KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
05-Jan-2025
According to officials, a Pakistani drone found near Chak 9-F village in Sri Ganganagar district, Rajasthan, on December 2 had made three sorties into Indian territory before crashing due to a technical fault. The Border Security Force (BSF) registered a case under the Indian Aircraft Act and has since intensified security and patrolling along the Pakistan-India border, particularly in the Jalalabad area of Fazilka district, Punjab, to counter anti-national activities and drug smuggling.
05-Jan-2025
The Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G), VK Saxena, approved full relaxation of age limits and educational qualifications on January 5 for 88 riot victims and their families seeking government jobs as Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) in New Delhi. This decision, made after appeals from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee and victims' groups, aims to support rehabilitation efforts. Special camps held in November 2023 identified eligible applicants, many of whom faced barriers due to age or qualifications. The relaxation is in line with a 2006 rehabilitation package sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to assist riot victims.
05-Jan-2025
Khalistani terrorist and the chief of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun issued a fresh threat on January 5 via video message to disrupt the Mahakumbh in Prayagraj, scheduled from January 13 to February 26. Pannun called for "Prayagraj Chalo" to oppose Hindutva ideology and urged supporters to raise Khalistani and Kashmiri flags at airports in Lucknow and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
04-Jan-2025
Border Security Forces (BSF) and Punjab Police in a joint operation on January 4 arrested two unidentified smugglers and seized a packet of heroin weighing 540 grams from their possession, near Attari village in Amritsar district.
04-Jan-2025
On January 4, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation, recovered four packets of heroin weighing 2.12 kg, along with a box containing 40 live cartridges, near Balharwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
04-Jan-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on January 4 requested the Additional District and Sessions Judge to transfer the case records of the 2022 murder of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh Kataria from the Faridkot court to the NIA Special Court at Patiala House, New Delhi. Pardeep, an accused in the 2015 Bargari sacrilege case, was killed in Kotkapura, with Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar named as suspects. The NIA cited orders from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) linking the killing to the Kala Jathedi gang and associates of Bishnoi and Brar. The agency also sought custody of the original case exhibits and evidence.
04-Jan-2025
Months after announcing plans to launch a new political party, radical Khalistan preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, along with Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, son of one of Indira Gandhi’s assassins, are set to establish a committee to outline the structure of their Punjab-based outfit. An official announcement is planned at the 'Panth Bachao, Punjab Bachao' (Save the Panth, Save Punjab) rally on January 14, during the Maghi Mela festival at Sri Muktsar Sahib in Punjab. With Amritpal detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh jail, Assam, his father Tarsem Singh and Khalsa will lead the rally and initiate groundwork for the new political initiative aimed at addressing Punjab’s socio-political challenges.
03-Jan-2025
Radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, currently in police custody, has announced plans to form a political party on January 14, 2025. He has vowed to establish Khalistan within a year if his party gains power in Punjab, igniting widespread debate. While his supporters hail him as an advocate for Sikh rights, critics denounce his promises as divisive and unrealistic. Political leaders and the Indian government have strongly opposed his agenda, citing security concerns and the risk of polarisation in the state.
03-Jan-2025
Supporters of jailed radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh plan to launch a political party on January 14 during the Maghi Mela in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, with "Akali Dal" included in its name. Observers view this as an attempt to challenge the Shiromani Akali Dal's (SAD) dominance in Panthic politics. Former MP Rajdev Singh Khalsa has hinted that Amritpal will likely lead the party, despite being incarcerated. Critics warn that this move could further polarise Punjab, already strained by farmer protests and recent blasts. Meanwhile, the SAD is also hosting a Maghi Mela conference to reclaim its lost Sikh voter base.
03-Jan-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), issued a video on January 3 threatening to disrupt the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event scheduled to begin on January 8 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In the video, Pannun labelled the city a "terror city" and accused Indian officials, including Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, of heading a "Hindu terror network." He also called on pro-Khalistan activists to sabotage India's efforts to rebuild its intelligence network.
03-Jan-2025
A Pilibhit court on January 3 granted police three-day custody of Jaspal, an alleged accomplice of three Khalistani terrorists killed in a recent encounter in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP). Police intend to gather information about the terrorists’ mission and their network during the interrogation. The investigation focuses on Siddhu, a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative suspected of guiding the terrorists from abroad. Security measures have been tightened for the questioning.
03-Jan-2025
On January 3, 2025, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) Tribunal upheld the Union Ministry of Home Affairs' (UMHA) July 8, 2024, notification declaring Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, as an unlawful organization for five years, in New Delhi. The Centre presented evidence of SFJ’s involvement in terror activities, including links with international Khalistani groups, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. The tribunal also considered SFJ’s recruitment of youth, terror financing, and attempts to disrupt critical infrastructure and national events. SFJ did not contest the charges.
03-Jan-2025
Police on January 3 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Ajaypal Singh and Gurjinder Singh and seized 3.2 kg of heroin from their possession, at a checkpoint near Malwal Qadeem village in Ferozepur district.
03-Jan-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on January 3 busted a cross-border drug and weapon smuggling cartel, arresting 12 individuals, including kingpin Manjeet Singh alias Bhola, and seizing 2.19 kg of heroin, three pistols (two automatic), INR 2.60 lakh in drug money, and a Toyota Fortuner, in Jhanjoti village, Ajnala, Amritsar district.
