KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
24-Aug-2023
Madhya Pradesh (MP) Police on August 24 arrested a man, who was previously arrested in Delhi in 2021 for supplying arms to Khalistan supporters, identified as Rajendra Singh Baranwala along with his four accomplices in connection with a series of thefts in different areas of Indore in Indore district of MP. The gang, led by Rajendra Singh Baranwala attempted 15 break-ins in August between August 1 and 20, successfully stealing gold and silver coins as well as cash from three locations. In 2021, Baranwala was arrested in Delhi for supplying arms to Khalistan supporters, and 18 illegal pistols were seized from his possession.
24-Aug-2023
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on August 24 issued a proclamation notice against Ranjit Singh Neeta, the chief of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) who is currently believed to be residing in Pakistan, giving him 30 days to surrender, in Mohali, Punjab. Neeta is wanted for his alleged involvement in multiple acts of terrorism, including bombings and attacks in India. The notice cites various incidents of Neeta's alleged involvement in various bombings, including those on trains like Shalimar Express and Sealdah Express, as well as attacks such as the one on Kailash Guest House in Delhi.
24-Aug-2023
Takht Sri Damdama Sahib Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, expressed concern on August 24 over threatening letters sent to Sikh families in Rawalpindi and Panja Sahib, Pakistan, urging them to convert or leave. He has called upon India and Pakistan to ensure the safety of Sikh families and highlighted a history of targeted violence against Sikhs in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
24-Aug-2023
The Damdami Taksal (Ajnala), a breakaway faction of the prominent Sikh seminary, convened a meeting on August 24 at the Gurdwara Dukh Bhanjansar Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab and decided to escalate their efforts in pressuring the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab due to perceived unfulfilled promises concerning Sikh religious matters. The group, led by Amrik Singh Ajnala, criticized the government's inaction on issues such as the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib, drug abuse, and corruption. They announced a 'Rosh March' scheduled for September 6, with the intention of marching to the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and staging a protest.
24-Aug-2023
According to sources, the recovery of weapons used in the assassination of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala remains unresolved 15 months after the incident. While 15 weapons were recovered from the six shooters in separate operations by the Punjab and Delhi Police, including those matching the bullets found at the crime scene, a .30 bore pistol and another 9mm pistol used by other assailants in the Punjabi singer's murder remain unrecovered. Priyavrat Fauji, who led the 'Fauji module' responsible for the shooting, has not yet surrendered the weapons. The alleged main conspirator, Sachin Thapan, recently extradited from Azerbaijan, did not lead to the recovery of the weapons. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) discovered that the weapons were supplied by Pakistan-based arms smugglers, revealing links between Indian gangsters and terror agencies.
24-Aug-2023
Jailed gangster, Lawrence Bishnoi, on August 24 was taken into custody by Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) after being granted a four-day police remand by a court Naliya in Kutch district of Gujarat. Bishnoi is implicated in using narcotics to fund terror activities, with ATS claiming to have found a money trail linking him to individuals involved in such activities. This is his second custody, related to a case involving heroin intercepted from a Pakistani fishing trawler in 2022, and he's also accused in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala.
24-Aug-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint operation, on August 24 recovered 360 grams of heroin from the outskirts of Rajoke village in Tarn Taran district.
24-Aug-2023
According to reports, flooded rivers along the Indo-Pak border have posed a challenge for the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police in monitoring anti-national activities in the border areas of Punjab. Smugglers are exploiting the situation to transport narcotics. Despite the challenges posed by the flooding, BSF personnel are maintaining constant vigilance, and recent arrests by the Special Task Force (STF) have unveiled smuggling routes and connections with drug smugglers based in Pakistan.
