KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
18-Oct-2023
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) on October 18 conducted a virtual meeting with the chief secretaries, home secretaries, and minority department secretaries from Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, as well as eight other states on action taken by them for granting compensation to the 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims. The discussions during the meeting focused on the efforts made by the respective governments to deliver relief, compensation, and justice to the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
17-Oct-2023
Punjab Police on October 17 arrested four operatives of a terror module backed by Pakistan-based terrorist Rinda and operated by US-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, identified as Vikramjit Singh alias Raja Bains, Bawa Singh, Gurkirpal Singh alias Gagan Randhawa, and Amanat Gill and recovered a .32 bore pistol along with 10 live cartridges from them in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district. The Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, stated that, following intelligence inputs about Rinda and Happy Passia hiring two shooters and planning to target some prominent persons in the state, police teams from the state special operation cell of SAS Nagar launched an operation and successfully apprehended the accused. Preliminary investigations revealed that Happy Passia had made a deal with Vikramjit for INR 15 lakh to carry out a target killing.
17-Oct-2023
The state special operating cell (SSOC) on October 17 busted an extortion racket and arrested three members of Canada-based slain Khalistani gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke’s gang identified as Vishal Singh, Ranvir Singh and Monu Kumar alias Monu Gujjar along with two .32 bore pistols and 12 live cartridges in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Vishal and Ranvir were arrested from Kharar, SAS Nagar with .32 bore pistol and eight live rounds in their possession, Monu Gujjar was arrested from Patran, SAS Nagar with another .32 bore pistol along with four live rounds in his possession.
16-Oct-2023
As per reports, during the 91st general assembly of Interpol scheduled to take place in Vienna, Austria from November 28 to December 1, the Director of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Praveen Sood, intends to raise the issue of taking action against fugitives and criminals, which includes Khalistani radicals operating from countries like Canada, the UK, the US, Australia, and Europe. Furthermore, he is anticipated to request international law enforcement agencies to expedite the processing of mutual legal assistance (MLA) requests, through which information or evidence is sought, so that investigations can be completed on time.
16-Oct-2023
The Akal Takht, the highest temporal authority for Sikhs, on October 16 issued a prohibition on the placement of Guru Granth Sahib during destination weddings held at beachside and resort venues, citing a breach of the code of conduct.
16-Oct-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC), while criticizing law enforcement officers for failing to appear as official witnesses in a drug-related case at a Hoshiarpur court, remarked that it appears the local police may have cooperated with individuals involved in the smuggling of narcotics substances.
16-Oct-2023
A Patiala resident, Jagir Singh (71), declared dead in a police encounter 31 years ago in Ajnala in Amritsar, has been found alive. Interestingly, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently prosecuting four Punjab Police officers, including two deceased, on charges of allegedly killing Jagir Singh and Daljit Singh in what is now regarded as a 'fake' encounter that occurred on December 29, 1992. The CBI's investigation also revealed that not only is Jagir still alive, but he also served 15 years as a convict in a drug smuggling case within Amritsar Jail. Remarkably, the case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered at the very Ajnala police station where the initial First Information Report (FIR) for the police encounter, listing Jagir's name and details, was filed.
16-Oct-2023
Former Indian Foreign Services (IFS) officer Amar Jit Singh on October 16 criticized the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) for eulogizing terrorists involved in the Khalistan movement. The SGPC's recent posts, which honour individuals like Harjinder Singh Jinda and Sukhdev Singh Sukha, members of the Khalistani terror outfit Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) responsible for high-profile assassinations during the Punjab insurgency, have raised concerns. The SGPC has also been accused of taking anti-India stances, opposing government decisions, and supporting Khalistani elements. Critics argue that the SGPC, influenced by a distorted version of Sikh history attributed to Arthur Macauliffe, has strayed from its original purpose and is promoting a narrow agenda.
15-Oct-2023
Police on October 15 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Surinder Singh alias Shinda, and recovered 1 kg of heroin, a 9-mm pistol, INR 8.5 lakh drug money and two cars, after an encounter at Nurmahal in Jalandhar district.
15-Oct-2023
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested three drug smugglers and recovered 2.5 kg of heroin in the Gharinda area of Amritsar district on October 15.
15-Oct-2023
Ferozepur police arrested two persons, identified as Rajdeep Singh and Amrik Singh along with 2 kilograms of heroin in Ferozepur district on October 15.
15-Oct-2023
Police on October 15 arrested two persons, identified as Surjit alias Bulla and Sukhjinder Singh and recovered 25 grams of heroin from their possession in Kapurthala district.
15-Oct-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a drone in a paddy field near the International Border in Ferozepur district on October 15.
15-Oct-2023
Police on October 15 placed Damdami Taksal (Sangrawan faction) chief Baba Ram Singh and his son Rajandeep Singh under house arrest in Amritsar. They were prevented from attending Gurdwara Guru Amardas Jee in Athwal village, where they were scheduled to lead a 'Khalsa Vahir' procession, that was recently initiated by Sikh separatist leader Amritpal Singh, which was intended to go to Sri Goindwal Sahib. However, the house arrest of the faction chief led to the postponement of the procession.
15-Oct-2023
Police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Baljeet Singh along with 50 grams of heroin from near the area of Dussehra ground on Altos Chowk in Ludhiana district on October 15.
14-Oct-2023
During his appearance at the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Shimla, Ujjal Dosanjh, the former premier of British Columbia, characterized Canada as "hypocritical" and India as "touchy" when discussing the ongoing tension between the two nations regarding the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Dosanjh pointed out that while Canadian President Justin Trudeau has swiftly denounced the celebration of violence by Hamas supporters, he has not extended the same condemnation to the glorification of violence by Khalistani extremists within Canada.
14-Oct-2023
According to reports, in order to prevent the recruitment of young individuals by jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and the Canada-based terrorist Arshdeep Dalla via social media platforms, the Punjab Police has notified the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) and the heads of state police forces and anti-terror agencies that over the past three years, they have successfully restricted access to 6,000 social media accounts on platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and other similar channels. Sources also indicated that the Punjab Police highlighted several significant catalysts and elements in the process of radicalization. These include the farmers' agitation, individuals like Amritpal Singh and the Khalsa Vaheer, social media platforms, the influence of the Dera culture, and the foreign-based movement known as Referendum 2020, led by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).
14-Oct-2023
Punjab Police on October 14 busted a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terror module by arresting two Jammu and Kashmir-based operatives, identified as Uzair Ul Haq and Raj Mohammad Andleeb along with two IEDs, two hand grenades, one .30 bore pistol with two magazines, 24 cartridges, eight detonators, four batteries, and a timer switch in Amritsar. According to the police, the LeT had planned to use these operatives to target places of strategic importance and prominent personalities in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab, with the aim of disturbing peace and harmony.
14-Oct-2023
Police arrested four Punjab-based drug peddlers, identified as Kulwinder Singh, Gurpal Singh, Kuljit Singh Rana and Kalu Singh and recovered 55 grams of heroin in two separate incidents in Fazilka district.
14-Oct-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on October 14 raided the houses of two youngsters, identified as Aditya and Abhishek to probe their links with drug smugglers and gangsters in Panjkosi and Maujgarh villages in Abohar in Fazilka district.