KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
31-Mar-2026
A statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar installed atop a private building was vandalized by unidentified miscreants in Noorpur Jattan village, Hoshiarpur district on March 31. The glass casing was smashed and the bust was damaged with hammers. The statue had earlier been targeted in June 2025, after which it was enclosed in glass for protection. Subsequently, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), released a video claiming responsibility. In the video, he termed the act a “referendum on Ambedkar” and alleged that the Constitution drafted by him erased Sikh identity. He also warned of similar incidents between Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14 and April 29, when he claimed voter registration for a “Khalistan referendum” would begin.
31-Mar-2026
On March 31, a poster went viral on social media claiming responsibility for the March 30 blast inside a police station complex in the Bhindi Saida area of Amritsar district, in the name of a Khalistani outfit, the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA). The poster, widely circulated on WhatsApp and other platforms, stated that the attack was carried out to avenge the killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, a suspect in the February 22 murder of two policemen in Gurdaspur district. Security officials had earlier said the killings were carried out at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Ranjit Singh was later killed in a police encounter, which his family alleged was fake.
31-Mar-2026
On the night of March 31, unidentified persons fired multiple rounds outside a house in Sialka village under Mattewal police station in Amritsar district. A case has been registered, but the assailants remain unidentified, triggering panic among the family members.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, a day ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s scheduled visit, several institutions received bomb threat emails in Nangal town, Rupnagar district. The emails, allegedly sent in the name of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), threatened to blow up the Nangal court complex and certain banks in the city.
30-Mar-2026
A minor blast occurred inside a police station complex in the Bhindi Saida area under Amritsar (Rural) in Amritsar district on the morning of March 30. According to reports, two unidentified bikers hurled an explosive object into the premises before fleeing. Officials initially denied the incident and cordoned off the premises, restricting access to media persons. Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurinderpal Singh Nagra later stated that the exact nature of the explosion would be determined after a forensic examination, adding that teams had arrived to collect evidence.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, the 69th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 455 raids, arrested 162 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 54 individuals, while 107 persons were verified and released after questioning. Four proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, Punjab Police, on day 394 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 91 drug smugglers, and seized 837 grams of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, 198 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2500 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
29-Mar-2026
On March 29, the 68th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 508 raids, arrested 188 persons and recovered three weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 95 individuals, while 99 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
29-Mar-2026
On March 29, Punjab Police, on day 393 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 112 drug smugglers, and seized 463 grams of heroin, 1.2 kg of opium, 471 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 62,400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
29-Mar-2026
Commissionerate Police Amritsar on March 29 foiled an illegal arms smuggling attempt, seizing two 9 mm sub-machine guns and an empty magazine during a naka-bandi operation in Amritsar district. The recovery was made during routine checking after suspicious movement led to the interception of the consignment. The accused, however, managed to escape, and a manhunt has been launched. Preliminary investigations suggest links of the recovered weapons to gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon, with the consignment allegedly intended for criminal and anti-national activities in Punjab.
29-Mar-2026
The Jalandhar Rural Police on March 29 arrested two persons for allegedly demanding INR 2 crore as extortion from an NRI family while posing as associates of gangster Goldy Brar in Nakodar in Jalandhar district.
29-Mar-2026
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP), Gaurav Yadav on March 29 stated that Punjab Police have seized 2,300 illegal weapons over the past three years, including around 800 smuggled from Pakistan’s Khyber Pass region. In a recent case, Amritsar Commissionerate Police recovered two 9mm sub-machine guns and an empty magazine marked “GHAFFAR SECURITY,” allegedly linked to gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon. The weapons were reportedly being supplied through his network for criminal and anti-national activities, and efforts are underway to trace the absconding accused and dismantle the network. Police data further reveals that over 500 pistols smuggled from across the border have been seized since January last year. These weapons are reportedly trafficked via drones by Pakistan-based smugglers, often alongside drug consignments. The smuggling network is concentrated in districts such as Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Batala, where local handlers retrieve and distribute the consignments. The smuggled pistols are typically sold in the illegal market for INR 1–2 lakh.
