KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
17-Jan-2023
The Punjab Police State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) on January 17 arrested two aides of alleged Khalistani terrorist Amritpal Singh of Moga (currently residing in the Philippines), identified as Yuvraj Singh and Nishan Singh in Mohali. According to sources, they were planning to eliminate a Hindu leader in Mohali. “They had done recce of the house of a Hindu leader here and were supposed to meet another accomplice residing in Mohali. The accused revealed that their accomplice here possessed weapons too but they were nabbed before they could meet their aide,” said a senior police officer. Amritpal had given them a target to kill some religious leaders in Punjab. “Amritpal is a close associate of Paramjit Singh Pamma who is residing in England. Our teams are raiding the possible hideouts of the associates of Nishan and Yuvraj. Pamma and Amritpal are in touch with Khalistani radicals,” said another police official. Amritpal is one of the seven NRIs who were booked by SSOC, Mohali, in October 2022 for allegedly supplying arms and ammunition illegally in Punjab to disturb peace in the state. He is also suspected to be a close aide of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Landa.
17-Jan-2023
According to report, Baldeep Singh, brother of Canada-based wanted gangster cum terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, has managed to flee abroad after getting a passport based on forged documents. Baldeep Singh was out on bail in an attempt to murder case when he managed to get a passport made based on forged documents and fly abroad. The Moga Police on January 17 registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Baldeep Singh, his brother Arshdeep Dalla, their father Charanjit Singh and four other accomplices who are currently lodged in different jails of Punjab. The jailed accomplices allegedly helped Baldeep in getting a passport based on forged documents, as per the FIR registered by the Moga Police. Gangster Arshdeep, a native of Dala village of Moga, and his father Charanjit Singh were recently booked by Ludhiana rural police for the alleged murder of one Paramjit Singh of Bardeke village who was shot dead by two shooters who had stormed inside his house. In a purported Facebook post, Arsh, an alleged operative of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), had claimed responsibility for his murder. He was designated as a terrorist by the Centre over his alleged association with Khalistan movement and terror activities.
16-Jan-2023
Inspector General of Police (headquarters) Sukhchain Singh Gill said on January 16 that Punjab Police arrested 258 drug smugglers and registered 194 first information reports (FIRs) under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act across the state in last one week. He said the police have also recovered 41.26kg heroin, 13.5kg opium, 53.25kg ganja, 4.8 quintals of poppy husk, and 5.28 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of pharma opioids besides INR 20.48 lakh drug money. He also said that with 15 more proclaimed offenders in police net, the total number of arrests reached 623 since the special drive to arrest them was launched on July 5, 2022.
16-Jan-2023
Ludhiana rural police January 16 said that “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans were written on a wall of a vehicle repairing workshop in Baddowal village in Ludhiana District. Police rounded up the workshop owner Gurjant Singh, who expressed unawareness about the person who wrote the slogan.
15-Jan-2023
According to police sources, two terror suspects arrested in Delhi beheaded a man and chopped up his body. They filmed the gruesome crime and sent the video to their handlers in Pakistan, the sources said. The identity of the victim is yet to be established. The police have recovered several body parts -- among them his hand, which had a Trishul tattoo. The man, aged around 21, was apparently a drug addict the two had befriended, sources said. Police sources said Naushad was tasked with killing “influential Hindus” by his handler Sohail, an operative of the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul Ansar. His accomplice, Jagjit Singh, was asked to propagate the Sikh separatist group Khalistan's activities in India, sources said. Jagjit Singh was allegedly in contact with Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Dalla, who is currently in Canada.
15-Jan-2023
A probe by an intelligence agency has revealed that the two suspected terrorists arrested by Delhi Police’s special cell were being handled by the K2 (Kashmir-Khalistan) desk of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The duo, Jagjit alias Yaqub and Naushad, have revealed the names of at least two Shiv Sena leaders and two other religious leaders in Punjab who they were tasked with eliminating. Delhi Police will follow up with Punjab Police and intelligence agencies regarding this, sources said. Police said they have not been able to identify the man whose body parts they had recovered on January 14. The police are also analysing mobile communication between the two accused and their handlers - Canada-based Arsh Dalla and an ISI operative. Dalla, a permanent resident of Canada, is accused of being involved in over two dozen cases of murder, extortion and targeted killings, police said, adding a red notice by Interpol is pending against him. Dalla has been operating as an associate of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and engaged in providing logistics for targeted killings on ISI’s instructions, sources said.
15-Jan-2023
The controversy over the Army’s desire to purchase helmets for Sikh soldiers has seen politicians cutting across party lines and religious leaders expressing their annoyance over the move. However, it is also a fact that Sikh soldiers serving in the British, Canadian and Australian armies are required to wear a helmet under combat conditions.
