KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
04-May-2021
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on May 4 dismissed the bail plea of Jagtar Singh Hawara, in a 15-year-old case registered under sections of Arms Act, Explosives Act and waging war against Government of India, at PS 17 Chandigarh. The court held that “there are serious allegations against the petitioner of waging war against the Government of India and indulging in revival of terrorism and formation of Khalistan.” Hawara, who is lodged in Model Jail of Chandigarh, in his bail plea had contended through his counsel that he is in custody for more than 15 years and the trial against him has not commenced in the case. The court, while dismissing the plea of Hawara said that “In the present case, there are serious allegations against the petitioner of waging war against the Government of India and indulging in revival of terrorism and formation of Khalistan. It has also been noticed by the Trial Court that it had already written to the authorities of Chandigarh Administration to intimate about the status of notification under Section 268 CrPC whereupon necessary orders of commencement of trial would be passed.”
04-May-2021
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) said that the Sikh community has been serving people through gurudwaras during the COVID pandemic and it would be a shame to connect this service (Sewa) with the demand for Khalistan. Harpreet Singh Kalka, General Secretary of DSGMC said, "Some people say that the fund is coming from Khalistan. Even the last time during the farmers' protest, those people had alleged the same. They should be ashamed to say where this money is coming from."
04-May-2021
The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court at Mohali granted bail to eight accused arrested in connection with the killing of Shaurya Chakra awardee comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu as charge-sheet was not presented against them within the stipulated 180 days. Sandhu, who was conferred with the bravery award for fighting terrorism in Punjab, was gunned down by two bike-borne men at his home in Bhikhiwind town of Tarn Taran district on October 16, 2020.
02-May-2021
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) of the district police arrested three persons, identified as Parmjit Singh, Devinder Singh and Mohd Aasif and recovered 300-kg poppy husk from near Thaman Singh Wala in Sangrur district.
02-May-2021
Police arrested five persons, including the son of former Cabinet Minister Sucha Singh Langah for possessing heroin from Dhariwal in Gurdaspur district . SSP Nanak Singh said, “All five — Aditya Mahajan, Kunal Kumar, Sudhir Singh, Rajesh Kumar and Parkash Singh Langah — were found consuming drugs at a private residence in Dhariwal. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered at the Dhariwal police station. I have formed a team of officers who are investigating the case”.
01-May-2021
According to report, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized around 215-kg heroin till April 30 this year along the 553-km-long border with Pakistan this year (2021), which is the highest in the corresponding periods of last five years. The recovery was around 130 kg and 75 kg for the corresponding periods of 2020 and 2019, respectively.
01-May-2021
As part of the 400th Prakash Purab celebrations of Guru Tegh Bahadur, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh dedicated several development projects to the people, including conservation and development of Old Jail at Bassi Pathana where the 9th Guru, along with his supporters, was imprisoned by Noor Mohammad Khan Mirza for 40 days while he was reportedly on his way to meet Emperor Aurangzeb. The CM said the state government had sent a detailed Memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a grant of Rs. 938.37 crore for various infrastructural projects in the State as a part of the historic celebrations.
01-May-2021
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 10 packets of heroin, weighing 10.5 kg, along the Pakistan border in Ferozepur district. The seized contraband is worth Rs 55 crore in the international market.
30-Apr-2021
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) marked the 184th martyrdom anniversary of great Sikh general Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa at Gurdwara Diwan Hall Manji Sahib situated in Sri Darbar Sahib complex.
29-Apr-2021
Low-key celebrations to mark the 400th Parkash Gurupurab (birth anniversary) of the ninth Sikh Master Guru Tegh Bahadur began in Amritsar city, with the covid-19 surge a major dampener.
28-Apr-2021
Sikh diaspora condemned Pakistan’s machination of defaming the Sikh community and trying to create a wedge between Pakistani and European Sikhs by projecting a Muslim man in the guise of a Sikh and inciting them to give a befitting reply to French people for allegedly publishing a caricature of Prophet Muhammad. According to sources, presumably after having failed to come up to their expectations and deliver the expected task from pro-Khalistan Sikh leader, Gopal Singh Chawla, Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is now trying to project a pseudo-Sikh figure to further their anti-India designs. Sources in Pakistan revealed that Gopal Singh Chawla has not only failed to make new ‘recruitments’ to carry out disruptive activities in India but he has also failed to spark anti-India sentiments among the Indian jatha that recently arrived back from Pakistan after celebrating the festival of Vaisakhi.
