia, organised an Akhand Path, which was attended by people from all walks of life.
04-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 4 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 550 grams from fields near Mahawa village in Amritsar district.
04-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on May 4 recovered a drone from fields near Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a DJI Air 3S model.
04-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 4 recovered a packet containing parts of a pistol with two magazines from a field adjacent to Lakha Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
04-May-2025
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on May 4 led anti-drug awareness events in Patiala under the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, as part of a state-wide initiative by cabinet ministers. They emphasized that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government had dismantled drug networks and demolished smugglers’ assets, unlike previous administrations. Meanwhile, other ministers addressed similar gatherings across Punjab.
04-May-2025
Police on May 4 arrested an individual, identified as Honey Kumar and seized 41.83 grams of heroin from his possession, near cremation ground in Phase 1 Industrial Area in Chandigarh.
04-May-2025
On May 4, security agencies conducted a half-hour blackout drill in the border town of Ferozepur, turning off all lights from 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. as per an advisory issued by the Cantonment Board. While officials, including Deputy Commissioner Deepshikha Sharma, described it as a routine exercise, residents expressed anxiety amid heightened border tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack.
03-May-2025
Punjab Police on May 3 arrested two men who were allegedly leaking sensitive information about Indian military installations in Amritsar to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), identified as Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih and seized a mobile phone which allegedly contained images of Army movements and the Air Force base, in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The Police revealed that duo were in contact with ISI through Harpreet Singh alias Pittu alias Happy, who is an inmate at Amritsar Central Jail. The accused were paid INR 5,000 for small information and INR 10,000 for more sensitive details about troop movements and military installations.