KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 10 intercepted and recovered a drone near Chann Kalan village in Amritsar district. The drone was a Quadcopter model DJI Mavic 3 Classic, manufactured in China.
09-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 9 night, shot down a China-made drone near the International Border near Rosary village in Gurdaspur district. The drone was recovered by BSF Jawans on the morning of February 10.
09-Feb-2024
A local Mohali court in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district on February 9 granted permission to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to extradite Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, who allegedly has ties to the banned Khalistani terror group Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Dalla is wanted for numerous heinous crimes including murder, extortion, and targeted killings, as well as facilitating terror activities by providing funding and weapons.
09-Feb-2024
The Maharashtra Government's amendments to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1956, have sparked protests, with leaders of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) joining demonstrators in Nanded, Maharashtra. The amendments would empower the government to nominate 12 members to the 17-member board, thereby reducing SGPC's representation. Sikh organizations, led by the Panj Pyaras, protested and submitted a memorandum to the Nanded Collector. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami criticized the move, calling it an interference in Sikh affairs, and urged Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde to reconsider.
09-Feb-2024
The Maharashtra state government announced that the Management Committee of Nanded Sikh Gurudwara in Nanded, Maharashtra, will exclusively comprise Sikh community members, emphasizing their expertise and contributions to society. Non-Sikh individuals won't be part of the committee. The government urged against misinformation and clarified that a bill would be presented in the Legislative Assembly for discussion. The new committee will consist of 17 members, including three elected representatives, two from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) in Amritsar, and others appointed by the state government.
09-Feb-2024
According to the Police, gangster Rajan Bhatti, who was arrested by Punjab Police's State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on February 8 in Mohali, was involved in smuggling heroin and illegal arms, facilitated by Punjab-based contacts in Uganda. Bhatti, associated with Canada-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, was wanted in multiple cases. Police recovered firearms, heroin, and drug money from his hideout in Sector 70. Bhatti, a proclaimed offender in several cases, was remanded to police custody for five days following his court appearance on February 9.
09-Feb-2024
Farm activists, in response to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha's (SKM) call, are scheduled to hold prayers in gurdwaras and temples on February 10 for the success of their agitation, which is set to begin on February 13. Preparation for the protest is underway, with activists arranging for long stays in Delhi with their tractor-trolleys.
09-Feb-2024
The police on February 9 busted an inter-state arms smuggling racket and arrested seven persons identified as Jashandeep Singh, Karandeep Singh, Sharanjit Singh, Deepak Kumar, Sandeep Singh, Narinder Singh, and one unidentified person and seized ten .32 bore caliber pistols, along with ten magazines and 15 live cartridges, a .12 bore double-barrel rifle, and a car from their possession in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The suspects were smuggling weapons from Madhya Pradesh to Punjab under the direction of Ritik Rally, based in Australia, and the incarcerated Kunal Mahajan. The police also suspect the involvement of a handler based in the United States (US) in the racket.
09-Feb-2024
The police on February 9 arrested Pardeep Kaler, a prime accused in the 2015 sacrilege incidents, a week after reports surfaced of him serving 'langar' at the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh (UP). He was arrested in Haryana. Kaler, formerly associated with Dera Sacha Sauda, had been evading arrest for eight years.
08-Feb-2024
Punjab Police’s State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on February 8 arrested a wanted gangster-cum-drug lord, and a close associate of terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, identified as Rajan Bhatti, and seized a .32 bore pistol with four live rounds, a .45 bore pistol with five live rounds, 270-gm heroin and INR 7,97,000 drug money from his possession in Sector 70 in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Bhatti was injured in police firing during the operation. The arrest followed months of surveillance and intelligence efforts by Punjab Police. Bhatti, wanted in over 15 cases including drug smuggling and extortion, had evaded capture for years. His arrest is expected to aid in further investigations, with SSOC teams interrogating him for valuable information on his criminal network.
08-Feb-2024
Police on February 8 stated that it had arrested eight gangsters of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Sanjay Bawa, Deepak Kumar, Gajinder Rajpurat, Manoj, Pappu, Deepak Kumar ,Radhe and Abhishek Gill; and seized one pistol of .30 bore with five cartridges, one pistol of .32 bore with five cartridges, one country-made gun .315 bore, four magazines, one motorcycle and two scooters from their possession, near Dhobi Ghat near TV Tower in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. According to the police, the gang had targeted industrialists and businessmen with international connections, including ties to gangster Suraj in the United Kingdom (UK). The investigation is ongoing to uncover further details about their operations.
07-Feb-2024
Rajpura police on February 7 busted an inter-state drugs module with the arrest of two persons identified as Kulwinder Singh Kindi and Palwinder Singh Billa along with 1.05 lakh banned Lomotil tablets in Rajpura in Patiala district.
07-Feb-2024
Security agencies on February 7 recovered 1 kg of heroin near Rudiana village in Gurdaspur district, believed to have been dropped by a drone.
