KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
09-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on the intervening night of January 9 and 10 busted a narco-terror attempt from across the border and seized 5 bottles possibly filled with heroin weighing of 2.5 kg and also a 500-grams heroin packet near Wan Village of Tarn Taran district.
08-Jan-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on January 8 that Lakhbir Singh Rode, nephew of deceased Khalistani militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and head of banned Khalistani outfit International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), had planned the December 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast, in which suspected bomber Gagandeep Singh was killed and six people injured. Rode had conspired to carry out bomb blasts in various places in Punjab and used Pakistan-based smugglers to execute his plans, the NIA said. The NIA filed a charge sheet before a Mohali court, naming Gagandeep Singh, Surmukh Singh alias Sammu, Dilbagh Singh alias Baggo, Rajanpreet Singh and a Pakistani national Zulfikar alias Pahalwan, who it said were part of the conspiracy. NIA has already filed a charge sheet against Rode in March 2022. “During investigations, it has been revealed that Lakhbir Singh Rode, Pakistan based ISYF terrorist handler, had planned to execute IED blasts at various locations in Punjab. In order to execute his plans, he, in association with Pakistan based smugglers, recruited India based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public,” the NIA said in a statement.
08-Jan-2023
According to report, Army has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for emergency purchase of nearly 13,000 helmets for Sikh troops through fast-track procedure. The RFP, which is in public domain, was issued by the Army on January 5, 2023 for 12,730 ballistic helmets. Of these, 8,911 are needed of large size while 3,819 are required to be in extra-large size. The helmets need to be of central bulge design and as per advanced combat design to suit the head size of Sikh troops who sport unshorn hair on their heads as per religious requirement.
08-Jan-2023
The police on January 8 arrested two persons, identified as Pankaj (29) and Stanley Joseph (23) along with 1.2 kg of charas from their possession from near Lamini Government College in Pathankot district.
07-Jan-2023
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Central Agencies arrested an Army personnel, posted as Sepoy in Pathankot and his aide, Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma after recovering 29 packets of heroin, weighing 31.02 kilogram, from their possession in Fazilka in Fazilka district on January 7.
07-Jan-2023
The Punjab Police in the morning launched massive raids on suspected hideouts of persons linked with Gangster turned Terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla. According to Police, searches were planned after the questioning of several persons in the recently busted modules backed by Arsh Dalla. During the search operation, as many as 192 Police parties searched the premises of at least 232 persons linked with Dalla. Dalla is a notorious gangster turned terrorist involved in various criminal activities in Punjab and abroad and is a most wanted criminal by the Punjab Police. He is a Category-A gangster turned terrorist and is a Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative, which is a banned terrorist organisation. In 2020, after committing the murder of one of his associate, Sukkha Lamme, he escaped to Canada.
07-Jan-2023
Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Ashwani Sharma on January 7 raised concerns over the 'deteriorating' law and order situation in the state and claimed that leaders of the saffron party were receiving threat calls. Sharma alleged that police officials were not acting on their complaints as if they were not allowed to act. He questioned Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann why he was silent about the claims of Khalistan supporter Gurpatwant Singh Pannun that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was formed in Punjab with their support. “Perhaps this is the reason that crime has increased because the government had given Khalistan supporters free hand,” he added.
07-Jan-2023
According to reports, Indian Army troops belonging to the Sikh community will now soon be receiving ballistic helmets, designed especially for them to wear on their turbans. Army officials are describing this procurement as the first such order for the Sikh soldiers. The Indian Army is planning to purchase as many as 12,730 ballistic helmets under emergency procurement using the fast-track mode. The Ministry Of Defence will buy two types of helmets including 8,911 large helmets and 3,819 extra-large helmets which will be procured with the condition that their content must include majorly indigenous design as mentioned in the official document of the ministry. For Sikh soldiers in the Indian army, who are banned from cutting their hair due to religious beliefs, choosing to wear a helmet has always been a personal choice. But often for safety reasons especially in active areas like the Northeast or in Kashmir, wearing a helmet may have been preferable. However, the fact that hair was covered by a turban in many cases could have posed a problem, calling for the need for specialised helmets.
07-Jan-2023
Ghanshyam Singh Lodhi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP (Member of Parliament) from Rampur district of Uttar Pradesh said that he received threatening messages on WhatsApp in the name of ‘Lashkar-e-Khalsa Sandeep Singh Khalistani’. He complained that the terror organization threatened to kill him after registering an FIR at the Civil Lines police station. The text message found on WhatsApp said that if the case is not withdrawn, he will be killed. Earlier, he received threats through WhatsApp, after which an FIR was lodged.
06-Jan-2023
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) urged Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh to act against the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) for not complying with the directions of starting its own channel while letting a private channel to hold exclusive rights to telecast Gurbani from the Golden Temple.
05-Jan-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) expressed deep concern over the rising number of youths in India getting addicted to drugs and peddling. “This country has one of the largest number of youths, a factor to power economic growth, but an overwhelming majority of addicts are amongst these youths, which has resulted in increase of crime and violence,” observed the court. The HC added that the lives of the citizens are being destroyed due to the selling of these banned substances.
05-Jan-2023
According to the Border Security Force (BSF), a 62-year-old Bangladeshi national, identified as Mohammed Mahmud Alam Tulu was arrested by the BSF from near the International Border (IB) in the forward area of Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district on January 5 night. The man was approaching the border fence from the Indian side and going towards Pakistan, the spokesperson said.
04-Jan-2023
The Counter Intelligence Wing of the police has recovered 5 kg heroin and detained one person in this connection in Amritsar.
