KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
28-Jan-2026
In another targeted killing, a 43-year-old medical store owner, Ranbir Singh Bedi, was shot dead by two unidentified motorcycle-borne masked assailants in the border town of Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district on January 28. Ranbir ran Bedi Medical Store in the town’s main market and had reportedly been receiving extortion threats. Sources said he received a call in 2024 demanding INR 50 lakh, and was shot in the leg a few days later. Following the incident, Batala police had provided him security, which was subsequently withdrawn. Meanwhile, foreign-based gangster Jiwan Fauji has claimed responsibility for the murder. He has been on the radar of the Punjab Police for a considerable period. Jiwan Fauji, whose real name is Swaran Singh, is an Army deserter, with over 10 FIRs registered against him in multiple criminal cases.
28-Jan-2026
Police on January 28 seized 1.096 kg of heroin and two DJI Mavic drones along with their batteries during a search operation in Kahangarh village in Amritsar district.
28-Jan-2026
The Government Railway Police (GRP) on January 28 recovered 6.9 kg of poppy husk from a yellow plastic bag found abandoned in the railway yard at Ferozepur Cantt railway station in Ferozepur district.
28-Jan-2026
As many as 26 schools in Chandigarh received bomb threat emails on January 28, prompting student evacuations and anti-sabotage checks by police.
28-Jan-2026
Delhi Police on January 28 arrested three sharpshooters of the Wasim Hasmat gang, identified as Rehman, Adil and Mohammad Ayan, for the killing of Sameer alias Kammu Pehalwan, a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi–Hashim Baba gang, from near Ajmal Khan Park, Sector 28, Rohini in New Delhi. Police said the murder, linked to gang rivalry, was carried out in Shastri Park, northeast Delhi, on January 24.
27-Jan-2026
Three unidentified assailants, suspected to be gangster operatives, opened fire at the residence of businessman Gurwinder Singh in Chambal village of Tarn Taran district on the intervening night of January 27–28. Gurwinder Singh said that he and his family were asleep when attackers fired at the main gate of his house around midnight before fleeing on a motorcycle. Sources said Gurwinder had been receiving extortion calls from gangsters, indicating a possible extortion-linked attack.
27-Jan-2026
On January 27, Punjab Police, on day 332 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 35 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 42 drug smugglers and seized 2.1 kg of heroin and INR 25,400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
27-Jan-2026
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, threatened to target Republic Day–related events, including the Beating Retreat ceremony scheduled for January 29, amid evolving India–European Union (EU) ties. Reacting to the proposed India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), SFJ issued a warning to EU leaders, alleging that the deal would “enable and weaponize” the Modi government to carry out assassinations within EU states. “What the EU celebrates today as a Free Trade Deal will lead to a Free Transnational Terrorism Agreement,” Pannun said.
27-Jan-2026
A court in Sri Muktsar Sahib on January 27 remanded the parents of gangster Goldy Brar—Shamsher Singh and Preetpal Kaur—to police custody till January 30 in connection with an extortion case registered last year in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
27-Jan-2026
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on January 27 reviewed the second phase of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign and announced that a state-level meeting of village defense committees (VDCs) will be convened to provide renewed momentum and clearer direction to the anti-drug drive. Addressing the review meeting, Mann said that while drug abuse is a global problem, nowhere has a war against narcotics been launched with such intensity. He said that a 1.5 lakh-strong force of ‘Pinda De Pehredaar’ (warriors), comprising village defense committees (VDC), has been constituted to help make Punjab drug-free.
26-Jan-2026
Muktsar district police on January 26 arrested Shamsher Singh and Preetpal Kaur, parents of foreign-based gangster Satinderjit Singh alias Goldy Brar, in connection with a 2024 extortion case, in Amritsar district. The arrests were made based on a complaint filed by a resident of Udekaran village in Sri Muktsar Sahib district, amid an intensified statewide crackdown on gangsters and their networks.
26-Jan-2026
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, while addressing a gathering after hoisting the national flag on Republic Day, January 26, said that Punjab has been “unjustly denied” its rightful capital. He asserted that any attempt to undermine the state’s claim over Chandigarh, Panjab University, and its water rights would not succeed. The CM added that his government would make all-out efforts to secure Chandigarh as Punjab’s capital.
26-Jan-2026
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on January 26 facilitated a joint gathering of Punjab-based Sikh radical groups to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1986 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ at the Akal Takht in Amritsar, in a notable departure from its earlier stance. The gathering was convened by the Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), Dal Khalsa, Panch Pardhani Jatha, and the Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee. A joint conference was held near Gurdwara Santokhsar Sahib on Heritage Street, close to the Golden Temple. The conference was addressed by SAD (Amritsar) chief and former MP Simranjit Singh Mann and former militant leader Daljit Singh Bittu, following which participants marched to the Akal Takht. Representatives of the jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh–led Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) were present, although the party’s senior leadership did not attend.
