KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
08-Mar-2024
Mohali Police on March 8 arrested five of the eight suspects, including two tainted cops, involved in the daylight shooting of Jammu-based gangster Rajesh Dogra, identified as Anil Singh (kingpin), Harpreet Singh, Satvir Singh, Sandeep Singh and Sham Lal, and seized three pistols, two revolvers, a .12 bore gun and 71 live rounds along with four luxury vehicles from Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district in Punjab. The main suspect, Anil Singh, allegedly orchestrated the crime for revenge in a gang war.
08-Mar-2024
Police on March 8 registered a case against two persons, identified as Kuldeep Singh and Baljit Singh, following the death of a 24-year-old from a drug overdose, in Azamwala village in Fazilka district. The deceased's father, Paramjit Singh, revealed that his son had been battling drug addiction. On March 7, they found him unconscious with an injection in his hand, and before passing away, he implicated Kuldeep and Baljit as the sources of the drug, known as 'chitta'.
07-Mar-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) was informed by the state of Punjab on March 7 that a convict in Faridkot Central Jail in Punjab was using a mobile phone to communicate with Pakistani smugglers, highlighting a concerning security breach. The state detailed various ingenious methods prisoners employ for smuggling, including hiding phones in body cavities and conspiring with outsiders. To counteract these tactics, traditional security measures such as armed guards and patrols are in place, alongside AI-based CCTV surveillance.
07-Mar-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation on March 7, recovered a packet of heroin weighing 5 kg from a farming field adjacent to Neshta Village in Amritsar district.
07-Mar-2024
The Police on March 7 busted a module running a drug racket from across the border by a United States (US) resident Satnam Singh, with the arrest of two peddlers identified as Gurlal Singh and Lovedeep Singh and seized 780 grams of heroin, a motorcycle and two mobile phones from their possession, near Rajoke village in Tarn Taran district. The peddlers confessed to receiving heroin from Satnam Singh across the Indo-Pak border.
07-Mar-2024
Police on March 7 averted targeted killings with the arrest of two operatives of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Kuldeep Singh alias Ghugg and Avtar Singh alias Ladi and seized a .32 bore pistol along with four magazines and 30 rounds from them, along with a bike (PB08-FI 3940) from their possession in Mehatpur village in Jalandhar district. The module, led by United States (US)-based Harpreet Singh alias Happy Pasia and Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh Rinda, aimed to involve youngsters in anti-national activities.
07-Mar-2024
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami on March 7 welcomed Ramesh Singh Arora's appointment as the first cabinet minister of the Punjab government in Pakistan. They hailed it as a significant moment for the Sikh community, marking the first time a Sikh has held such a position since the India-Pakistan Partition in 1947. Raghbir Singh urged Arora to utilize his constitutional authority to address Sikh issues, while Dhami expressed hope that Arora would serve as a liaison between the Pakistani government and minority communities. They emphasized the importance of safeguarding gurdwaras in Afghanistan.
07-Mar-2024
A third associate of Waris Punjab de (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh, identified as Basant Singh, was hospitalized on March 7 due to deteriorating health caused by a hunger strike at Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
07-Mar-2024
The Rajpura police on March 7 busted an inter-state drug module, arresting four of its members, identified as Kusum Devi, Guniya Devi, Ram Geya, and Ranju Kumari and seizing 9 kg of charas from their possession at a checkpoint near Basantpura Village in Patiala district.
07-Mar-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, on March 7, in a joint operation, recovered one packet of heroin weighing 565 grams from a farming field adjacent to Sanktara village Tarn Taran district.
06-Mar-2024
Bihar Police arrested two shooters of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Sunil Karolia and Sahil, on March 6 and seized contrabands from their possession near the toll plaza in Runni Saidpur, Sitamarhi district in Bihar. Preliminary investigations suggest their involvement in multiple murders across Rajasthan, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh.
06-Mar-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on March 6 arrested a Pakistani national loitering near the International Border (IB) and seized PKR 570, a wristwatch, one earphone, and 3 Pakistani national identity cards, and a mobile phone from his possession in the Amritsar sector of Amritsar district. The individual was caught while attempting to escape towards the Pakistani side after being spotted by BSF troops. He was subsequently handed over to the Punjab Police.
06-Mar-2024
On March 6, the Akal Takht constituted a sub-committee to address the issue of shifting detainees from Dibrugarh Central Jail to Punjab, following concerns raised by family members during a meeting with Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh. The detainees, including Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh and nine others charged under the National Security Act (NSA), have been on a hunger strike since February 16, citing privacy violations due to surveillance cameras installed without their consent.
