KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
23-Aug-2024
The Jalandhar (Rural) police on August 23 arrested three drug peddlers, identified as Gurcharan Singh alias Raju, Balwinder Singh alias Mota, and Gurpreet Singh alias Guri, and seized 225 grams of heroin, INR 1 lakh in drug money, along with their car (PB10-GL-4080) at a checkpoint near Adda village in Jalandhar district.
23-Aug-2024
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on August 23 stated that India has raised concerns with Qatar regarding the confiscation of two holy swaroops of Guru Granth Sahib and is working to ensure their respectful return. One swaroop has been returned, while efforts are ongoing to secure the release of the second.
23-Aug-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 23 called for strong measures to combat drone-assisted smuggling and narco-terrorism, noting that weapons and drugs from across the border are destroying an entire generation. Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi denied bail to an accused involved in multiple narcotics and arms cases, labelling the matter as narco-terrorism, and emphasized the need to address such offenses with an iron hand.
23-Aug-2024
Police on August 23 posted public notices to confiscate the properties of two drug traffickers identified as Vipan Batra and Sukhwinder Singh, located in Waryam Nagar and Patrewala village, respectively, in Abohar, Fazilka district. Batra's property, worth INR 25 lakh, in Waryam Nagar was attached, along with Singh's house and 14.5 marla of land in Patrewala village. According to the police, these assets were acquired through illegal drug sales.
23-Aug-2024
The Amritsar rural police on August 23 froze properties worth INR 37.72 crore belonging to drug smugglers Jatin Singh and Ajaypal Singh, located in Mode village and on Kale Ghanupur Road, respectively, in Amritsar district. Ajaypal Singh’s assets, valued at INR 37.66 crore, and Jatin Singh’s assets, worth INR 5.85 lakh, were targeted following their arrest in July 2024 with 500 grams of heroin and a .32 bore pistol.
23-Aug-2024
On August 23, the mastermind of the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, Ramanjit Singh alias Romi, was remanded in two weeks of judicial custody by a duty magistrate in Patiala in Patiala district. Romi was extradited from Hong Kong on August 22. His advocate confirmed that Romi has agreed to face trial without interrogation.
22-Aug-2024
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 22 facilitated the return of Ramanjit Singh, wanted for his involvement in the 2016 Nabha jailbreak, from Hong Kong. The Punjab Police had issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) through Interpol, leading to his extradition after his location was traced in 2018. Singh was linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Khalistani terror outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and was a key conspirator in the jailbreak that freed six notorious criminals, including terrorists.
22-Aug-2024
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader and Bathinda Member of Parliament (MP) Harsimrat Kaur Badal, on August 22, appealed to External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar via a letter to secure the release of two ‘swaroops’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib seized by police in Qatar eight months ago. She urged Dr. Jaishankar to intervene, facilitate the establishment of gurdwaras in Qatar, and direct the Indian Embassy to address the concerns of Sikhs practicing their faith freely in the country.
22-Aug-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 22 overturned the 2002 acquittal of a 56-year-old man in a 1999 case involving 70 bags of poppy husk. The court convicted the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, sentencing him to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of INR 1 lakh. The court found that the accused had knowingly and voluntarily possessed a commercial quantity of poppy husk, justifying the stringent sentence under the NDPS Act.
22-Aug-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 22 directed the Director General of Police (DGP), Punjab, to instruct Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to closely monitor drug-related investigations within their jurisdictions. The court also ordered the DGP to submit an affidavit detailing all Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act cases where accused individuals have remained unarrested for more than six months and whether they have been declared proclaimed offenders. This ruling followed revelations that 97 accused in 83 NDPS cases in Bathinda had not been arrested, prompting the court to demand stricter supervision and action against the unarrested individuals.
21-Aug-2024
The Akal Takht and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on August 21 in Amritsar, demanded an immediate ban on Kangana Ranaut's film Emergency, accusing it of character assassination of Sikhs and misrepresentation of Sikh martyrs. SGPC chief Harjinder Singh Dhami also called for the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Kangana Ranaut, the film's writer, director, producer, and lead actor. Giani Raghbir Singh, the Jathedar, condemned the film, accusing it of portraying Sikhs as separatists and disrespecting Sikh martyrs, including Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, who is regarded by some as a martyr of the community.
21-Aug-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 21 dismissed the bail plea of Bittu, a Ferozepur resident accused of narco-terrorism and illegal weapon trade involving drugs and weapons smuggled via drones from Pakistan. Justice Jasjit Singh Bedi emphasised the severe impact of such crimes on youth and noted Bittu's history of multiple offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Excise Acts, ruling that he poses a continuing threat.
21-Aug-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 21 issued a notice to the State of Rajasthan regarding concerns over an interview with 'known criminal' Lawrence Bishnoi, conducted in a Jaipur jail, which is seen as glorifying crime. The court has summoned the Rajasthan Advocate-General for a video conference on September 5 and added the State's Additional Chief Secretary as a respondent. Previously, the High Court directed investigations into these interviews, citing potential security risks and breaches of prison regulations.
