KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
02-Mar-2024
Directors of United Sikhs, a non-profit organisation, Amritpal Singh and Gurpreet Singh, Advocate Gurmohanpreet Singh, and farmer leaders Baldev Singh Sirsa and Ashok Balhara recently organised a press conference to highlight their provision of legal aid and medical assistance to farmers injured during protests. The organisation deployed three ambulances and initiated legal action, including filing writ petitions, to seek justice for the injured farmers.
01-Mar-2024
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Chandigarh on March 1 convicted a Punjab-based man identified as Sukhjinder Singh on money laundering charges linked to an illegal narcotic trafficking case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced that Singh was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment and fined INR 1lakh. The conviction stemmed from a money laundering investigation initiated in 2010 following an FIR registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Chandigarh under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
01-Mar-2024
In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur districts, district police have intensified efforts to eradicate drugs, and announced the destruction of all seized drugs and narcotics to prevent their re-circulation. The destroyed materials included 1,629 gm of heroin, 3.5 lakh tablets and capsules, 634 kg of poppy husk, and 25 gm of narcotic powder. Additionally, awareness campaigns and increased vigilance in identified hotspots have been implemented to combat drug abuse during the election period.
01-Mar-2024
The Assam Police on March 1 increased security for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following a phone threat issued by a member and supporter of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), regarding the alleged mistreatment of Amritpal Singh and his associates in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. The caller demanded the transfer of jailed Amritpal Singh and his associates to Amritsar jail, threatening consequences for the CM. The caller claimed that the message was being delivered at the behest of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
01-Mar-2024
According to sources, Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates are preparing their meals due to safety concerns and are demanding to be shifted to Punjab at Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Unauthorised items seized from their cell prompted security enhancements. As a result, they have started a hunger strike over the installation of CCTV cameras, citing privacy invasion.
01-Mar-2024
According to official sources, eight Haryana districts bordering Punjab—Sirsa, Fatehabad, Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar—account for 86.7% of drug cases reported in the state over the last five years. Despite the efforts of the Haryana Police, including the registration of 3,757 First Information Reports (FIRs) and 5,350 arrests in the previous year (2023), drug availability remains high, with Sirsa district topping the list. Health officials attribute the rise in drug addiction to factors such as aggressive marketing, stress, and peer pressure. Measures, including the establishment of more de-addiction centres and awareness campaigns, are planned to address the issue.
01-Mar-2024
The Crime Branch of the UT police on March 1 arrested three individuals including a 28-year-old woman, who were part of the Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar module that was given the task to eliminate gangster Bhupinder Singh Rana alias Bhupi Rana, identified as Amanpreet Singh, Parwinder Singh and Maya alias Kashish alias Pooja Sharma, in Chandigarh.
01-Mar-2024
Farmers, regrouping under Kisan Andolan-2, plan to resume their 'Dilli Chalo' march into Delhi from multiple routes after March 3, aiming to intensify their protest. Leaders have announced a march starting from the Dabwali route and urged farmers nationwide to join. Talks with members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan are ongoing, with plans to discuss further actions following a bhog ceremony on March 3.
01-Mar-2024
A worker of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Chohla, was shot dead by assailants on March 1, near the railway crossing between Fatehbad and Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district in Punjab.
01-Mar-2024
Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Guwahati on March 1, downplayed the threat from Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), who demanded the transfer of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), from Dibrugarh jail to Amritsar jail. Sarma stated that he does not fear Khalistanis.
01-Mar-2024
A Sikh delegation wrote a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on March 1 amidst ongoing protests outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), demanding an apology from BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for allegedly making a 'Khalistani' remark against Sikh Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Jaspreet Singh. Gurmeet Singh, the president of Gurdwara Bara Sikh Sangat, expressed hope in the letter for a meeting to address the community's concerns, stating that it would offer solace during this challenging time.
29-Feb-2024
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (ATGF) of Punjab Police, on February 29, arrested Amritpal Singh alias Nannu, an associate of the Davinder Bambiha Gang, in connection with a recent shooting at Katani Premium Dhaba in Mohali's Sector 79, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The police revealed that the interrogation of the arrested individual provided information about two other fugitive suspects, Rana and Arshjot. Additionally, another suspect, Feroz, was apprehended on February 27 in Haryana. The crime is believed to have been orchestrated by the foreign-based gangster Gaurav alias Lucky Patiyal of the Davinder Bambiha Gang, with the aim of extorting ransom money from the victim. Ongoing efforts are in place to apprehend the remaining suspects.
29-Feb-2024
JS Manjpur, the lawyer of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, revealed on February 29 that Bhullar, convicted in the 1993 Delhi bomb blast case, plans to challenge the Delhi Government's Sentence Review Board's decision to reject his premature release. His earlier plea with the Punjab and Haryana High Court was withdrawn as it became irrelevant. Bhullar's family and lawyer seek implementation of a 2019 notification for his special remission, citing his deteriorating health and the Centre's announcement regarding his release.
