KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-May-2020
Police arrested four persons for allegedly committing sacrilege of Gurbani Pothis (scriptures) and Gutkas (Gurbani Handy Book) in Mohalla Guru Nanak Pura locality in Amritsar. The desecrated Gurbani scriptures were found in the garbage collected by a municipal corporation vehicle.
02-May-2020
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) slammed the Punjab government for vilifying the Sikh pilgrims returned from Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib by holding them responsible for the rise in coronavirus cases in Punjab. DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh needs to tighten the reins of his cabinet ministers who are openly vilifying the Sikh pilgrims. He has said that it seems like a big conspiracy is working behind vilification of Sikh pilgrims because their sudden positive testing in Punjab is fishy in itself.
01-May-2020
The Akal Takht demanded a high-level probe as over 150 Takht Sri Hazur Sahib pilgrims were found infected by Covid-19 on their return to Punjab. Officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said, “Each of the pilgrims at Hazur Sahib underwent medical tests thrice and none was found to be infected. How could so many of them on their return contract the infection? I suspect that like the Tablighi Jamaat (Muslim sect), the Sikhs too are being defamed under a conspiracy. A probe should be held as I doubt the authenticity of ‘tests’ being conducted in Punjab.”
01-May-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 6.7 kg heroin which was kept hidden in a field across the barbed fence at the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar. Police earlier, arrested one person, Karam Singh alias Golu who was roped in to clear the consignment, at his residence. The heroin was kept hidden in a tractor’s drawbar.
01-May-2020
The Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) recovered 2 kg heroin from the possession of two drug smugglers at Chak Misri Khan village in Amritsar district. The accused were arrested in the night after an encounter in which one of the accused received a bullet injury.
30-Apr-2020
The Supreme Court sought Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s response on a plea of former Congress councilor Balwan Khokhar, serving life term in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, seeking grant of either interim bail or parole for eight weeks in view of Covid-19 pandemic. Khokhar along with former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar are serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail in the case after the Delhi High Court convicted them on December 17, 2018.
28-Apr-2020
Police arrested three inter-state drug suppliers, identified as Harjot Singh Jot, Jatinder Singh and Balkar Singh and recovered 18 kg opium from their possession at Takhran village near Samrala in Ludhiana district.
27-Apr-2020
Police arrested a woman along with 11gm heroin in Bagrian village in Sangrur district on April 27. After arrest, the woman was taken to Ludhiana jail on April 28 where she was found positive for Covid-19 on April 30.
27-Apr-2020
Two policemen, identified as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Manjeet Singh and constable Gagandeep Singh were dismissed from service after the recovery of drugs and liquor from them. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said that 15 kg of poppy husk, 250 gm smack and 5 gm heroin and 30 bottles of country-made liquor were recovered from the ASI’s house. The accused had reportedly been letting off peddlers after taking money and drugs from them.
26-Apr-2020
Punjab Police arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Hilal Ahmed Wagay and recovered Indian currency worth Rs 29 lakh from him at Amritsar.
26-Apr-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead a suspected Pakistani intruder while he was trying to cross the International Border (IB) along Amritsar sector in Amritsar.
26-Apr-2020
Police arrested three persons, identified as Gurvinder Singh, Gurpiyar Singh and Akashdeep Singh and recovered two country made pistols, cartridges and a knife from their possession in Ludhiana in Punjab.
25-Apr-2020
The Tarn Taran district, which is among the worst drug-hit districts of Punjab, is doing its best to “break the backbone” of the drug smugglers in the district even during the lockdown period. The district police have frozen the assets of 16 drug smugglers, worth Rs 8.6 crore, in the last one month. Besides, the police have prepared eight new cases for freezing property worth Rs 16 crore belonging to various drug smugglers, including those from Havelian village, which is situated at a stone’s throw distance from India Pakistan border.
23-Apr-2020
Punjab’s Leader of Opposition, Harpal Singh Cheema in a statement expressed his deep concern over the way drug mafia was active in Punjab and its neighbouring states even during the curfew clampdown, leading to loss of precious young lives. He said that during the last three days, one youth was shot dead allegedly by drug peddlers and two youths succumbed to drug overdose in the state, which, he said, was a matter of concern. He said the cases were those reported in the through the media, adding that there were many unreported cases.