27-Apr-2021
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against eight terrorists of the outlawed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) for their alleged involvement in killing Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the direction of their Pakistan-based handlers. Sandhu, who fought terrorism in Punjab, was shot dead in October 2020 in Tarn Taran district. The charge sheet, according to which Sandhu was killed by the KLF terrorists, was filed before a special NIA court in Mohali under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Inderjit Singh, Sukhraj Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Gurjit Singh, Sukhmeet Pal Singh, Ravinder Singh, Akashdeep Arora and Jagroop Singh were named in the charge sheet. The NIA investigation revealed that Sandhu was executed with the intent to strike terror in the minds of the people of India and especially those opposed to the Khalistani ideology. According to the NIA, the transnational conspiracy in the crime was hatched by Pakistan-based self-styled chief of the KLF Lakhvir Singh Rode and top foreign-based KLF terrorists who provided arms/ammunition and funds to the accused. Further, a well-oiled terrorist-narcotics-criminal nexus, wherein narcotic drugs along with weapons were smuggled by Pakistan-based entities from across the international border into Punjab for generation of funds for executing terrorist acts, has also been unearthed.
26-Apr-2021
Police arrested two persons, identified as Ankur Kumar and his accomplice Sikander Sahni along with 124 gm of cannabis (ganja) from near Pancham Hospital in Dugri in Ludhiana district.
26-Apr-2021
Police arrested a man, identified as Sukhwinder Singh and recovered 5 gm of heroin from him from Street No 9 in Shimla Puri in Ludhiana district.
26-Apr-2021
Punjabi Non-Resident Indian (NRI) MPs and MLAs in the UK and Canada expressed concern over the deteriorating Covid19 situation in India and have promised to extend help in this moment of crisis.
25-Apr-2021
Police arrested three drug smugglers, identified as Karandeep Singh, Mandeep Singh and Hardeep Singh alias Saba, after a brief encounter in which several rounds of ammunition were exchanged near Jakholahri on the Dinanagar-Pathankot road in Pathankot district on April 25 night. Police recovered 265 gm heroin, a US-made pistol and five cartridges from the possession of the suspects.
25-Apr-2021
Border Security Force (BSF) seized two packets of contraband suspected to be heroin wrapped in two white sacks weighing 1.902 kg from the area of responsibility of 136 Bn in Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district. A BSF spokesperson said that the contraband was found hidden in the wheat fields ahead of border security fencing. Meanwhile, BSF had seized 202.097 kg heroin during the current calendar year so far having a value of more than Rs 1010 crore in the international market.
23-Apr-2021
Police arrested two drug peddlers and recovered 13,700 intoxicating tablets and 1.5 kg opium from their possession in Khanna city of Ludhiana district. The accused were identified as Amritpal Singh of Noordi Adda and Daler Singh of Tarn Taran district.
23-Apr-2021
The Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh said that, in view of the coronavirus crisis, the Punjab Government will celebrate the 400th birth anniversary of ninth Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur from April 28 virtually. The CM said the situation is not conducive for grand celebrations and he will also speak to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) chief Bibi Jagir Kaur to shift all celebrations to the virtual mode.
23-Apr-2021
Mohali Police arrested a couple, identified as Manoj Sharma and Aishwarya Nagpal and recovered 260 gm heroin from their possession from Dhakoli in Mohali district. The couple was arrested while they were waiting for their clients. During preliminary interrogation, the couple revealed that they had been procuring the heroin from a Nigerian national in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar and selling it to their clients in Mohali, Dhakoli, Zirakpur, Panchkula and Chandigarh.
23-Apr-2021
Police busted an inter-state drug racket and arrested three persons, identified as Amandeep Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Nanak Singh along with 900 grams of heroin from Sirsa district.
23-Apr-2021
Punjab Police recovered 1 kg of heroin that was concealed near a border outpost (BoP) along the India-Pakistan border in Ramdas village in Ajnala sector in Amritsar district. The drug consignment was supposed to be collected by smugglers on the Indian side of the border, Police said.
22-Apr-2021
Around 100 pilgrims of the 818-member Sikh jatha that returned from Pakistan on April 22 tested positive for Covid-19. The jatha had gone to Pakistan on a 12-day pilgrimage to celebrate Baisakhi at Gurdwara Panja Sahib, Hasan Abdal, and pay obeisance at other historical Gurudwaras.
22-Apr-2021
Police arrested three Nepali nationals, including a woman, along with 13 kg heroin from near Peer Baba Dargah on Ambala-Chandigarh highway in Lalru in Mohali district in the evening. A case under Section 18/61/85 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered at Lalru police station.
21-Apr-2021
Punjab Government has approved a reward policy to encourage information and inputs leading to recovery of drugs under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The Director General of Police (DGP), Dinkar Gupta, said the policy will recognize government servants-informers-sources for their role in providing inputs leading to the recovery of substantial quantity of drugs and in successful implementation of various provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 and PIT NDPS Act, 1988. The quantum of reward for successful investigation, prosecution, forfeiture of illegally acquired property, preventive detention and other significant anti-drug work shall be decided on case-to-case basis, he said.