26-Jan-2026
Four Sikh radical groups, the Bhai Jagtar Singh Hawara Committee, Dal Khalsa, Panch Pardhani Jatha and Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar), jointly marked the 40th anniversary of the 1986 Sarbat Khalsa, reiterating that “Khalistan is our lifeline,” at Akal Takht Sahib in Amritsar on January 26. Hundreds of activists attended the gathering, where the groups reaffirmed their commitment to the goal of Khalistan and resolved to pursue their objectives through democratic means.
25-Jan-2026
On January 25, Punjab Police, on day 330 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 50 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 50 drug smugglers and seized 150 grams of heroin and 376 intoxicant tablets/capsules from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
25-Jan-2026
On the eve of Republic Day, Punjab Police on January 25 conducted extensive flag marches in sensitive areas across the state to ensure peaceful celebrations, following directions from Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann. The measures were part of heightened security arrangements to maintain law and order during the national event.
25-Jan-2026
As central counter-terror agencies intensified their probe into the January 23 explosion on a railway track near Sirhind, the Government Railway Police (GRP), Punjab, has sent samples from the blast site to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Mohali, for examination. Investigators said there has been no breakthrough so far. The explosion at Sirhind on January 23 damaged a railway track and a freight engine and injured a railway staffer. The banned Khalistani militant outfit Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) later claimed responsibility for the attack.
25-Jan-2026
According to official sources, the intensified crackdown on gangsters and their associates under “Operation Prahar” has sharply increased pressure on jail authorities in Punjab’s Faridkot region, with a surge in undertrial prisoners this week. The Faridkot Modern Jail, with a sanctioned capacity of 2,072, was housing 2,895 inmates as of January 24—over 40 per cent above capacity. Jail officials are struggling to cope with the influx, with accommodation, bedding, and food arrangements under strain.
25-Jan-2026
Security has been tightened across Punjab ahead of Republic Day, with around 6,000 additional police personnel deployed to monitor anti-social elements and conduct special operations.
24-Jan-2026
The terrorist outfit Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) on January 24 claimed responsibility for the January 23 railway track blast in a social media post, though the claim could not be independently verified. In a statement issued by Ranjit Singh Jammu, the outfit said the explosion marked the 40th anniversary of the declaration of Khalistan and was meant to signal that the separatist movement remained active.
24-Jan-2026
Punjab Police records show that of the 61 gangsters wanted by the state and operating from abroad, 18 are hiding in the United States (US), followed by nine in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Six are based in Canada, while 15 are operating from the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, and other European countries. Three gangsters are operating from Australia, two from Thailand or Malaysia, and one each from Greece and Indonesia. Many of these fugitives are linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi and Arju Bishnoi gangs, the Lucky Patial-led Bambiha gang, the Gopy Ghanshampuria gang, and the networks of Pakistan-based terrorists Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa.
24-Jan-2026
The State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), Mohali, on January 24 arrested a key financial conduit of an inter-state and cross-border narco-terror module, identified as Satnam Singh, a taxi driver from Punnewal village in Sangrur district. Investigations revealed that Satnam, who travelled to Azerbaijan on a tourist visa in June 2025, came into contact with a Pakistan-based drug smuggler and facilitated terror financing by routing proceeds of heroin trafficking through his bank account and UPI credentials. The arrest followed investigations linked to the earlier arrest of key narco-terror operative Rajbir Singh alias Fauji near the India–Nepal border in Raxaul, Bihar, while he was attempting to flee the country.
24-Jan-2026
Punjab Police on January 24 arrested four drug peddlers, identified as Taranpreet Singh, Kuldeep Singh alias Deep, Sukhdev Singh alias Sunn, and Sukhpreet Singh and recovered 305 grams of heroin, a country-made pistol, and four bullets from their possession, after an exchange of fire near Lohara Bridge in Ludhiana district.
23-Jan-2026
Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a video message on January 23, threatened to create unrest in the national capital ahead of Republic Day and announced a reward of USD 111,000 for disrupting the Prime Minister’s flag-hoisting on January 26. He also called for placing Khalistan flags on railway tracks in Punjab and other acts of disruption.
23-Jan-2026
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) on January 23 directed the Punjab government to decide within seven working days on the representation of Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is under preventive detention under the National Security Act (NSA), seeking temporary release to attend the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament.