KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Apr-2024
Moga Police on April 10 arrested six members of the Davinder Bambiha gang, identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Labhi, Sunil Kumar alias Baba, Karan, Vicky alias Gandhi, Harmeet Singh alias Cheema, and Sahil Sharma alias Shallu and seized three pistols, a country-made revolver, and cartridges from their possession in Moga district. According to the police, Labhi, currently in jail, allegedly directed the gang's activities, leading authorities to procure a production warrant for him. The arrested individuals faced multiple criminal charges, with Gandhi and Baba having extensive criminal records in Moga.
09-Apr-2024
According to sources, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India Rajiv Kumar allegedly received threat calls from pro-Khalistan elements abroad. These threats were reportedly conveyed through pre-recorded calls to Indian numbers, featuring a well-known pro-Khalistan leader who has a history of making such threats via internet-based voice calls and social media. As a result, the Union Ministry for Home Affairs (UMHA) has taken steps to enhance Rajiv Kumar's security, with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) now providing "Z-category level" protection, extending across India. Kumar, currently under Delhi Police protection, is expected to receive round-the-clock security from CRPF commandos, including an escort vehicle, as part of his upgraded security detail.
09-Apr-2024
The Sikh high priests, including Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, Takht Damdama Sahib Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, Takht Kesgarh Sahib Jathedar Giani Sultan Singh, along with Giani Gurdev Singh and Giani Gurminder, held a meeting on April 9 at the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar and directed community members to hoist Khalsa flags on their homes to commemorate 325 years of Khalsa on Khalsa Sajna Divas on April 13.
09-Apr-2024
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Pilibhit district in Uttar Pradesh (UP) on April 9, reached out to the Sikh community and condemned the 1984 anti-Sikh riots orchestrated by the Congress, stating that India can never forget what the Congress did to the Sikhs in 1984. PM Modi criticized the Congress and Samajwadi Party for their alleged role in the riots while highlighting the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) solidarity with the Sikh community through various initiatives like opening the Kartarpur Corridor and celebrating Sikh festivals.
09-Apr-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 9 announced the arrest of another individual in connection with the 2022 Attari drug seizure case, identified as Harwinder Singh alias Soshi Pannu, bringing the total number of arrests to six. Harwinder is alleged to have played a key role in distributing drugs, handling cash, and laundering drug proceeds through banking and "hawala" channels. The case involves a major conspiracy by an international drug cartel to circulate drugs in India, with seizures totalling 102.784 kg of heroin valued at about INR 700 crores in April 2022 by Indian Customs. The consignment, concealed in liquorice roots, originated from Afghanistan and was sent via the Attari inland customs entry point in Amritsar district, Punjab.
09-Apr-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Gurdaspur Police conducted a joint operation on April 9 and recovered 530 grams of heroin allegedly dropped by a Pakistani drone near Chauntra village in Gurdaspur district in Punjab.
09-Apr-2024
The United States (US) ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, emphasized India's pivotal role in shaping the future while speaking at an event in New Delhi on April 9. He urged others to visit India to witness, feel, and work on the future, highlighting the mutual exchange of ideas and initiatives between the US and India. Garcetti emphasized collaboration over teaching and preaching and also mentioned US President Joe Biden's deep appreciation for India's global significance.
08-Apr-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gurpawant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), released a new video on April 8. In it, he threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister of Defence Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and former RAW chief Samant Goel, vowing to challenge them 'right in their own backyard.' The video features excerpts from Rajnath Singh's remarks on government action against terrorism and footage of PM Modi's strong statements on India's capability to retaliate against enemies. Pannun also labelled the upcoming Lok Sabha election in 2024 as an opportunity to 'shame' PM Modi. Furthermore, he pledged to continue campaigning for the Khalistan referendum and urged the United States, Canada, and Pakistan to adopt an equal punishment approach, citing 'Lex Talionis' (law of retaliation). His use of social media as a platform for these threats aligns with his past behaviour.
08-Apr-2024
Security has been heightened in Bathinda as Khalsa Chetna planned a march on April 8 in Punjab's Bathinda district, demanding the transfer of Khalistani preacher and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh from Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam to Punjab. Bathinda has been turned into a police cantonment, with extensive vehicle checks and monitoring of suspicious individuals.
08-Apr-2024
According to sources, over the past three months, Punjab Police have seized approximately 99 kg of heroin smuggled through drones across the International Border (IB) in Amritsar. Amritsar City and Rural Police have arrested 337 drug peddlers and filed 214 First Information Reports (FIRs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act since January 1, 2024. Notably, the rural police recovered 65 kg of contraband, while the city police seized 34 kg of heroin, along with a new trend of intercepting 2 kg of ice drug from Pakistan. Aside from heroin, the police seized 17 kg of opium and 56 kg of poppy husk, and recovered INR 1.17 crore of drug money in rural areas. The Police have highlighted efforts to dismantle narco modules operated by international smugglers from countries like Canada, the United States (US), and Malaysia. They also face challenges in countering cross-border smuggling, including the use of drones, prompting the installation of CCTV cameras and the setting up of special nakas (checkpoints) for border surveillance.
08-Apr-2024
Police on April 8 busted a smuggling racket and arrested two individuals identified as Kamaljit and Jatinder Kumar and seized 180 grams of heroin from their possession near Rama Mandi chowk in Jalandhar district. Both suspects have previous criminal records, and the police are continuing investigations to ascertain the source of the drugs.
07-Apr-2024
The Bhawanigarh Police on April 7 arrested an unidentified woman and seized 40 grams of heroin from her possession near the grain market at Jollian village in Sangrur district of Punjab.
07-Apr-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a packet of heroin weighing 350 grams from wheat fields adjacent to Kalsian village in Tarn Taran district on April 7.
