KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
15-Mar-2020
According to sources, as many as 23 Shiv Sena leaders in Ludhiana were provided 37 gunmen following the attack on Shiv Sena (Hindustan) president Amit Arora on February 22. Police had also started reviewing the security cover of the leaders following the attack on Honey Mahajan, the youth wing president of Shiv Sena (Hindustan)’s Punjab unit, in Gurdaspur on February 10. The Joint co-ordinator of the All India Congress Committee (Kisan Congress), Gursimram Singh Mand, has also got a security cover, after he complained of threats.
15-Mar-2020
Police arrested a truck driver Gurnam Singh (50) and his assistant Jassa Singh (29) along with 20 kg of poppy husk and 3 kg of opium from the National Highway-52 in Abohar in Fazilka district. According to Police, poppy husk was hidden under the bags of vegetable and the preliminary investigation reportedly indicated that the duo had arranged the contraband from Neemach in Madhya Pradesh to further supply it in Sangrur.
15-Mar-2020
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) said that pilgrimage and registration for Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan will be suspended beginning March 15 midnight in view of the Coronavirus outbreak. The government has also suspended movement of all types of passengers through international border points with Pakistan from 00:00 hours of March 16 in view of the threat from coronavirus.
14-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a packet of heroin weighing 1 kg, one pistol (9 mm) and a magazine during a search operation near border out post Raja Mahattam in Ferozepur on March 14.
13-Mar-2020
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) and Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU) of Punjab police in joint operation busted a terror module with the arrest of one suspect, identified as Surinder Singh alias Sikender in Mohali on the intervening night of March 13 and March 14. Sources said that the agencies recovered one AK-47, one sniper rifle, hand grenades, two pistols and few lakhs of fake currency from the possession of the accused, who is a suspect of being a part of the terror module in Punjab state. The agencies also believe that the accused might be involved in the target killings and recent attacks on RSS leaders in Punjab.
13-Mar-2020
Amid scare around the spread of the Coronavirus infections, India and Pakistan have decided to keep open Kartarpur Corridor that Indian pilgrims use to visit the revered Sikh shrine in Pakistan. However, Indian officials have indicated increased screening of people coming back through the corridor to prevent infections from spiking in India.
13-Mar-2020
The Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh along with the officials of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) released the Nanakshahi calendar 2020-21 in Amritsar. This is an amended version of the original calendar that was introduced in 2003 and was later amended in 2010 and was christened as ‘Bikrami’ calendar. However, the SGPC did not acknowledge it as Bikrami calendar. The calendar has courted controversy among the Sikh community as the same events related to the Sikh Gurus were mentioned twice a year.
12-Mar-2020
Police arrested a cross-border drug peddler, identified as Davinder Singh along with 10 kg of heroin from the outskirts of Kakkar village under Lopoke police station in Amritsar district. IG (Border Range) SPS Parmar said that the seizure was made from across the border fence following the interrogation of Davinder Singh. “Davinder and his accomplices had been in contact with Pakistan-based smugglers to receive the drug consignment from across the border fence,” said the IG.
12-Mar-2020
Police arrested a person, identified as Jaspal for peddling drugs and recovered one kg of opium from him in Jalandhar district.
12-Mar-2020
The Phillaur police arrested a drug peddler, identified as Sunny Sethi and recovered 250 intoxicating capsules from him in Jalandhar district.
11-Mar-2020
Another memorial, dedicated to those laying down their lives during dark days of terrorism, would soon come up in Punjab, said Khanna MLA Gurkirat Singh Kotli. “The people of Punjab would always remember the sacrifices made by the martyrs who laid down their lives during the dark decade of terrorism in the State,” said the MLA while unfurling a ‘Flag of Unity’ at Tolemajra village in SAS Nagar district. The ‘Flag of Unity’, was installed in the memory of Narpinder Pal Singh Prince who was martyred on March 11, 1992. The MLA further said that the State is witnessing peaceful atmosphere only because of the untold number of sacrifices made by the people from all sections of the society who opposed extremist tendencies tooth and nail.
11-Mar-2020
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against nine accused including a juvenile in September 4, 2019 Tarn Taran district blast case. The charge sheet was filed in the Special NIA Court in Mohali, against Massa Singh alias Mandeep Singh; Harjit Singh alias Harjit; Gurjant Singh; Manpreet Singhalias Maan; and Bikramjit Singh Panjwaralias Bikkar Baba (absconding); Chandeep Singh alias Gabbar Singh; Malkit Singh alias Shera; Amarjeet Singh alias Amar Singh; and one juvenile under Sections 120 B read with 153 A of IPC, Sections 13, 18, 18 A, 20 of the UAPA, and Sections 3, 4 and 5 of Explosive Substances Act. Two accused Vikram Singh alias Vicky and Harpreet Singh alias Happy had died in the explosion that took place in a vacant plot at the outskirts of Pandori Gola village in Tarn Taran. The accused were digging a pit to retrieve concealed explosives.
10-Mar-2020
The Shahkot police arrested a person, identified as Pavneet Singh alias Jony along with 1 kg of opium in Jalandhar district. The accused told the police that he had brought the contraband from Jharkhand to further supply it in Shahkot.
10-Mar-2020
The Mehatpur police arrested two persons, identified as Aashish and Vikas for allegedly selling intoxicant tablets and injections in Jalandhar district. According to Police, 80 intoxicant tablets, four injections and four vials were recovered from them.
10-Mar-2020
The Nakodar police arrested a person, identified as Kamal Kumar, a resident of Meva village, for peddling drugs from Jalandhar district. Over 60 intoxicant tablets were recovered from him.
09-Mar-2020
A Shiv Sena leader in Punjab, Mahant Kashmir Giri escaped unhurt after two unidentified motorcycle-borne men opened fire at him at his house in Khanna in Ludhiana district in the morning. Giri said that he was raising a voice against pro-Khalistan elements and was getting threat calls from international numbers. Recently, police had provided a gunman to Giri after he complained of receiving threats. However, the policeman deployed for his security was at the temple when shots were fired.
08-Mar-2020
Several families that were affected by militancy in Punjab sought an increase in the pension amount. At present, these families are getting Rs 5,000 per month. An NGO, Rashtriya Suraksha Samiti, which took up the cause of victims, has demanded that the monthly pension should be linked with price index. There has been a 15-fold hike even in the price for LPG cylinder over the years, but no hike in pension was granted, Samiti secretary Sita Ram Sharma said. The victim families maintain that the successive governments had failed to provide justice to the militancy-hit people in Punjab. Their demand of suitable compensation had not been met till now, they said.
08-Mar-2020
As per data from an official of department concerned, 59,318 pilgrims visited the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Kartarpur, Pakistan, from the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor in November 9 last year to March 8. No considerable surge was witnessed in the footfall of the pilgrims using the corridor, even though India had raised the demand before Pakistan to allow 5,000 pilgrims per day and 10,000 on special occasions. In the opening month, the footfall was 11,192, which increased to 23,383 in December last year. Daily average pilgrims in these months remained 508 and 754, respectively.
08-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 2 kg of heroin near the Mohar Sona border outpost in Fazilka district. According to source, on hearing a noise, the BSF troopers launched a search and recovered two plastic bottles buried in the fields across the barbed wire fencing. The bottles were filled with 2 kg of heroin worth Rs10 crore.
08-Mar-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 4 kg of heroin from New Gazniwala border outpost in Abohar in Fazilka district. The BSF troopers signalled the accused to stop and also opened fire, but the suspects managed to escape. During a search operation, four packets of heroin weighing 4 kg with a market value of Rs 20 crore were recovered.
06-Mar-2020
The Barnala police arrested four persons with 40,01,040 intoxicating tablets, capsules and injections worth Rs 4-5 crore in two incidents in Barnala and Mathura. According to Police, interrogation of the main accused, Mittal, who was receiving the drugs at his medical store, had unveiled a chain of supply of psychotropic drugs into Punjab from other states. The accused used to store the contraband in a godown at the Masani bypass in Saraswati Kund in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.
06-Mar-2020
Dal Khalsa activists entered into a scuffle with members of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) task force over the release of the original version of Nanakshahi calendar from the Akal Takht secretariat in Amritsar. The calendar carried a photograph of the Kartarpur corridor opening ceremony being addressed by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Later, the Takht secretariat in charge intervened and allowed the Dal Khalsa members to release the calendar from the outside platform of the secretariat.
06-Mar-2020
Police arrested three drug smugglers, including a woman, and recovered 21 kg gaanja from their possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district on March 6 evening. The accused had been identified as Bihari migrants Manoj Kumar, Sanjit Kumar and Lalita Rani.
06-Mar-2020
Around 3.58 gm heroin was recovered from a prisoner in the Sangrur Central Jail in Sangrur district. Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Amrik Singh said that “Accused Gurjit Singh had been facing trial in an NDPS case. On Friday, when he was taken to the jail after conviction, the head warden seized 3.58-gm heroin from him. We have registered another NDPS case against him
05-Mar-2020
The controversial Punjabi singer, Shubhdeep Singh alias Sidhu Moosewala approached Akal Takht voluntarily and tendered an apology. Moosewala was recently embroiled in a controversy over repeatedly using objectionable lyrics in his songs.