KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
17-Feb-2026
On February 17, the 28th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 630 raids, arrested 156 persons and recovered four weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 88 individuals, while 190 persons were verified and released. Four proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
17-Feb-2026
On February 17, Punjab Police, on day 353 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 84 drug smugglers, and seized 2.1 kg of heroin, 92 kg of poppy husk, 720 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 11,400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
17-Feb-2026
Police on February 17 arrested two women, identified as Ganga and Seema, and seized 10 grams of heroin from their possession, in Phagwara, Kapurthala district.
17-Feb-2026
Police on February 17 arrested a man, identified as Ravinder Kumar and seized 6 grams of heroin from his possession, in Dhilwan, Kapurthala district.
17-Feb-2026
Police on February 17 arrested a man, identified as Kashmir Singh and seized 10 grams of heroin from his possession, in Subhanpur, Kapurthala district.
17-Feb-2026
Fortis Hospital Mohali and nearby schools in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district received bomb threat emails on February 17 in the name of the “Khalistan National Army.” The emails alleged that Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, who was admitted to the hospital on February 16 evening, would be “poisoned” with polonium. The messages further warned that if he survived, he would meet the same fate as former Punjab CM Beant Singh, who was assassinated in a suicide bombing in 1995. The correspondence referenced the Khalistan Referendum and the sacrifices of Sikh militants and was purportedly sent by a group calling itself the “Khalistan National Army.” Punjab Police and other security agencies were placed on high alert following the threats. Investigators later traced the emails—sent via VPNs and the dark web—to Dhaka, Bangladesh, prompting international coordination.
16-Feb-2026
In a joint operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Indian Coast Guard on February 16 intercepted an Iranian speedboat carrying 203 kg of a suspected chemical substance and arrested two Iranian nationals in Indian waters near the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL), about 140 nautical miles off the Porbandar coast in Gujarat. The arrested individuals were identified as Abdul Majid Ismail and Abdul Sattar Kadarbaksh, both residents of Chabahar, Iran. However, the exact nature of the substance recovered is yet to be confirmed. According to police, specific intelligence inputs indicated that an Iranian drug smuggler, Haji Fida, had dispatched nearly 200 kg of suspected contraband from Konarak Port, Iran. The consignment was reportedly expected to reach Indian waters between February 15 and 16 and be transferred mid-sea to an Indian vessel for onward transportation to Punjab.
16-Feb-2026
On February 16, the 27th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 516 raids, arrested 181 persons and recovered two weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 67 individuals, while 139 persons were verified and released. Seven proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
16-Feb-2026
On February 16, Punjab Police, on day 352 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 77 drug smugglers, and seized 2 kg of heroin, 1345 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 69,120 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
16-Feb-2026
Kapurthala police on February 16 arrested an individual identified as Vishal under the Arms Act and recovered two pistols along with four live cartridges from his possession in Kapurthala district.
16-Feb-2026
Police on February 16 arrested a man identified as Sukhwinder Singh alias Kala and seized 10 grams of heroin from his possession, in Dalla village, Kapurthala district.
16-Feb-2026
Leaders of Dal Khalsa, Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), and Panch Pardani Jatha—including Simranjit Singh Mann, Kanwar Pal Singh, Narien Singh, and Paramjit Singh Mand—stated at a February 16 press conference in Amritsar that justice in the cases of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and Gurpatwant Singh Pannun should not be compromised for diplomatic considerations, nor should the indictment of those accused of crimes against humanity be used as leverage in trade negotiations. They cautiously welcomed the indictment of Nikhil Gupta by the United States Department of Justice, noting that he has accepted involvement in an attempted murder plot targeting Pannun.
16-Feb-2026
Several schools in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, received bomb threat emails that reportedly mentioned “turning India into Khalistan”, on February 16. Following the alerts, school authorities informed the police and evacuated the campuses as a precautionary measure. Security agencies launched searches at the affected schools to investigate the threats.
15-Feb-2026
Two persons, allegedly involved in the February 10 shooting at migrant labourers in Punjab, identified as Akashdeep Singh and Jobanpreet Singh were arrested along with two pistols and the motorcycle following an exchange of gunfire with the police near Ghalkalan village in Moga district on February 15. The incident relates to a firing on February 10, when seven to eight migrant workers were returning to their rented rooms after work at a rice sheller on Zira Road. Two motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire, injuring two labourers.