20-Aug-2024
The Nawanshahr District Police on August 20 organized an anti-drug marathon to launch the 5th Anti-Drug Awareness Campaign, following directions from Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district. Around 700 participants of various ages joined the 5 km run, pledging to avoid drugs and promote healthy living. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dr. Mehtab Singh emphasized the campaign's goal to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs and encourage participation in educational and sports activities.
20-Aug-2024
The Anti-Narcotics Cell of the Ferozepur Police on August 20 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Harpreet Singh and Ranjit Singh, and seized 500 grams of heroin along with a stolen motorcycle from their possession near Ferozepur in Ferozepur district. This operation is part of the ongoing efforts by the Ferozepur Police to combat drug trafficking in the region.
20-Aug-2024
Faridkot Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Sarabjeet Singh Khalsa, the son of Beant Singh, who assassinated former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, demanded a ban on Kangana Ranaut's upcoming film Emergency on August 20, alleging it portrays Sikhs negatively and could potentially spread hatred. Khalsa described the film as a 'psychological attack' on the Sikh community and expressed concern about the depiction of slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. The film is scheduled for release on September 6.
20-Aug-2024
Wahabwala police on August 20 brought Haryana-based gangster Pawan Kumar alias Totla, to Abohar in Fazilka district of Punjab, on a production warrant for interrogation in connection with the 2019 fatal attack on Akali leader Prahlad Neol. Neol was targeted on August 4, 2019, by five armed assailants at his residence in Khatwan village, leading to a chase during which gangster Jagvir Singh Jagga was found dead. Investigations revealed an enmity involving gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. During the operation, police seized an SUV, a 0.9 mm U.S.-made pistol, 20 cartridges, INR 78,450, and a mobile phone.
20-Aug-2024
Muktsar police and the Counter Intelligence (CI) of Bathinda Police on August 20 arrested two gangsters belonging to the gang of Sunil Bhandari alias Nata, identified as Lovejeet Singh alias Labha and Satinder Singh alias Happy and seized three pistols and eight live cartridges from their possession in Muktsar in Muktsar district.
19-Aug-2024
The parents of radical Khalistani preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh—Tarsem Singh and Balwinder Kaur—along with Amritpal's uncle Sukhchain Singh and Faridkot MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa, on August 19 in Chandigarh, called on the Sikh community to register for the upcoming Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections, aiming for a 'regime change.' They highlighted issues such as the release of long-held Sikh prisoners, the drug crisis, sacrilege cases, and leniency towards Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Amritpal Singh's father, Tarsem Singh, criticized Panthic parties for failing to protect Sikh traditions and urged the community to take action.
19-Aug-2024
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on August 19 in Amritsar criticized the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) for failing to address Punjab-specific issues in Parliament, despite claiming to be panthic and pro-Punjab. He also highlighted his own efforts to honour the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh's sons in Parliament in 2018, a tribute that the SAD had never pursued.
19-Aug-2024
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on August 19 asserted his commitment to the principles of the Khalsa Panth and the development of Punjab while addressing the community on the occasion of the Rakhar Puniya festival in Baba Bakala, Amritsar district.
19-Aug-2024
Police on August 19 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Vishal and his brother Sonu, and seized 1.05 kg of heroin, INR 12.9 lakh in drug money, a country-made pistol, seven live rounds, and an SUV in Nawan Purba village in Ferozepur district. Vishal has a criminal history with multiple cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and for attempted murder.
19-Aug-2024
The Special Cell Unit of the Delhi Police, in collaboration with the National Investigation Agency (NIA), on August 19 arrested an arms supplier identified as Dharminder Kumar alias Kunal, from Ludhiana in connection with the murder of Vikas Bagga, president of the Nangal unit of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). Dharminder had previously been booked under the Arms Act in Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Punjab, and was reportedly involved in procuring and supplying the weapons used in the assassination.
19-Aug-2024
Ludhiana police on August 19 arrested Category-A gangster Sagar Newton in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh (UP), revealing significant lapses in Punjab's jail security. Newton, who faced 18 criminal cases, was found to have been in regular contact with notorious gangster and drug smuggler Butta Khan alias Bagga Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Amritsar, Punjab. Investigations revealed that Bagga had orchestrated drug and arms smuggling operations from within the jail, possibly using a mobile phone. The Ludhiana police have alerted jail officials and initiated further interrogations to dismantle Bagga's illegal network, which he had been operating with Newton’s assistance.
18-Aug-2024
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF) on August 18, arrested three drug peddlers, identified as Gurmukh Singh, Harpreet Singh, and Sukhman Singh, and seized 14 small packets of contraband, two knives, two mobile phones, and a bike from their possession near the Saidogazi checkpoint in Anjala in Amritsar district. The suspects were handed over to Ajnala police, who registered a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and are investigating further links to a drug syndicate.