06-Mar-2024
According to sources, intelligence agencies have warned of potential disruption by pro-Khalistani elements during Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's rally, scheduled for March 7 at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Khalistan terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), has reportedly called for raising pro-Khalistan and Pakistan flags. Despite doubts about SFJ's presence in J&K, security forces are on high alert.
06-Mar-2024
Giani Raghbir Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht in Amritsar, issued a warning on March 6 to the government and administration regarding serious consequences if any harm befalls Amritpal Singh and his family, who are currently on a hunger strike. Singh emphasized the lack of government response to the hunger strike, expressing concern about biased treatment and the growing alienation among Sikhs. He also demanded the immediate transfer of Sikh detainees from Dibrugarh Jail in Assam to Punjab, citing deteriorating health due to the hunger strike.
06-Mar-2024
The Punjab Police on March 6 arrested arrest of two individuals, identified as Ajit Singh alias Golu and Mandeep Kumar alias Vada, in connection with a gun house theft case in Amritsar and seized 12 weapons and 21 cartridges from their possession in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The stolen weapons, ammunition, and cash were taken from the gun house on February 21-22, 2024.
05-Mar-2024
The Kapurthala police on March 5 busted an inter-district gang of criminals by arresting three persons identified as Sukhwant Singh, Roshan Singh and Ajay Kumar along with seven pistols and 35 live cartridges and a car, near Gaunspur village in Kapurthala district.
05-Mar-2024
Two jailed associates of Waris Punjab de (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh, identified as Kulwant Singh and Gurmeet Singh, were hospitalized on March 5 with health issues at the Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh in Assam. Kulwant reportedly experienced an epilepsy attack, while Gurmeet was hospitalized for undisclosed ailments. Amritpal Singh, a radical preacher with pro-Khalistan views, was arrested in April 2023 under the National Security Act (NSA) with alleged connections to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and involvement in arming a private militia.
05-Mar-2024
Professor Mark Juergensmeyer, an expert on Punjab, stated during the second and final day of the international seminar 'Punjab at Crossroads' held in New Delhi on March 5, that the 1980s uprising in the state was driven by religious nationalism, although not all participants sought Khalistan. Highlighting unresolved issues, he also stressed the need for economic growth. The historical context of Punjab's territorial identity and language complexities was discussed, alongside unaddressed grievances such as the lack of truth commissions for both militancy and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
05-Mar-2024
The Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt (SAD-Sanyukt), on March 5, merged with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) led by Sukhbir Singh Badal in Chandigarh. The merger aims to unify the Sikh community ('panth') and revitalize the SAD's relevance in Punjab politics, given its recent electoral setbacks, ahead of the Parliamentary elections.
05-Mar-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 5 criticized the handling of drug cases by state agencies in Punjab and Haryana, deeming their investigations 'extremely faulty.' Consequently, the court directed the Directors General of Police (DGPs) of Punjab and Haryana to send batches of investigating officers to the Police Training Centre (PTC) in Daroh, Himachal Pradesh, for a three-month period.
05-Mar-2024
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema stated on March 5 that the state Budget 2024-25 would emphasize modernization and infrastructure improvement for the Police Department, allocating INR 10,635 crore for initiatives such as the Sadak Surakhya Force. He also highlighted the procurement of top-of-the-line vehicles, with 1,396 provided in the last two years out of 1,993 purchased over five years.
04-Mar-2024
According to sources, the global drug trafficking crisis implicates Pakistan, allegedly involving Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and retired military officers, with links to the Khalistan movement in Canada. Routes span from Afghanistan to North America, necessitating international cooperation for dismantling networks. There is an urgent need for a holistic approach addressing socio-economic factors alongside law enforcement efforts. These factors highlight a complicated network taking advantage of geopolitical conflicts.
04-Mar-2024
According to sources, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a Khalistani terrorist and the chief of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is reportedly orchestrating a plan to incite violence within the farmer's movement in India. He allegedly encouraged supporters through text messages to take up arms against Indian security forces and revealed plans to smuggle weapons from Pakistan via Kartarpur and across the Rajasthan border. Pannun's scheme includes using social networks in the United States (US), Canada, Australia, and Pakistan to spread propaganda and destabilize the movement. Despite stringent security measures, concerns persist about potential support from Pakistan, prompting heightened vigilance by intelligence agencies.
04-Mar-2024
Dal Khalsa, on March 4, extended warm greetings to Pakistan's new Prime Minister (PM), Shehbaz Sharif, expressing optimism for positive changes in Pakistan and South Asia. They acknowledged the challenges ahead while emphasizing the potential for progress under Sharif's leadership. They reiterated that the Sikh community anticipates increased opportunities for social, religious, and political engagement, hoping for attention to their identity and aspirations.