KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
15-Dec-2023
According to reports, the Border Security Force (BSF) has urged Punjab Police to take 75 notorious smugglers and their associates into preventive custody during the upcoming foggy season to curb cross-border drug smuggling. The list, sent by the BSF to Punjab Police, indicates that Tarn Taran has the highest number with 23 smugglers, followed by Ferozepur with 20. The BSF emphasized the need for preventive detention due to traditional smuggling routes exploiting dense fog, especially in bordering districts such as Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka. Punjab Police has been directed to take action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1988.
15-Dec-2023
The pro-Khalistan campaign, originating from Canada, has reportedly extended its reach to Madhya Pradesh (MP), where residents in Bhopal have reported receiving phone calls from London. A recorded message from Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleges that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of MP are responsible for atrocities against Sikhs, urging support for the Khalistan movement.
15-Dec-2023
Punjab Police on December 15 arrested a close aide of Khalistan sympathizer and Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh, identified as Kulwant Singh in Moga district. He was subsequently produced in court and received a 4-day remand.
15-Dec-2023
United States (US) President Joe Biden will not attend India's Republic Day celebrations and the QUAD Summit has been postponed until 2024 due to the proximity to the State of the Union and political constraints on foreign travel during this time.
14-Dec-2023
According to reports, in the last three years, Punjab witnessed the highest number of women drug smugglers arrested in India, with 3,164 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. In 2022 alone, Punjab accounted for 1,448 arrests, constituting nearly 35% of the total 4,146 arrests of women drug smugglers in the country that year. The government is addressing the issue through initiatives such as the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan and the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction.
14-Dec-2023
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) wing of Tarn Taran police, on December 14, arrested two persons identified as Samsher Singh alias Shera, and Yadwinder Singh alias Yad and seized 5 kg of heroin from their possession at a barricade near Bhuse village in Tarn Taran district. 2.8 kg of heroin was recovered from Shera, and 2.220 kg from Yad.
14-Dec-2023
The Muktsar district police on December 14 arrested a police constable, identified as Navjot Singh and seized 70 grams of heroin from his possession in Bariwala in Muktsar district.
14-Dec-2023
Police on December 14 arrested one person identified as Sumit Kumar and seized 340 grams of heroin from his possession in Muktsar town in Muktsar district.
14-Dec-2023
A Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Jaskiranjit Singh Teja, was constituted on December 14 to probe the backward and forward linkages of notorious criminal Sukhdev Singh alias Vicky, who was killed in an encounter on December 13.
14-Dec-2023
On December 13, a security breach occurred in the Lok Sabha in New Delhi, where intruders from the visitors' gallery set off coloured smoke canisters during the Winter Session proceedings. Social media users are connecting the attack to Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the founder of the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). Claims include suspicions of a Khalistani connection due to the use of 'yellow colour gas bombs,' pointing out the similarity between the smoke colour and the Khalistani flag. Some attribute the breach to Pannun based on prior warnings about attacking the Parliament on or before December 13.
14-Dec-2023
Congress national spokesperson Shama Mohd on December 14 criticized the Delhi Police for the Lok Sabha security breach, alleging failure to prevent it despite a threat from Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun had issued a video threat in early December, vowing to attack the Indian Parliament on or before December 13, following an alleged foiled plot against him. Shama Mohd argued that, given such a threat, Delhi Police, responsible for Parliament security, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had failed, pointing to Home Minister Amit Shah's oversight of Delhi Police.
14-Dec-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal, in Amritsar on December 14, apologized to the Sikh community for the party's failure to apprehend those responsible for sacrilege incidents in 2015 when the party was in power in Punjab. Badal expressed deep regret and pledged to ensure the punishment of the actual culprits while exposing those who politicized the issue. The incidents included the theft of the Guru Granth Sahib, sacrilegious posters, and desecration, leading to widespread protests and police firing that resulted in two deaths. Badal described these events as the most painful of his life and appealed for unity within the Khalsa Panth to confront challenges facing the Sikh community in Punjab.
14-Dec-2023
The Crime Branch of Delhi Police on December 14 arrested another sharpshooter affiliated with the Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar gang, identified as Sombir alias Totala in connection with a firing incident at the residence of former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Deep Malhotra, from Punjabi Bagh area of Delhi. The gang targeted the former MLA for extortion, with previous arrests including Aakash alias Kassa, and Nitesh alias Sinti. Led by Goldy Brar, the gang aimed to spread terror and extort money from the MLA's liquor business in Punjab.