28-Mar-2026
According to reports, the recent seizure of fake Indian currency notes (FICN) worth INR 2.5 lakh along the Indo-Pak border in Amritsar has raised concerns about a possible shift from conventional smuggling to calibrated economic sabotage. The counterfeit currency, dropped via a drone from across the border, was recovered in the Gharinda area following intelligence inputs on aerial movement. Though the amount is modest, security experts warn of larger implications, as this is the first known instance of fake currency being smuggled through drones in the region—a method previously used mainly for narcotics and arms trafficking. A senior Punjab Police official noted that it could be a “pilot run” to test a new channel for systematically injecting counterfeit notes into the Indian economy, adding that drone-based delivery enables precise, low-risk drops that are harder to intercept.
28-Mar-2026
Punjab Police, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police, on March 28, arrested two suspected Pakistan-linked terrorists, identified as Abbu Gaba and Usman, from Sherwani Kote village in Malerkotla district. The duo had reportedly been living as tenants in Punjab for a long time. Their presence came to light during the interrogation of a local drug peddler detained under the ongoing ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ anti-drug campaign. Their identities were later found to match those of two wanted terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
27-Mar-2026
According to reports, following the killing of two policemen in a check post in Gurdaspur district on February 22, fresh security instructions were issued to battalion commandants during a meeting chaired by the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), State Armed Police, on March 2. The directives include regular inspections to review security arrangements and random video calls to obtain real-time security updates. Commandants and officers have also been instructed to ensure foolproof security of their battalion headquarters to prevent such attacks and safeguard personnel.
27-Mar-2026
On March 27, the 66th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 531 raids, arrested 167 persons. Preventive action was taken against 62 individuals, while 353 persons were verified and released after questioning. Six proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
27-Mar-2026
On March 27, Punjab Police, on day 391 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 137 drug smugglers, and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 1.5 kg of opium, 77 kg of poppy husk, 11,412 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 22,980 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
27-Mar-2026
In a joint operation on March 27, the Border Security Force (BSF) and Amritsar Rural Police seized fake Indian currency notes (FICN) worth INR 2.5 lakh, smuggled via a drone along the Indo-Pak border in the Gharinda police station area of Amritsar district. Acting on specific intelligence inputs about drone movement, troops noticed suspicious activity late at night and launched a combing operation. During the search, they recovered a yellow packet containing counterfeit INR 500 notes worth INR 2.5 lakh. Preliminary investigation suggests the consignment was dropped by a drone originating from the Pakistani side.
27-Mar-2026
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 27 dismissed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh’s plea for temporary release to attend the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. The court held that a sitting MP under preventive detention enjoys no higher constitutional privilege than an ordinary citizen, and that individual liberty must yield to concerns of public order and state security.
26-Mar-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on March 26 recovered 536 grams of opium, along with packing material and a foreign-made DJI Air-3 drone, during an operation near the Pulmoran border outpost in Amritsar district.
26-Mar-2026
On March 26, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 1.04 kg of heroin along with packing material in Amritsar district.
26-Mar-2026
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with Chandigarh Police, on March 26 arrested the main shooter involved in the firing incident on student leader Jashanpreet Singh Jawanda at Panjab University, and seized a .32 bore country-made pistol, magazines, two live cartridges, and four empty shells in Fatehgarh Sahib district. Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said the accused is a key member of the Doni Bal/Bambiha group, adding that the attack was carried out at the group’s behest.
26-Mar-2026
Police on March 26 arrested four persons, Jasvir Singh, Ajay Kumar alias Billa alias Jaddu, Inderpal Singh, and Gaurav Rana and seized 1,110 intoxicating tablets and capsules from their possession in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district.
26-Mar-2026
Punjab Police’s counter-intelligence wing in Jalandhar on March 26 busted an inter-state illegal arms supply module, arresting Dalesh Kumar alias Saurav Kumar alias Nannu and Amit Chahar and recovering 10 country-made pistols and 20 magazines, in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. This comes nearly a month after the arrest of two Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operatives, Sukhwinder alias Sunny and Rawal, who had procured and planted three grenades and an IED near Balachaur on the directions of their foreign-based handler, Jassi Kulam. The same IED was later used in the Nalagarh police station blast in Himachal Pradesh.
26-Mar-2026
Police arrested Gursahib Singh for allegedly firing at the nephew of a former legislator in Ghuman Kalan, on November 18, 2025, reportedly at the behest of handlers of an overseas extortion gang, in Gurdaspur district. He had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO) in the case registered at Ghuman Kalan police station under Sections 109 and 3(5) of the BNS and is also facing at least four other cases across different police stations.