03-Jan-2025
Between January 3 and 10, the Kapurthala police successfully dismantled multiple theft rackets, arresting 11 individuals and seizing several stolen and illegal items, including a .32 bore pistol, a sharp-edged weapon (datar), two fake pistols, 13 motorcycles, and 11 mobile phones in Kapurthala district.
02-Jan-2025
Tasrem Singh, father of Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, on January 2 announced plans to launch a political party in Punjab during the Maghi Mela on January 14 in Sri Muktsar Sahib. He will lead the party until Amritpal's release from prison, with the name and agenda to be unveiled in the presence of the Sikh Sangat.
02-Jan-2025
Leaders of Sikh organisations, including Sikh Youth Federation (SYF)-Bhindranwala, Dal Khalsa, and Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar (SAD-A), on January 2 honoured the families of three Punjab youths killed in the December 23 encounter in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh (UP), at Gurdwara Nanaksar in Kalanuar, Haryana. Alleging the encounter was staged, they contested police claims linking the youths to a grenade attack and Khalistani leaders abroad. The families asserted their innocence, and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has demanded a judicial inquiry.
02-Jan-2025
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), in its recent annual report, noted a decline in counter-terrorist operations in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) since 2018, with 338 security personnel killed in 676 encounters up to March 2024. The report highlighted improved security, reduced stone pelting, and developmental initiatives, including measures to curb cross-border infiltration, providing 5,720 Kashmiri migrants with government jobs, and financial aid for displaced families under PMDP-2015. Efforts to engage youth and enhance services for migrants were also emphasized.
02-Jan-2025
Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar on January 2 flagged off an awareness rally under Operation ‘Sampark’ at DAV College in Amritsar, Punjab, emphasizing public involvement in combating drug abuse. He highlighted the Punjab Police’s significant narcotics seizures, including 129 kg of heroin in 2024, and encouraged individuals to raise awareness and report drug traffickers. Participants pledged to contribute to creating a drug-free society as the rally passed through key city areas before returning to the college.
02-Jan-2025
Jalandhar Rural Police on January 2 arrested four gangsters, identified as Jagjit Singh alias Grewal alias Lovely, Sukhpal Singh alias Sukha, Sunny alias Sunny Deol and Raman Kumar, and seized stolen mobile phones and a motorcycle from their possession, in Phillaur in Jalandhar district. The gang, comprised of drug addicts, targeted victims in Phillaur city and along the main highway using sharp weapons, and has been linked to seven robbery cases traced so far.
02-Jan-2025
Indian gangsters are expanding their reach internationally, with fugitive Goldy Brar claiming responsibility for the beheading of Ajay Rana in Russia and the murder of Sunil Yadav in California, United States (US), both alleged informers. The ongoing rivalry between the Bishnoi-Goldy Brar and Bambiha-Lucky Patiala gangs has led to over 20 murders since 2016. The recent acquittal of Neeraj Chaska in the Gurlal Brar murder case, due to a hostile witness, has further intensified tensions. In response, Punjab Police, under the leadership of Inspector General of Police (IG) Dr. Sukhchain Singh, are preparing decisive actions against these international criminal networks.
02-Jan-2025
Moga police on January 2 arrested two youths, identified as Harmandeep Singh and Deshdeep Singh and seized 1 kg of opium from their possession, near Moga in Moga district.
02-Jan-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 2 ruled that appeals filed by accused persons with an inordinate delay in cases involving offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) cannot be entertained. The Division Bench, referencing its previous judgment in "Navish Kumar vs. the State of Punjab," emphasized that appeals beyond the statutory time limit are legally untenable. The court also set aside a prior order that had condoned a delay of 706 days in filing the appeal, stressing the importance of judicial consistency and discipline.The Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 2 ruled that appeals filed by accused persons with an inordinate delay in cases involving offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) cannot be entertained. The Division Bench, referencing its previous judgment in "Navish Kumar vs. the State of Punjab," emphasized that appeals beyond the statutory time limit are legally untenable. The court also set aside a prior order that had condoned a delay of 706 days in filing the appeal, stressing the importance of judicial consistency and discipline.
01-Jan-2025
Jalandhar Rural Police on January 1 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Amarjit Singh alias Pappu and Jaswinder Kaur alias Binder, and seized 250 narcotic pills (Alprazolam IP-0.5), 5 kg of crushed poppy husk, INR 35,000 drug money, and a motorcycle from their possession, in Phillaur in Jalandhar district.
01-Jan-2025
In 2024, the Border Security Force (BSF) successfully thwarted numerous cross-border smuggling operations along the India-Pakistan border, particularly in the Ferozepur and Tarn Taran districts, which emerged as key hotspots. The BSF intercepted 286 drones, with 87 interceptions in the Ferozepur sector, and seized 70.99 kg of heroin, nine firearms, and 158 rounds of ammunition. The force also arrested nine Indian and eight Pakistani nationals. In addition to security operations, the BSF conducted outreach activities, including a 491 km cycle rally to raise awareness about drug abuse and organized 23 medical camps.