15-Jan-2023
According to report, the state special operation cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police has begun a thorough investigation to “tighten the noose” on alleged gangster-terrorist nexus, which is actively using virtual numbers for targeted and contract killings and smuggling of drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives from across the border. The police believe that members of the gangster-terrorist syndicate have been generating virtual numbers by using various platforms available on the public domain on internet by using their fake identification and with the help of their foreign-based associates to dodge the police. A virtual phone number provides you with the opportunity to communicate with anyone in the world at any time, using almost any internet-connected device. Virtual phone numbers offer flexible communication options and a layer of privacy.
15-Jan-2023
Punjab Police on January 15 arrested an active operative of Canada-based terrorist Goldy Brar, identified as Inderpreet Singh alias Parry (32) from Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh. Parry, who came in contact with Goldy Brar and Lawrence Bishnoi at DAV College, Chandigarh, in 2011, had a notorious past with over a dozen cases pertaining to murder and attempt to murder registered against him in Punjab and Haryana, he said. The accused is also involved in the targeted killing of Dera Sacha Sauda follower Pardeep Singh, who was shot by six persons outside his shop in Kotkapura on November 10, 2022. He was also involved in Bishnoi’s escape from police custody.
15-Jan-2023
Pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh Sandhu was admitted in an Amritsar hospital on January 15 evening after he blacked out at a public gathering in Muktsar in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. He complained of uneasiness after the episode at the Maghi Mela, where he addressed the turnout. Sources said his condition was stable although there was no official statement on his medical status.
13-Jan-2023
According to India government sources, India has raised strong objections with the local authorities of Australia in connection with the Melbourne Temple vandalism. The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park was defaced on January 12, with graffities against India. India asked them to initiate a probe and arrest the Khalistani group behind the incident. “Hindus live peacefully in Melbourne, but some groups are trying to creating tension between the authorities and the community. The Melbourne authorities should look into this otherwise these groups will spread here like the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada," said government sources.
13-Jan-2023
According to reports, Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh organisation, which has for years been advocating for a separate homeland for the people of Punjab, is again harping on about a referendum in the state. Dal Khalsa will take out a march ‘Sovereignty through the right of self-determination’ to highlight its demand for a referendum in Punjab under the United Nations (UN) in the last week of January 2023. The march will be held in Amritsar on January 25 on the eve of Republic Day. A decision to this effect was passed in an executive meeting of the Sikh hardline body chaired by its president Harpal Singh Cheema.
13-Jan-2023
Ferozepur Police on January 13 arrested an associate of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, identified as Gurpreet Singh from near Talwandi Bhai in Moga district. He was arrested when he was coming from Moga on a bike. When he reached near Talwandi Bhai, the police party at a checkpoint signaled him to stop but the accused opened fire at them with his .38 bore revolver and tried to escape, police said. The accused was hit in the leg in return fire by police and was arrested. He was admitted to Zira civil hospital.
13-Jan-2023
According to sources, to increase the presence of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Punjab, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has approved the opening of a full-fledged regional office of the bureau in Amritsar. It will be headed by a Deputy Director-General of the rank of an Inspector General (IG) or above. Punjab will be the first state where drug-related cases will be pursued by two separate offices of the NCB — the existing Zonal Division in Chandigarh and the upcoming regional office. While the Amritsar office will oversee operations in the Majha and Doaba regions, the Chandigarh division will have jurisdiction over the Malwa belt.
13-Jan-2023
Police brought gangster Dilpreet Singh Dhahe on production warrant in Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district. Dhahe, facing murder, attempt to murder and extortion cases, was lodged at Tihar Jail in New Delhi. He was produced in court which remanded him to four-day police custody.
13-Jan-2023
Police on January 13 arrested a Khalistani suspect Jagjit Singh and his aide Naushad from Jahangir Puri in North West Delhi. Later, weapons, two hand grenades and bloodstains were found in the raid of the Special Cell from the hideout of the suspects in Delhi's Bhalswa area. According to the police, the Khalistan connection of the arrested suspects is being investigated.
13-Jan-2023
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Panchkula has declared Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, as a proclaimed offender in the May 2022 Bastara toll plaza (Karnal District, Haryana) case where three IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and arms and ammunition were seized. Recently, the Punjab Police had stated in a press conference that the report on Rinda’s death in Pakistan due to drug overdose wasn’t confirmed. The court on January 11 directed the NIA to furnish the list of properties, movable or immovable, owned by Rinda for attachment. As per the NIA, during the investigation it was revealed that the explosives were sent by Rinda from Pakistan.