04-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) suspects that the Pakistani intruder whom it shot down early on January 3 in the Gurdaspur sector was a terrorist intrusion mission’s scout. According to Punjab frontier’s former BSF inspector general M S Malhi, he had all the signs of a guide sent ahead to test the infiltration route. This intruder had a pump action gun, which is not so lethal as a conventional assault rifle. He was alone and not even smuggling arms or drugs into the country, which supports the theory that he was a scout. Malhi said, “Even drones can deliver weapons and drugs these days, so a man wouldn’t be risked unless required to lead armed intrusion.” On why the Pakistani side will choose the Channan outpost area for infiltration, he said it had a cross-border tunnel found recently, and the intruder’s accomplices might have retreated through a similar underground passage after he was shot dead.
04-Jan-2023
Punjab Police’s special task force arrested an alleged drug peddler, identified as Jassi Kumar (21) after recovering 920 gm heroin from his possession at a checkpoint in the Moti Nagar area in Ludhiana district. Police said he has been involved in the drug trade in the area for the last few years. The scooter used by the accused in the crime has also been impounded.
04-Jan-2023
An electrician, identified as Paramjit Singh (45) was shot dead by two armed persons at his house in Bardeke village near Jagraon in Ludhiana district. According to reports, the assailants fired four bullets, killing him on the spot. There were reportedly three persons who came in a car and two of them entered the victim’s house. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the house. Meanwhile, after the incident, a Facebook post by Jaspreet Singh, who claimed to be Canada-based fugitive gangster Arsh Dalla, took the responsibility for the murder. In the post, he said Paramjit had been murdered as he had “mentally harassed” a person at Minian village due to which he had “committed suicide”. “.. My younger brother Dilpreet Dhaliwal of Minian village was harassed and he died by suicide because of this man.. so I got him killed to take revenge of my brother’s killing…,” said the post, while tagging accounts of other gangster groups, including Jaipal Bhullar-Jassi gang and Davinder Bambiha gang. An officer from Ludhiana rural police said that it was suspected that Jaspreet Singh, from whose account the post has been uploaded, is slain gangster Jaspreet Jassi of Kharar. “Maybe his account is being misused to mislead the police,” said the officer.
03-Jan-2023
Police on January 3 arrested a resident of Prem Vihar, identified as Sunil Kumar along with 6 gm heroin from his possession near the Shiv Mandir in the Daulatpur colony in Ludhiana District.
03-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized a damaged drone along with 782 gm of heroin from near the Kassowal border out post (BOP) in Gurdaspur sector in Gurdaspur district on January 3 night and the contraband was handed over to the police.
03-Jan-2023
The pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) issued a warning for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of his Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter Punjab on January 11. The Khalistani group once again threatened the Congress leader and challenged him to walk on the streets of Punjab. The group in the video said that a "bomb found in the park near CM Bhagwant Mann's Chandigarh residence could also have been found on the helipad."
03-Jan-2023
Slogans in favour of Khalistan were found written on the walls of the SSP office in Sri Muktsar Sahib in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a banned Khalistani terror organization based in the US, released a video taking responsibility for the act. Reportedly, the incident took place outside SSP Upinderjit Singh Ghuman's office where the walls were defaced with various slogans. Slogans like ‘Khalistani Zindabad’, ‘Rahul Gandhi Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Indira Gandhi assassination, etc were written on the wall. Later, SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun released a video of himself talking about various incidents in Punjab including bomb found near Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s office, Khalistani slogans written and also spoke about Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.
03-Jan-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been investigating multiple cases related to the smuggling of drugs, explosives and weapons from Pakistan into Indian territory using drones, is likely to look into January 2’s seizure of a drone by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Gurdaspur in Punjab for clues. It carried a consignment of one-kg heroin. The NIA has so far detected two modules comprising alleged members of banned terror outfits. Based on the findings, it has arraigned 12 accused persons in these cases.
03-Jan-2023
A day after an abandoned bombshell was found in a mango orchard near Nayagaon, Punjab-Chandigarh border, Chandigarh Police has ruled out a terror angle. In an official release issued on January 3, police said it appears to be a shell from old ammunition, and some scrap dealer must have dumped it there. The Army, however, is yet to release its detailed analysis report.
03-Jan-2023
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on January 3 directed officers to confiscate the property of those involved in drug peddling to counter the drug menace in the state. Chairing a meeting to review the law-and-order situation in the state, Mann reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to wipe out the scourge of drugs from the state. He said the government had already put the big fish involved in drug peddling behind the bars and to ensure stern action, the property of drug peddlers must be seized with immediate effect. The CM said necessary amendments, if any required, in the requisite laws will be duly made and the officer in whose jurisdiction drugs are sold would be held accountable for this lapse.
03-Jan-2023
A Pakistani intruder was shot dead by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the International Border (IB) near Gurdaspur in Gurdaspur district on January 3 morning. The accused who crossed the border was neutralised by the 72nd Battalion of BSF at around 8 am when BSP troops were on their routine patrolling. According to the reports, a pump action shotgun was recovered from the Pakistani intruder.
02-Jan-2023
A live bomb shell was recovered in the fields on the Nayagaon-Kansal Road in Chandigarh, which is about one kilometer away from the helipad and about two kilometers from the official residences of Punjab Chief Minister (CM Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar. An official of the disaster management department who reached the spot said that the police control room received a message that a bomb-like object had been seen near the Kansal and Nayagaon T-point. "When we checked it and found that it was a live shell," he said, adding the area has been sealed. "It is a matter of investigation how this shell reached the spot," the official said.