KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
18-Dec-2024
On the night of December 18, a blast occurred outside the Bakshiwal police chowki in Bakshiwal village, Gurdaspur district, Punjab. The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) claimed responsibility in a social media post, attributing the attack to Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh Jammu and Bhai Jaswinder Singh Baghi. Initial forensic investigations suggest a hand grenade was thrown from an auto-rickshaw.
18-Dec-2024
On December 18, Sikh hardliners, supported by Dal Khalsa, assembled at Akal Takht to back former militant Narain Singh Chaura, who recently attempted to assassinate SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal in Amritsar. They protested against the SGPC’s resolution seeking Chaura’s excommunication and submitted a memorandum to Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, urging its rejection.
18-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 18 recovered a 4.840 kg packet of heroin from a farming field near Rajatal village in Amritsar district.
18-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 18 recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from farming fields near Babe Dariya village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
18-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 18 recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from farming fields near Rajatal village in Amritsar district.
18-Dec-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 18 recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from farming fields near Dhani Natha village in Jalalabad, Ferozepur district.
17-Dec-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 17 filed a chargesheet against Jaspreet Singh and Baljeet Singh, aides of Khalistani terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), in a Punjab terror conspiracy case before the NIA Special Court in Mohali, in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
17-Dec-2024
According to sources, India is re-evaluating its visa and OCI policies following strained ties with Canada after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India will continue denying visas to pro-Khalistani Canadians despite criticism, signalling a shift from its earlier efforts to reintegrate pro-Khalistan individuals, as it now prioritizes caution amid escalating tensions.
17-Dec-2024
Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Harjinder Singh Dhami faced backlash on December 17 after his derogatory remarks against former SGPC chief Bibi Jagir Kaur went viral. A group of women, including SGPC members, filed a complaint at the Akal Takht seeking his removal, while some SGPC members and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders defended him, citing his public apologies.
17-Dec-2024
Police revealed on December 17 that six terror incidents targeting police establishments have occurred in Punjab's Majha region since November 23. Terror groups, reportedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), are enlisting gangsters for these attacks, which involved explosives and weapons smuggled via drones. Several operatives, including gangsters and a juvenile, have been arrested, and grenades and pistols seized. Counter-intelligence efforts have pre-empted further strikes, with officials affirming their readiness to protect the state.
17-Dec-2024
On December 17, panic erupted in Amritsar's Islamabad area after reports of a loud sound near the Islamabad police station around 3:15 am, in Amritsar in Punjab. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar dismissed claims of a blast, stating that a heavy object likely fell on a temporary sentry post, causing minor damage. The incident comes amid a series of recent explosions and the discovery of an IED outside police stations in the Amritsar region.
17-Dec-2024
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav on December 17 visited Amritsar to review the law and order situation and held a meeting with officers from Amritsar Commissionerate, Amritsar Rural, Batala, and Tarn Taran. He stressed counter-terrorism, organized crime, and drug trafficking as key policing priorities, urging professional and scientific investigations to secure convictions.
16-Dec-2024
A Chandigarh court on December 16 sentenced Poonam, a 39-year-old woman, to 15 years of rigorous imprisonment for drug peddling, while her accomplice, Sandeep Khatri, received a 10-year sentence. The duo was arrested in January 2022 with 610 grams of heroin. Poonam, known as 'Bhabi,' has been linked to multiple drug cases involving her family in the illicit trade.
16-Dec-2024
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, recently threatened Indian envoy to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, accusing him of collaborating with Russia to suppress pro-Khalistani Sikhs. Pannun also warned Russia of protests targeting its diplomats and missions globally, sparking speculation that Russia may ban SFJ and other pro-Khalistani groups.
16-Dec-2024
On December 16, a local court in Amritsar, Punjab, sent ex-militant Narain Singh Chaura, who attempted to assassinate former Deputy Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, to judicial custody until December 30. Police obtained CCTV footage showing Chaura with suspected accomplice Dharam Singh at the Golden Temple complex prior to the attack.