29-Feb-2024
Former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Charanjit Singh Channi revealed on February 29 that he had received a ransom demand of INR 2 crore via text message from an unidentified sender, allegedly belonging to the Goldy Brar gang. Despite forwarding the message to the Director General of Police (DGP), he received no response. Channi expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation, citing instances of ransom demands becoming commonplace.
29-Feb-2024
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun released a video on February 29 encouraging the kidnapping of ministers or their family members and advocating for breaking into Dibrugarh jail in Assam to release the jailed Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh. In the video, Pannun suggests to people how to attack jails and uses the picture of a Union Minister and his son while discussing abduction. Pannun also recommends filing a complaint with the United Nations (UN).
29-Feb-2024
Police, on February 29, busted a cross-border drug cartel being run by a United States (US)-based drug peddler, Jasmeet Singh alias Lucky, by arresting Gurpreet Kumar alias Deep and seizing 5 kg of heroin and one Tata Ace car from his possession in Kajikot village in Tarn Taran district. During questioning, Deep admitted to receiving drug consignments from across the border on the instructions of Lucky, revealing the international connections and operational dynamics of the drug cartel. Earlier, the Amritsar Commissionerate Police had arrested five drug smugglers of Jasmeet alias Lucky module after recovering 6.2 kg of heroin, INR 3.80 lakh drug money, a car, and 12 sims from their possession.
28-Feb-2024
Police on February 28 busted a Madhya Pradesh (MP) based weapon supply racket with the arrest of two persons identified as Harminderpal Singh and Jatinderpal Singh alias Baba, and seized four country-made pistols, magazines and 16 live cartridges along with their Honda Activa scooter, from near Pul Taranwala area in Amritsar in Amritsar district.
28-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 28 intercepted a drone and recovered three packets of suspected heroin weighing 3.030 kg, a hexacopter drone attached to it, and two mobile phones, from near Uttar Dhariwal village in Amritsar district.
28-Feb-2024
Police on February 28 arrested two individuals, identified as Rajan and Sachin Sharma, and seized 204 grams of heroin from their possession in Derabassi in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. During the interrogation, the accused confessed to obtaining heroin from a Nigerian national in Tilak Nagar, Delhi, exposing the intricate international drug trade network.
28-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on February 28 troops intercepted the movement of a drone and later recovered it from fields adjacent to Kalas Havelian village in Tarn Taran district.
28-Feb-2024
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on February 28 flagged off 410 vehicles for Punjab Police, comprising 315 vehicles for Station House Officers (SHOs), 76 Tata Tiago vehicles for the Dial 112 project, and 19 vehicles for the Mahila Mitras women safety scheme at the Phillaur Police Academy in Phillaur in Jalandhar district. He emphasized prioritizing vehicle allocations from SHOs to higher-ranking officers to bolster law enforcement. Mann urged SHOs to vigorously pursue cases against drug smugglers, affirming his administration's commitment to combat the drug menace.
28-Feb-2024
During the India-United States (US) Homeland Security Dialogue (HSD) held on February 28 in New Delhi, India emphasized the need to investigate pro-Khalistani outfits in the US accused of inciting violence against India. Led by Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and US Acting Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo, both sides reviewed ongoing efforts in counter-terrorism and security domains. They also discussed cooperation in counter-terrorism, security, and combating narcotics trafficking, particularly Fentanyl. Issues raised included pro-Khalistani activities on US soil and support for separatist elements in India, amidst demands for accountability. Discussions also addressed issues such as illegal immigration, human trafficking, cybercrimes, and terror financing. Notably, the official statements made no mention of the ongoing "assassin for hire" investigation involving an Indian national allegedly linked to a plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
28-Feb-2024
In an interview, United States (US) Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristie Canegallo, on February 28 underscored the priority of ensuring the safety of diplomats. She emphasized cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and cybersecurity, highlighting joint efforts to combat threats like Fentanyl trafficking. Canegallo stressed that violence against diplomatic facilities or personnel is treated as a serious criminal offense, with active investigations conducted by the Department of Justice and other relevant authorities. She assured the priority of safety for Indian diplomats in the US and discussed ongoing investigations into attacks on Indian diplomatic facilities.
28-Feb-2024
Balwinder Kaur, the mother of Waris Punjab De (WPD) Chief and Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, has decided to continue her hunger strike until all Sikh detainees are transferred to Punjab. Amritpal, along with nine others, is currently detained in Dibrugarh jail in Assam.
28-Feb-2024
According to sources, central intelligence agencies expressed concerns over the emergence of secret communication platforms used by a transnational nexus of terrorists, gangsters, and narco-criminals to fuel unrest in Punjab. These platforms have dual uses, with private ones for operational purposes and public ones for anti-India propaganda, including attacks on Indian diplomatic missions abroad. Investigations reveal a shift from traditional telephone calling to internet-based communication, utilizing VoIP, app-based virtual numbers, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and phone speakers for covert communication, making detection difficult. The use of emerging technologies by these networks poses challenges for law enforcement, with jails becoming recruitment hubs for criminals by terror masterminds.