07-Apr-2024
Police on April 7 arrested two members of the Arsh Dala gang identified as Vimalpreet Singh and Ashu Kumar and seized two illegal .32-bore pistols and a .30-bore pistol from them near Machaki Mal Singh village in Faridkot district in Punjab. The accused were allegedly targeting an executive engineer of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for INR 20 lakh in extortion money and sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter with the police. According to police investigations, the gangsters had planned the attack on the engineer who refused to comply with their demands.
07-Apr-2024
Police on April 7 arrested two members of the Arsh Dala gang identified as Vimalpreet Singh and Ashu Kumar and seized two illegal .32-bore pistols and a .30-bore pistol from them near Machaki Mal Singh village in Faridkot district in Punjab. The accused were allegedly targeting an executive engineer of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for INR 20 lakh in extortion money and sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter with the police. According to police investigations, the gangsters had planned the attack on the engineer who refused to comply with their demands.
07-Apr-2024
Punjab Police on April 7 arrested Balwinder Kaur, the mother of Waris Punjab De (WPD) head and Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, along with his uncle Sukhchain Singh and four others, while they were en route to Bathinda to participate in the Khalsa Chetna March in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The march aimed to seek the shifting of Amritpal Singh and his associates, currently detained in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), to Punjab. Despite the scheduled march from Takht Damdama Sahib in Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district, to Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar, the Bathinda administration denied permission citing potential law and order issues. The detainees were sent to judicial custody for four days.
06-Apr-2024
Police on April 6 arrested an individual identified as Rana Kumar and seized 20 kg of poppy husk from him in Ishar Nagar, Ludhiana, in Ludhiana district. According to the police, Rana, a labourer and drug addict, allegedly smuggled drugs to finance his addiction. He is already involved in seven drug peddling cases across Punjab and Haryana.
06-Apr-2024
On April 6, Manjit Singh, a 25-year-old, died from a suspected drug overdose in Lalchian village in Ferozepur district, Punjab. He allegedly consumed a synthetic drug (chitta) at Jawai Singh Wala village and lost consciousness, subsequently passing away at his home in Lalchian village.
06-Apr-2024
The registration of Keshdhaari Sikhs for the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) elections in Punjab has plummeted by nearly 50% since 2011, with only 27.45 lakh registered voters compared to over 52 lakh in 2011. The declining trend is attributed to the SGPC's diminishing significance among Sikhs, along with factors like conversions, migration, and the rising influence of Dera culture. The SGPC elections, overseen by the Gurdwara Election Commission (GEC) established by the Government of India (GoI), involve 159 elected members, with 157 from Punjab and two each from Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh (HP). Despite extensions, voter registration remained slow, partly attributed to strikes by revenue patwaris and farmer agitation, prompting calls for increased publicity and administrative efforts to boost registration before the April 30 deadline.
06-Apr-2024
Punjab Police have initiated a crackdown on drug peddlers, bootleggers, and violators of the model code of conduct following the announcement of General Elections to the 18th Lok Sabha by the Election Commission of India. Since the imposition of the model code of conduct, they have seized a significant amount of contraband, including 10.7 kg of heroin, 207 gm of opium, and 54 kg of poppy husk. Additionally, 2,920 litres of illicit liquor and 173 quintals of lahan were confiscated. A total of 157 individuals have been arrested under various offenses, with 10 pistols recovered along with 28 bullets and magazines. Twenty inter-district nakas (checkpoints) and eight second-line defences near the International Border (IB) have been established to curb smuggling activities ahead of the elections.
06-Apr-2024
The Special Task Force (STF) wing of Ludhiana Police on April 6 arrested two drug peddlers identified as Amritpal Singh and Sunny Kumar, seizing 5.5 kg of heroin from their possession near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district. The suspects were allegedly connected to a prominent Amritsar-based drug smuggler, potentially linked to Pakistan-based heroin traffickers, indicating a cross-border smuggling angle.
05-Apr-2024
The City-2 police seized 2 kg of opium from a bike belonging to an accused identified as Arun Kumar alias Latu on April 5 in Abohar in Fazilka district. However, the accused managed to evade arrest.
05-Apr-2024
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 5 opposed the furlough plea of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar, serving life imprisonment in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, citing his involvement in the killing of thousands of Sikhs and the potential flight risk. In its affidavit filed with the Supreme Court, the CBI argued that Kumar's history of misbehaviour and punishment during his incarceration undermines claims of "good behaviour". Kumar surrendered in 2018 after being convicted and sentenced for his role in the riots that claimed around 3,000 lives, mostly Sikhs, in the aftermath of Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi's assassination. The Supreme Court, having dismissed his bail plea previously, has declined further release, emphasizing the severity of his crimes and his lack of entitlement to special treatment.
05-Apr-2024
Indian officials recently rejected a report by The Guardian that alleged their involvement in orchestrating killings in Pakistan, attributing the actions to Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The report claimed almost 20 killings since 2020, with a notable increase in 2023, and suggested Indian agents were operating sleeper cells in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Indian officials dismissed these allegations, with Defence expert Sanjay Kulkarni asserting that India does not operate in such a manner.
05-Apr-2024
Punjab Police on April 5 busted an interstate gang involved in smuggling drugs and weapons and arrested four individuals identified as Neeraj Kumar, Akashdeep, Tejpal Singh, and Rahu, seizing 300 grams of heroin and seven country-made pistols near Kapurthala in Kapurthala district. The police revealed that the suspects acquired illegal country-made pistols from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and sold them in Punjab. Neeraj Kumar, one of the arrested individuals, is also implicated in a bank robbery in Bihar where he stole INR 40 lakh.