16-Dec-2024
On December 16, Basant Singh, a key associate of Khalistani preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh, was returned to Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam after brief parole to attend a family member's last rites in Punjab. Basant, the first among 10 WPD detainees granted parole, was escorted back under strict surveillance. Pro-Khalistan leaders, including Amritpal Singh, remain detained under the National Security Act (NSA).
16-Dec-2024
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while chairing a Tourism Department review meeting in Chandigarh, on December 16, announced events to commemorate the 350th martyrdom day of Guru Tegh Bahadur and develop related sites. He approved the ‘Rangla Punjab’ festival in February to boost tourism, employment, and Punjab’s cultural heritage. Mann also proposed heritage festivals and ultra-modern convention centres in major cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, and New Chandigarh.
16-Dec-2024
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on December 16 via a video message, threatened to target MahaKumbh 2025 and challenge 'Modi’s Hindutva ideology' in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Pannun also offered a USD 25,000 bounty for targeting the Statue of Unity in Gujarat and urged Canada to take action against Hindu organisations.
16-Dec-2024
The Punjab Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with the Mohali police on December 16 arrested four operatives of Canada-based terrorist Arsh Dala, identified as Gagandeep Singh, Navjot Singh alias Nishu, Lakhwinder Singh and Vipanpreet Singh, and seized three .32 calibre pistols and 16 cartridges from their possession, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
15-Dec-2024
On December 15, Sukhjit Singh, a 26-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-backed sarpanch of Chhana Gulab Singh village, was killed after being attacked with sharp weapons by villagers allegedly supporting drug peddlers in Barnala district. Sukhjit had been vocal against drug abuse and had refused to support the peddlers.
15-Dec-2024
Mahorana Police on December 15 arrested a Nigerian national, identified as Godwin Samuel and seized 505 grams of heroin from his possession, at a naka (checkpoint) near Mahorana village in Malerkotla in Sangrur district. Samuel was residing in New Delhi under the guise of a student, and Police revealed his involvement in a similar case earlier in Roop Nagar district in Punjab.
15-Dec-2024
Amritsar Rural Police on December 15 busted a trans-border drug trafficking module, arresting eight individuals and seizing 4.5 kg of heroin, six weapons—including two Glock pistols and a .30 bore Zigana pistol—14 live 9 mm bullets among 16 rounds, INR 1.5 lakh in drug money, a car, a bike, three weighing machines, and 10 mobile phones from the Kabir Park area in Amritsar district. Police revealed that the module was actively involved in retrieving drugs and weapons smuggled across the International Border using drones. Jagroop Singh, one of the arrested, is a known associate of Pavitar Chaura, a gangster operating from abroad, who is closely linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member Lakhbir Singh Landa.
15-Dec-2024
The Abohar police on December 15 arrested two individuals, identified as Amarjeet Singh and Raj Singh and seized 435 grams of heroin from their possession, near Dhani Kadaka Singh village in Abohar in Fazilka district.
15-Dec-2024
Punjab Police on December 15 busted an inter-state gun-running racket, arresting two individuals identified as Satnam Singh alias Prince and Manjit Singh, and seizing 10 country-made pistols, 20 magazines, and ammunition in Amritsar district. The accused were linked to U.S.-based handler Sunny Masih, who directed them to procure illegal weapons from Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand for supply to Punjab-based gangsters.
14-Dec-2024
Police on December 14 arrested three individuals associated with the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), identified as Yugpreet Singh alias Yuvi, Jaskaran Singh alias Shah, and Harjot Singh alias Jot, and seized two weapons—a country-made pistol and a revolver—along with six live cartridges from their possession in Nawanshahr, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district. Police revealed that the group had received INR 4.5 lakh in funding over six months from KZF handlers in the United Kingdom (UK) and Germany to target police establishments and minority leaders. The arrests were made in connection with the December 2 grenade attack on Police Post Asron.