14-Dec-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) on December 14 recovered 500 grams of heroin along with a drone near Neshta village in Amritsar district. The drone was identified as a Made in China quadcopter Model DJI Mavic 3 Classic.
14-Dec-2023
Mansa Police on December 14 arrested three individuals, identified as Paramjit Singh, Mangaljit Manga, and Bhagwan Bhana, recovering an illegal pistol in Mansa district. During the operation, Paramjit Singh fired at the police with the weapon. In response, the police retaliated, resulting in Paramjit sustaining an injury to his foot.
14-Dec-2023
Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, in New Delhi on December 14, reaffirmed India's position on Canadian allegations regarding the murder of pro-Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Shah questioned why individuals wanted in India for terrorism are in Canada. This follows Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau's acknowledgment that he made public allegations against India to deter its actions.
14-Dec-2023
Khanna Police, on December 14, dismantled an inter-state illegal arms smuggling racket with the arrest of 9 individuals of two gangs and seized 22 illegal weapons, all .32 bore pistols, from their possession in Khanna in Ludhiana district. The police efforts uncovered connections between the gangs and identified a weapons manufacturer from Madhya Pradesh with a history of supplying arms to Punjab. The crackdown highlights ongoing challenges related to the illicit arms trade in the area.
14-Dec-2023
A team of Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on December 14 arrested a drug peddler identified as Gurpreet Singh and seized 53.04 grams of heroin from his possession in Sector 48 area in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
13-Dec-2023
Anti-Narcotics-cum-Special Operation Cell on December 13 arrested two men, identified as Paramjit Singh Guri and Gursewak Singh alias Nikka and seized 50 grams of heroin from their possession near Balongi underbridge in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
13-Dec-2023
Amritsar Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Gurjeet Singh Aujla took quick action on December 13 during the chaos in Parliament, believing gas canisters were bombs, amidst a major security breach in the Indian Parliament in New Delhi. He ran towards an individual, snatched what he thought was a bomb, and handed it to security. Recounting the incident, Aujla expressed gratitude that the canisters were harmless. He called for a thorough investigation into the attackers and raised concerns about potential motives behind the incident, emphasizing the need for a proper inquiry by the government.
13-Dec-2023
The Punjab Police have 'bound down' 103 suspected drug traffickers, with 75 flagged by the Border Security Force (BSF) for actively smuggling narcotics from Pakistan in Punjab. The police have submitted 11 proposals for preventive detention under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1988, to Home Secretary Gurkirat Kirpal Singh. The suspects are required to mark their attendance at local police stations, and their movements are monitored. This action is in response to concerns raised by the BSF about drug smuggling, and the Punjab and Haryana High Court has taken suo motu action on the matter.
13-Dec-2023
Ludhiana police, on December 13, busted a drug smuggling network with the arrest of three peddlers identified as Avtar Singh alias Tari, Harjinder Singh alias Rindi, and Kamalpreet and seized 5,400 kg of poppy husk, two country-made pistols of .32 bore, six cartridges, INR 1.25 crore in drug money, a currency note counting machine, along with 14 fake number plates and police uniforms from their possession in Sidhwan Bet in Ludhiana district. The police acted on a tip-off, intercepting a truck during a checkpoint operation.
13-Dec-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on December 13 recovered a packet containing 570 grams of heroin near the International Border (IB) fence near Dhaone Khurd village in Amritsar district.
13-Dec-2023
Mohan Jaiswal, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was arrested on December 13 in connection with an alleged extortion plan in Delhi. This arrest follows an earlier incident on December 8, where two gang members were apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell while they were on their way to carry out a shooting at a prominent five-star hotel in South Delhi, following instructions from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.
13-Dec-2023
Sukhdev Singh alias Vicky, a wanted gangster facing 28 criminal cases, was killed in a police encounter on December 13 on Kohara-Machhiwara road in Ludhiana district. Acting on a tip-off, the police team chased Vicky, leading to crossfire and resulting in his death. The gangster had opened fire on the police team, but the police inspector miraculously escaped due to a bulletproof jacket and vehicle.