12-Jan-2023
Two months after a news report came about the death of gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda due to drug overdose in Pakistan, the intelligence agencies have found some fresh “substantial evidences” to show that he may be “alive”. The issue was discussed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) recently during a meeting with officials of intelligence agencies and National Investigation Agency (NIA). As per media reports, Rinda, a wanted terrorist carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh announced by the NIA, died at a hospital in Pakistan’s Lahore in November. A few days ago, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a meeting with officials of intelligence agencies and the NIA to discuss resurgence of terror activities in Punjab.
12-Jan-2023
Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) opposed an Army’s proposal to introduce ballistic helmets for Sikh soldiers, demanding that the move must be withdrawn. Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh termed it an “attack on the Sikh identity” and asked the Ministry of Defence, the Centre and the Army to reconsider the proposal as it was against the Sikh “rehat maryada” (tenets). He claimed the British had also tried to introduce a similar proposal during the World War II, but then Sikh soldiers had rejected it.
10-Jan-2023
With the arrest of 16 persons, including two Afghan nationals, over a period of two months, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has exposed an international syndicate of drug smugglers involving white-collared criminals, who used to mint quick money and invest it in liquor business, rice mills, ghee trading and agencies of reputed brands, to mislead the NCB. During investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau found that the group was operating night clubs and restaurants in the Tricity and region. Officials said drug smugglers procured the contraband from their links in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a set of couriers took care of transportation from Mundra Port, the ICT Atari and Jammu border, two Afghan chemists processed opium and morphine into heroin and other variants in Ludhiana and criminals and gangsters distributed it. A special investigation team has now been formed and supported by investigating officers from other NCB zones. Specialised financial and technical investigation teams are already probing deeper into the syndicate. More than 60 bank accounts of this group and 30 properties purchased with the drug money have been frozen.
09-Jan-2023
In a major success, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested one major logistics provider for the gangsters, identified as Chhotu Ram Bhaat in Sirsa in Haryana. According to the officials, Bhaat was acting as a weapons supplier and was also providing hideouts to the gangsters of the Bambiha group.
09-Jan-2023
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) declared Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist after discovering his involvement in crimes such as murder, extortion, targeted killings, and terrorism. According to MHA notification, Gill is associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and is accused of various offences, including targeted killing, extortion for terrorism funding, attempted murder, inciting communal strife, and spreading terror in Punjab. The UMHA in a statement said that Arsh Dalla has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 due to his involvement in cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons and association with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Arshdeep Singh Gill, who is originally from Ludhiana but currently resides in Canada, has been accused in various cases by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including targeted killing, extortion for terror funding, attempted murder, inciting communal unrest, and inciting fear among the people of Punjab. This marks the fifth individual to be designated as a terrorist in the past week, all of whom are based in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. According to UMHA, Gill is closely connected to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and is involved in running terror modules on behalf of Nijjar. Gill has been involved in crimes such as murder, extortion, and targeted killings, as well as terror financing and the large-scale smuggling of drugs and weapons across borders. As a result, the Central Government has added Gill as a terrorist under section 35 of the UAPA. This will make Gill the 53rd individual to be designated as a terrorist under the Act.
09-Jan-2023
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on January 9 asked officers to adopt zero tolerance against drug peddlers, terrorists and gangsters, asking them to use effective law against anti-social elements and also invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in terror activities. The DGP held a virtual meeting with officers and asked them to identify the drug hotspots at every police station and lay special focus on pharmaceutical drugs to root out the menace from the state. He warned that the concerned SHOs (Station House Officers) will be held responsible in case of leniency in drugs related cases.
09-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) fired 74 rounds at a Pakistani drone that twice intruded into Indian territory near the Adhian border outpost in Gurdaspur on January 9 night. The drone was sighted in the Dorangla block. Incidentally, this area became a favored destination for Pakistan to push in drones. The drone retreated after the BSF fired at it but returned 20 minutes later.
09-Jan-2023
Inspector General of Police (IGP) headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill on January 9 said that Punjab Police have arrested as many as 9917 drug smugglers, including 1447 hardened criminals, since July 5, 2022. Police have registered a total number of 7,533 first information reports (FIRs) of which 852 are related to commercial quantity. He said, “Police teams have recovered 418.44 kg heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas besides laying checkpoints at vulnerable routes across the state. Additionally, 147.5 kg heroin was recovered from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 565.94 kg in just six months.” Gill said that police have also recovered 407 kg each of opium and ganja, 233 quintals of poppy husk, and 33.88 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of pharma opioids from across the state.