KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
04-Mar-2024
Police on March 4 arrested two drug peddlers, one of whom was a dismissed cop from Punjab identified as Amardeep Singh alias Kala and the other as Parveen and seized 70 grams of heroin from their possession in Ferozepur district in Punjab and Chandigarh. Parveen was arrested in Chandigarh, and confessed to sourcing the contraband from Amardeep Singh, the dismissed cop, leading to the latter's arrest in a subsequent raid in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district in Punjab.
04-Mar-2024
A gangster, identified as Rajesh Dogra alias Mohan Chir, was shot dead by four unidentified persons outside a shopping mall in Sector 67 in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district in Punjab. According to the police, the shooting was the result of a fallout from a gang war.
04-Mar-2024
On March 4, Shiromani Akali Dal - Amritsar (SAD-A) president and Sangrur Member of Parliament (MP), Simranjit Singh Mann, was confined to his residence in Baguana Enclave in Sangrur district, by the police amid the 'rail roko' agitation. The protest revolves around the release of 'Bandi Singhs' and alleged atrocities against farmers.
04-Mar-2024
Around 25 Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar (SAD-A) workers, led by organizing secretary Gurnaib Singh Rampura, were detained by the police in Mullowal village in Sangrur district in Punjab, while en route to the agitation on March 4.
03-Mar-2024
A high-level delegation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) met Governor Banwarilal Purohit in Amritsar on March 3 to address three key issues: the firing incident at a gurdwara in Sultanpur Lodhi, the hunger strike by detainees at Dibrugarh jail, and the release of 'Bandi Singhs'. The delegation urged the Governor to promptly address these issues, seeking the intervention of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) to transfer the detainees to Punjab jails and uphold human rights.
03-Mar-2024
According to sources in the Indian intelligence agencies, there has been a reduction in terrorist infiltrations along the western borders and in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) ahead of the national elections in Pakistan. Activities facilitating infiltration by Pakistani authorities have decreased, with a noticeable shift in tactics to avoid international and domestic backlash. Pakistani forces, which previously assisted terrorists in tunnel construction and drug trafficking, have scaled back in the past six months.
03-Mar-2024
The Commissionerate Police on March 3 busted an international drug trafficking syndicate involved in the illicit trade of narcotics across four countries using courier services, with the arrest of three people identified as Aman, Sunny and Shejal, and seized 5 kg of opium from their possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. Led by kingpin Manish alias Mani Thakur in the United Kingdom (UK), the cartel sourced opium from Jharkhand and used courier services in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar to send shipments abroad. The syndicate's operations spanned four countries, with investigations uncovering approximately 300 recipient addresses and implicating Customs officials and India Post in facilitating the trade.
03-Mar-2024
The city police on March 3 arrested two persons, Naveen Kumar and Sajan Singh and seized 15 gm of heroin from their possession, in Abohar in Fazilka district.
03-Mar-2024
Police on March 3 arrested two men, identified as Sukhdev Kaur and Veerpal Kaur and seized 2 kg of poppy husk from their possession, in Abohar in Fazilka district. They were returning to Punjab from Bikaner in Rajasthan.
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.