23-Aug-2023
Prior to the visit of the United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to India during the G20 Summit, Alex Ellis, the High Commissioner of the UK to India, in an interview, on August 23, discussed the extensive agenda for their bilateral meeting, including defence cooperation and progress on a free trade agreement as well as security challenges posed by China and Khalistani elements. Ellis acknowledged the Khalistan issue, emphasizing that extremism is not acceptable, and asserted that the UK has increased security, police presence, and cooperation with Indian authorities to address the problem, recognizing it as a shared concern rather than just an Indian one.
23-Aug-2023
A Delhi court on August 23 framed charges against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a case related to the burning of a gurdwara during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, in New Delhi. The court deemed him the "principal abettor" in the incident, stating that evidence supported his involvement in an unlawful assembly that aimed to burn the gurdwara and destroy Sikh properties as a response to the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
23-Aug-2023
Punjab Police on August 23 shared a video showing a Pakistani drone airdropping a small packet of heroin in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab. According to the police, smugglers from across the border are now resorting to delivering narcotics during the daytime as well, posing a fresh challenge for the security forces. On the same day, Tarn Taran Police arrested an individual identified as Jugraj Singh in the Tarn Taran district and recovered 2 kilograms of heroin along with a drone from his possession. Singh was arrested when his bike was intercepted at a checkpoint, according to Tarn Taran Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gurmeet Chauhan.
23-Aug-2023
The Anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) of Punjab Police on August 23 arrested three members of a cross-border drug smuggling module, identified as Agyapal Singh, Ranjodh Singh alias Rana and Sandeep Singh and recovered 41 kilograms of heroin and four mobile phones from their possession, in Mehmed Mandara Wala village in Amritsar district. The heroin was found concealed under the brick floor of a cattle shed.
23-Aug-2023
On August 23, the families of two Indians, Ratanpal Singh and Harvinder Singh, who were arrested by Pakistan Rangers for allegedly trying to smuggle narcotics into Pakistan, denied their involvement in the drug trade. The families claimed that the youths were swept away towards the Pakistan side during floods on July 27, 2023, while trying to help a relative. They believe the allegations are false. The families have sought assistance from various authorities to safely bring back their sons.
23-Aug-2023
Police on August 23 arrested two persons, identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Sonu and Akashdeep Singh and recovered 1.290 kilograms of heroin along with INR 30 lakh drug money, one .32 bore pistol with two magazines and 8 bullets from their possession near Bhuse village in Tarn Taran district.
23-Aug-2023
Punjab Police, along with the Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation on August 23, recovered a broken drone and 3.5 kilograms of heroin from the outskirts of Hazara Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district.
23-Aug-2023
The Gujarat Police on August 23 took custody of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, who is currently jailed in Bathinda, Punjab. The Gujarat Police took his custody to investigate his potential involvement in a drug smuggling case that involved the seizure of 34 kilograms of heroin, worth around INR 200 crore, from a Pakistani fishing boat off the Gujarat coast in September 2022. Bishnoi is suspected of orchestrating the cross-border drug smuggling operation.
22-Aug-2023
Punjab Police, on August 22, in partnership with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), organized a one-day workshop at Amity University in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The workshop aimed to sensitize participants to FATF provisions and Income Tax regulations concerning charitable institutions, ensuring protection from misuse by terrorist organizations for funding terror activities.
22-Aug-2023
A joint team of Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, on August 22 recovered 450 grams of heroin in a bottle from a farming field near Roranwala village in Amritsar district of Punjab. The BSF troops detected a buzzing sound from a suspected drone entering Indian territory on August 21 night in the same area, and a subsequent search of the area on August 22 morning led to the recovery.
22-Aug-2023
Heavy police force was deployed on August 22 in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district in Punjab, in anticipation of a farmers' protest rally in Chandigarh seeking compensation for flood-related crop losses.
22-Aug-2023
On August 22, a police officer named Bhushan Kumar from Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, issued an apology after a video of him calling the deceased Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala a 'terrorist' went viral on social media. Kumar stated that he didn't know much about Moose Wala and that his comments were a result of a 'slip of the tongue.' He expressed remorse, apologized to Moose Wala’s parents, and pledged support for their pursuit of justice