07-Feb-2024
Police on February 7 busted a gang involved in the interstate trade of illegal arms and arrested one of its members, identified as Balkaran Singh alias Rai along with 10 country-made pistols in Nawanshahr in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district in Punjab. The investigations revealed that the gang, led by Arun Kumar alias Mani from Central Jail in Ludhiana, Punjab, was supplying weapons in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana. Balkaran, previously involved in drug trafficking, was directed by Kumar to procure weapons from Madhya Pradesh for criminal activities.
07-Feb-2024
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on February 7 arrested three associates of terrorists Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, identified as Jobanjit Singh alias Joban, Bikramjit Singh alias Bikka and Kulwinder Singh alias Kala and seized two .32 calibre pistols along with 10 live cartridges and a Maruti Swift car from their possession, near Shafipur village in Amritsar district.
07-Feb-2024
The Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on February 7, strongly denounced the recent amendment to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abhchal Nagar Sahib Act, 1956, by the Government of Maharashtra. The amendment increases government-nominated members to 12 out of 17, reducing SGPC's representation and omitting other Sikh organisations. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh deemed it an attempt to take direct control of the historic Sikh Shrine and ordered SGPC to urgently engage with the Maharashtra government to reverse the amendment. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami urged Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde to reconsider, citing resentment within the Sikh community over the perceived government dominance.
07-Feb-2024
Malerkotla police on February 7 arrested 13 proclaimed offenders (POs), identified as Daljit Singh Gopi, Kuldeep Singh Keepa, Rinku Pandit, Rajinder Singh Pappu, Raj Kaur, Karanveer Singh, Paramjit Kaur, Mohammad Rashid, Arshad, Shenaz, Rehman, Farid Ali and Bikar Singh, in Malerkotla in Malerkotla district in Punjab. The operation aimed to target anti-social elements, drug peddlers, and other notorious individuals posing a threat to regional peace. This successful operation underscores the determination to combat drug-related activities and maintain law and order in the region.
07-Feb-2024
The Supreme Court (SC) on February 7 denied bail to Gurwinder Singh alias Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, who is accused of promoting the Khalistani terror movement in India. Justices Sundresh and Kumar ruled that the delay in the trial wasn’t sufficient grounds for bail in serious offenses. They highlighted Singh's alleged complicity in a conspiracy and connections to the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), emphasizing that the usual bail jurisprudence doesn't apply to cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The accused's connections to the banned outfit, alleged receipt of funds for separatist activities, and involvement in ancillary terror acts further reinforced the denial of bail.
07-Feb-2024
The Police arrested a man identified as Balkar Singh and seized 220 gm of ICE (Methamphetamine) from his possession, near Satiyewala Chowk in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district. According to investigations, the drug was smuggled from Pakistan through a drone.
07-Feb-2024
Police on February 7 arrested a wanted gangster of the notorious Sonu Dariyapur gang, identified as Amit Kumar alias Amit Rana and seized a semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore, along with five live cartridges from his possession in Shalimar Bagh area in North West Delhi district in Delhi. He was wanted for providing logistical support to the gang and was involved in six cases including attempted murder, criminal intimidation, and Arms Act violations. The arrest followed a police operation after receiving specific information, where Rana attempted to fire at the police before being overpowered.
06-Feb-2024
Police on February 6 arrested three persons, identified as Jaswant Singh, Karamjit Singh and Lakhwinder Singh and seized 255 grams of heroin from their possession, at a naka (checkpoint) near Kangniwal village in Jalandhar district. The Police seized 105 grams of heroin from Jaswant, 95 grams of heroin from Karamjit and 55 grams of heroin from Lakhwinder. Involved in illegal mining previously, they turned to drug smuggling for quick profits, with indications of cross-border involvement.
05-Feb-2024
According to officials, smugglers in Pakistan are exploiting dense winter fog to use drones for trafficking drugs and arms across the border into Punjab. The Border Security Force (BSF) has been instructed to enhance intelligence gathering and surveillance during foggy conditions. Investigations led to the arrest of four individuals in Tarn Taran district on January 30, revealing that this gang conducted eight sorties and dropped nearly 9 kg of heroin, a pistol, and cartridges. Further investigations also uncovered the use of GPS-equipped drones for drop-offs. Despite countermeasures, drone incursions persisted, with at least 23 locations in Punjab's border districts being affected in January alone. The smuggling trend via drones has posed a growing challenge in recent years, with significant seizures reported, indicating an evolving tactic in cross-border trafficking.
05-Feb-2024
Police on February 5 arrested two youngsters, identified as Suraj Singh and Jashandeep Singh, and seized 1.15 kg of heroin, INR 12,000, and two cell phones from their possession at a checkpoint on Ferozepur Road near Sri Muktsar Sahib in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
05-Feb-2024
Police on February 5 arrested two men, identified as Navjot Singh alias Mani Baba and Karan and seized two pistols and 20 cartridges from their possession near Mehtan bridge in near Mehtan village in Kapurthala District. The arrests were made based on a tip-off, and the suspects were involved in illegally procuring arms from multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh (UP).
05-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 5 apprehended an Afghan national who was crossing the International Border into Indian territory near Kashi Barman village in the Gurdaspur district. He claimed to have been guided by a Pakistani national but was found with no objectionable items. Despite initial questioning, language barriers limited the information obtained, and he was subsequently handed over to local police for further investigation following a medical examination.