15-Feb-2026
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on February 15 arrested three alleged drug traffickers and seized 8.8 kg of heroin, 5.6 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), and 3 kg of opium in Attari, Amritsar district. According to NCB officials, preliminary investigations suggest the possible involvement of a prominent political figure in the trafficking network.
15-Feb-2026
Santajbir Singh, a farmer and dairy farm owner, complained on February 15 that he received an extortion call from a man identifying himself as gangster Keshav Batala, who claimed links with A-category gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and demanded INR 1 crore in Bal Kalan village, Amritsar district. In his complaint lodged at Kamboh police station, Santajbir alleged that the caller issued threats and warned of serious consequences, including harm to his family, if the demand was not met.
15-Feb-2026
On February 15, the 26th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 571 raids, arrested 193 persons and recovered three weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 66 individuals, while 108 persons were verified and released. Nine proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
15-Feb-2026
On February 15, Punjab Police, on day 351 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 44 drug smugglers, and seized 20.7 kg of heroin, 210 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2.28 lakhs drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
15-Feb-2026
Police on February 15 detained two suspects in connection with the February 10 attack on migrant workers in Moga district. Sources indicated that one of those detained—a village sarpanch from Ferozepur district—was believed to be the mastermind. Officials, however, withheld further details, citing concerns that disclosure could hamper the investigation. The attack occurred on February 10 when three motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly opened fire on seven to eight labourers from Bihar near a rice sheller as they were returning to their rented accommodation during the peak paddy processing season. The gunfire triggered panic among thousands of migrant workers in the district. Two labourers, Ashok Kumar and Subodh Majhi, sustained bullet injuries.
14-Feb-2026
Kulwant Sidhu, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Atam Nagar, reportedly received threatening calls on February 14, allegedly from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), in Ludhiana district. On February 14 night, a suspected recce was conducted outside his residence. A black-tinted i20 car was seen parked outside while he was holding a meeting inside. The occupants reportedly waited for some time after noticing people at the house. When suspicious movement was detected on CCTV, those inside stepped out, prompting the suspects to flee. It is suspected they were attempting to identify the MLA’s residence as a potential target. The family also stated that the MLA has been receiving repeated suspicious international calls over the past week.
14-Feb-2026
On February 14, the 25th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 702 raids, arrested 232 persons. Preventive action was taken against 89 individuals, while 165 persons were verified and released. Seven proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
14-Feb-2026
On February 14, Punjab Police, on day 350 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 96 drug smugglers, and seized 3.1 kg of heroin, 7 kg of poppy husk, 640 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 58,050 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
14-Feb-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency on February 14 arrested four alleged drug peddlers, identified as Jagjeet Singh alias Jagga, Malook Singh, Kirandeep Singh alias Deep, and Partap Singh and seized 22.29 kg of heroin, INR 2.5 lakh in drug money, two pistols, two magazines, and four cartridges from their possession, near Dulchi Ke village in Zira, Ferozepur district.
14-Feb-2026
According to reports, in a first-of-its-kind move, the Punjab Police are seeking Silver Notices from Interpol to freeze the movable and immovable assets of gangsters operating from abroad. The police have prepared a list of 61 “most active” gangsters allegedly involved in issuing extortion threats from overseas, orchestrating attacks on rivals, and carrying out targeted killings of politicians and other prominent individuals in the state. Extradition proceedings against 38 of them are already underway. The process is being handled by the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) of Punjab Police. ADGP L.K. Yadav, Director-BOI, stated that Interpol began issuing Silver Notices in January 2025. Unlike a Red Notice, which seeks the arrest of an individual, a Silver Notice focuses on tracing, identifying, monitoring, and recovering criminal assets—such as properties, vehicles, bank accounts, and businesses—linked to serious offences including organised crime, drug trafficking, fraud, and corruption. The first Silver Notice was issued on January 10, 2025, at Italy’s request to seize assets of a senior mafia figure. By mid-2025, over 50 such notices had been issued during the pilot phase, scheduled to run until November 2025 before full implementation.
13-Feb-2026
In a joint operation on the intervening night of February 13–14, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Narcotics Control Bureau’s (NCB) Amritsar Zonal Unit arrested three individuals, identified as Beeru Singh, Babak Singh, and Karanbeer Singh and seized 8.654 kg of heroin, 630 grams of opium, and a Glock pistol slide from the Ranian border outpost in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations indicate the consignment was linked to a cross-border smuggling network.