22-Apr-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered one packet of heroin weighing one kg from near the border in Amritsar sector in Punjab. According to sources, along with the contraband, BSF also recovered arms, including one country made .30 bore pistol, two magazines and 24 live rounds (.30 bore) from the same spot. However, no arrest has been made in this connection.
22-Apr-2020
Former Khalistani militant, Daljit Singh Dulewal made allegations against Dal Khalsa’s patron Daljit Singh Bittu of procuring property with the money looted from banks during militancy era in Punjab. He alleged that Daljit Singh Bittu purchased agriculture land near Ropar by using some amount from the INR 57 million looted from a bank in Ludhiana in February, 1987. Daljit Singh Dulewal also accused Daljit Singh Bittu of intentionally fulfilling government’s aspirations by boycotting 1992’s assembly elections. “The militant leaders used to consider Daljit Singh Bittu as their policy maker, but he betrayed Sikhs,” he said in an interview. He added that Daljit Singh Bittu told them that he was going to Afghanistan for procuring weapons, but actually he moved to his farm in Ropar.
21-Apr-2020
The Border security Force (BSF) recovered nine packets of contraband suspected to be heroin of 4.5 kgs from Amritsar sector in Amritsar district.
21-Apr-2020
The acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Harpreet Singh endorsed the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC)’s stand that the damage to five domes at the newly built congregation hall at Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara after a recent thunderstorm was not an issue. He said, “This is not a big thing. The PSGPC has already issued a statement that the domes have been repaired and affixed at their places. So, this is not an issue at all.”
19-Apr-2020
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said that during the curfew period, more than 26,000 drug addicts have been registered under the de-addiction programme in the state. He said that a special campaign is being launched to register new patients under the programme on the directives of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh. According to the data available with the state health department, 4.14 lakh addicts were registered with it. These included 1.55 lakh at Out Patient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) centres, 2.15 lakh in de-addiction centres and more than 30,000 in rehabilitation centres before the lockdown. Now the figure is 4.40 lakh, an increase of 26,000 patients in OOAT centres, the data reveals. The highest increase is in Ludhiana 2,600, followed by Moga 2,200, Mohali 1,800, Patiala 1,600 and Sangrur 1,300.
19-Apr-2020
India has questioned Pakistan on the ‘deficiencies’ in building Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, as five domes of the structure collapsed on April 18 owing to strong winds. Though Pakistan government claims that the domes were restored by a team of experts throughout April 18 night, Indian government sources doubted the quick restoration work, saying they hoped the repair work would be long-lasting.
19-Apr-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) against drugs arrested two persons, identified as Kulwinder Singh and Sarbjit Singh along with 800 gm heroin worth crores from Lakhewal village in Sangrur district. According to sources, another accomplice of the accused fled while the STF has been conducting further investigations.
19-Apr-2020
Malerkotla Police arrested one person, identified as Mohd Rustam and confiscated 210 kg of poppy husk and Rs 39,500 drug money from him at the Adampal road. In Sangrur district.
17-Apr-2020
Mohali Police arrested Punjabi singer Gurinder Singh, popularly known as Vadda Grewal for possessing 30 gm of opium from a private hospital in Sohana in SAS Nagar district. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Ramandeep said that “The singer was undergoing treatment following drug overdose. We recovered 30-gm opium from his possession and registered a case in this regard.”
17-Apr-2020
The Kapurthala district Police, in its concerted drive against drug smugglers in Kapurthala district, attached property worth Rs 2,95,61,625 of six drug peddlers with immediate effect. The decision was taken as per guidelines issued by office of competent authority, Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act - SAFEM (FOP) Act, and Section 68F (2) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act - NDPS Act, 1985.
16-Apr-2020
The Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who heads the anti-narcotics Special Task Force (STF), said that nationwide lockdown has dealt a major blow to drug smuggling in Punjab and more than 26,000 people have registered at de-addiction centres since curfew was imposed in the state to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. He said that the surge in registrations at out-patient opioid assisted treatment (OOAT) centres across Punjab was because the supply chain of drug trafficking rings has been disrupted by the strict lockdown. A total of 309 cases were registered by Punjab Police under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and a large quantity of drugs have been seized, including 22 kg of heroin and more than 527 kg of poppy husk, since March 23, when the curfew was imposed. A total of 498 people have also been arrested in connection with drug smuggling during the lockdown