KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
31-Oct-2024
The Ludhiana Additional Sessions Court has acquitted drug lord Ranjit Singh alias Raja Kandola alias ICE drug lord, and his accomplice Gurnam Singh in a 2017 heroin smuggling case, citing a "shoddy" investigation by the Punjab Police. The court noted a lack of evidence linking the accused to the crime and highlighted significant lapses in the investigation, including the failure to produce voice samples and conduct forensic analysis of a pen drive allegedly containing conversations about drug deals.
31-Oct-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 31 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 540 grams from fields near Dhanoe Kalan village in Amritsar district.
31-Oct-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 31 recovered a drone from fields near Dhanoe Khurd village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-Oct-2024
Punjab Police Director General (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, on October 30 in Chandigarh, announced the arrest of 10,524 drug smugglers, including 153 major offenders, with 7,686 First Information Reports (FIRs) filed within the first ten months of 2024. The police seized 790 kg of heroin, 860 kg of opium, 367 quintals of poppy husk, 93 kg of charas, 724 kg of ganja, 19 kg of ICE, and 2.90 crore tablets or injections of pharmaceutical opioids. Additionally, properties worth INR 208 crore belonging to 362 major smugglers were forfeited, with another 470 cases pending to freeze assets valued at INR 289 crore.
30-Oct-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) has intensified its crackdown on cross-border smuggling, seizing three drones on October 30, bringing the total intercepted in the past week to 13. In the first ten months of 2024, the BSF has recovered 181 drones along the Punjab stretch of the India-Pakistan border, marking a significant rise from 107 drones seized in 2023. These drones, primarily of Chinese origin, are now operating at altitudes of up to 1,000 meters, enabling them to drop narcotics and arms up to 20 kilometres within Indian territory.
30-Oct-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 30 recovered one Glock Pistol from fields near Kakkar Village in Ajnala in Amritsar district.
30-Oct-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 30 recovered one drone from fields near Burj Village in Ajnala in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a China made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-Oct-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 30 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 561 grams along with a drone from fields near Wan village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China made DJI AIR 3 model.
30-Oct-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on October 30 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 547 grams along with a drone from fields near Wan village in Patti in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China made DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
30-Oct-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 30 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 700 grams from fields near Daoke village in Amritsar district.
30-Oct-2024
A gangster, identified as Gursharan Singh was shot dead in an encounter in Beas, Amritsar district on October 30. His accomplice, Paras Singh, who escaped by jumping into the river, was later apprehended with the assistance of drones. The two were implicated in the daylight murder of commission agent Gurdeep Singh.
29-Oct-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on October 29 arrested three unidentified persons involved in drug smuggling, and seized 530 grams of heroin along with two smart phones, a motorcycle and Indian currency from their possession near Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district. The arrested individuals have been handed over to local police for further investigation into their links with a Pakistan-based narco-syndicate.
29-Oct-2024
A special cell of the Delhi Police on October 29 arrested two sharp-shooters associated with the Bambiha gang, identified as Bilal Ansari and Shuheb, in connection with the recent firing at a businessman’s residence in Rani Bagh, from Kakrola in South West Delhi.
29-Oct-2024
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh urged the Sikh community on October 29 to observe ‘Bandi Chhor Divas’ in a subdued manner, as it coincides with the 40th anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots on November 1. He requested that only the Golden Temple and Akal Takht be illuminated, advising against electrical decorations elsewhere and encouraging the use of symbolic ‘diyas’ instead.
29-Oct-2024
Faridkot Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pragya Jain stated on October 29 that the police have yet to question jailed Khalistani preacher and Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh regarding the murder of Sikh activist Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau, who was allegedly killed on his instructions in Faridkot district. She noted that new leads have emerged and plans are in place to interrogate Amritpal soon.
29-Oct-2024
The Punjab Vigilance Bureau (VB) arrested Inspector Gurinder Singh, in charge of the Anti-Narcotics Task Force, on October 29 while he was accepting a bribe of INR 1 lakh in Patiala, Punjab. Singh had allegedly demanded INR 3 lakh from a family, threatening to falsely implicate a member in a drug smuggling case. Acting on a complaint, the VB laid a trap and caught the inspector during the transaction in the presence of official witnesses. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
29-Oct-2024
Wahabwala police on October 29 arrested an individual identified as Naveen Kumar and seized 34 kg of poppy husk from his possession in Wahabwala village, Abohar, in Fazilka district.
29-Oct-2024
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) and Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police, in a joint operation on October 29, arrested two shooters backed by foreign handlers, identified as Bikramjit alias Vicky and Punjab Singh, and seized a white Hyundai Alcazar (PB 60 D 0036) car they were traveling in, in Lucknow, UP. The suspects, wanted in multiple murder cases in Punjab, had been staying in Lucknow under arrangements made by their handlers, and further recovery of the weapons used in these crimes is expected by the police.
29-Oct-2024
The family of 10-year-old spiritual influencer Abhinav Arora stated on October 29 that they received death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in Delhi. His mother, Jyoti Arora, shared that they received both a call and a message threatening Abhinav’s life, despite him only sharing devotional content.
28-Oct-2024
On October 28, the 179-member Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) House will vote to elect its president and office-bearers during a General House meeting at Teja Singh Samundari Hall in Amritsar district. The election is seen as a critical test of the SGPC's direction amid rising political tensions and competing claims for control, with both candidates advocating plans for greater autonomy and reforms within Sikh institutions.
28-Oct-2024
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Harjinder Singh Dhami was on October 28 re-elected as the president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for a fourth consecutive term in Amritsar. SAD leaders hailed the victory as a stand against “anti-Panth forces,” attributing it to the loyalty of SGPC members. Dhami pledged to prioritize Dharam Parchar with support from other Sikh organizations.
28-Oct-2024
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) President Harmeet Singh Kalka and General Secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon have recently urged the Sikh community to refrain from lighting diyas on Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas this year. Given that these celebrations align with the anniversary of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the DSGMC has decided not to light diyas in the gurdwaras under its management, calling on the community to honour the martyrs’ memory by observing a somber, reflective approach.
28-Oct-2024
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, issued threats in a video message calling for boycotts of specific Air India routes - AI 187 and AI 189 (New Delhi to Toronto), AI 185 (New Delhi to Vancouver), AI 111 and AI 161 (New Delhi to London), AI 129 and AI 131 (Mumbai to London), AI 302 (New Delhi to Sydney), AI 308 (New Delhi to Melbourne), and AI 121 (New Delhi to Frankfurt). Pannun urged Sikhs to economically target India, advocating attacks on Air India and "Made in India" initiatives.
28-Oct-2024
Police on October 28 arrested Lovepreet Singh, an associate of Turkey-based drug smuggler Navpreet Singh alias Nav Bhullar, and seized 6 kg of heroin along with a Hyundai Aura car from his possession near Umranangal Morh village in Amritsar district.
28-Oct-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 28 recovered a plastic bottle containing 480 grams of heroin, along with a China-made DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone, from fields near Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district.