KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
27-Dec-2018
The BSF recovered 13 packets weighing 5.6 kg of heroin from nearby the Bharopal Border Outpost in Amritsar Sector of Punjab. Reportedly, Pakistan based drug smugglers were trying to slip heroin into the Indian Territory.
23-Dec-2018
The officials of the BSF, has prevented an attempt of intrusion by a Pakistan-based drug smuggler [identity unknown], and recovered 17 kg of Heroin along with arms and ammunition nearby Karma Border outpost of India-Pakistan Border in Ferozepur Sector of Punjab. During a search operation along with the Border fence, the BSF personnel recovered 17 packets, each of a kilogram, of heroin worth INR 85 crore, a Pakistan-made pistol, a modified weapon with three magazines and 26 live rounds.
20-Dec-2018
The Punjab Police arrested Mohin Khan, who was allegedly involved in supporting the pro-Khalistan campaign “Referendum 2020” and was a supplier of arms and ammunition to the terror elements in Punjab. Mohin Khan was arrested with a pistol in his possession, from Fatehgarh Sahib District in Punjab. The preliminary interrogation revealed that Mohin visited Bangalore thrice on the instructions of Gurjit Singh Nijjer via Facebook, who is based in Cyprus and guide Mohin to work for the “Referendum 2020” propaganda
18-Dec-2018
The Chief Minister of Punjab Capt. Amarinder Singh said that the statement by the US based pro-Khalistan group—Sikhs For Justice [SFJ] has revealed the relation between the group and Pakistan’s Army and ISI to ‘liberate’ Punjab from India. Pakistan’s decision to open the Kartarpur Corridor was an ISI game-strategy to support anti-India elements which includes SFJ outfit.
15-Dec-2018
The officials of 136th Battalion of the BSF recovered three packets of heroin weigh 1.5 kg in total, worth INR 2.5 crore, from near the Barreke Border outpost of the India-Pakistan International Border in the Ferozepur Sector of Punjab.
10-Dec-2018
Punjab’s Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh has stated that the opening of Kartarpur Corridor is a conspiracy of Pakistan’s ISI and Pakistan’s Army against India. There are no doubts that Pakistan’s Prime Minister [PM] Imran Khan making efforts to bring peace and harmony with India, but at the same time, he shall overcome the ‘top brass’ of Pakistan’s Army to ensure that killings of India Soldiers at the borders must stopped immediately, said CM Amarinder Singh. "The opening of the Kartarpur Corridor is clearly a game plan of the ISI," he said, adding a bigger conspiracy seems to have been hatched by Pakistan Army against India.He admitted that Pakistan was attempting to revive militancy in Punjab and thus everyone should be wary of all of its overtures, no matter how grand they appear to be, an official release, quoting him, said here.The Sidhu affair was being unnecessarily hyped and those raising it had clearly failed to see the ISI game plan, said Captain Amarinder, lashing out at the Akalis for branding the Punjab minister as stooge of the Pakistan PM.The chief minister hit out at the Akalis and the BJP's central leadership for "indulging" in unwarranted controversy over his (chief minister's) relations with Sidhu.
26-Nov-2018
The NIA will be investigating the case of four alleged members—Karam Singh, Gurjant aka Jenta, and Amreet aka Amrit, of pro-Khalistan group [unidentified], involved in the conspiracy to kill former Punjab Chief Minister—Prakash Singh Badal, and his family member. Till now, Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was probing the case.
24-Nov-2018
A Sikh seminary—Damdami Taksal-Ajnala located in Ajnala town of Amritsar district has been put under surveillance of security agencies as almost every Khalistan terror module cracked in Punjab has shown links to the seminary. Avtar Singh, ‘president’ of Sikh Youth Federation-Bhinderanwale (SYF-B) who was arrested on November 24 in the Amritsar grenade attack case, is disciple of Amrik Singh Ajnala, who heads the Damdami Taksal Ajnala. Also, at least five other Khalistan terrorist who were arrested in the past two months were disciples of the same seminary.
24-Nov-2018
Acting upon the information provided by arrested Bikramjit Singh, the Punjab Police arrested Avtar Singh (32)—the prime accused of recent grenade attack in Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar, from Khiala village in Lopoke in Amritsar district of Punjab. Avtar Singh is a graduate and had no criminal history. Avtar Singh’s link with Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD— self-styled ‘chief’ of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) based in Pakistan has been traced where Harmeet Singh has been emerged as most active pro-Khalistan leader of an outfit supported by Pakistan’s ISI, said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora. Upon disclosure by Avtar Singh, the Punjab Police recovered two pistols of .32 bore (one of the pistols is US-made), four magazines, and 25 live rounds of ammunition, said DGP Arora.
22-Nov-2018
Bikramjit Singh—an accused arrested in Amritsar grenade explosion case was produced before the Court, and sent to five days of Police remand.
21-Nov-2018
Speeding up on the action in the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack case, Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has claimed that the Police has arrested—Bikramjit Singh, an alleged member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) from Loharka Village, Amritsar District, while search in on-going for Bikramjit’s associate. The grenades were dumped from across the fence by Pakistan's ISI. These were made by Pakistan Ordnance Factory. Bikramjit has provided information which indicates that the grenade was provided by “Happy” based in Pakistan. “Happy” is suspected to be the Pakistan-based KLF ‘chief’—Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD.
20-Nov-2018
The NIA will be interrogating arrested ISI-supported Khalistani terrorist —Shabnam Deep Singh, for further leads in the Nirankari Bhawan blast case. Shabnam Deep Singh was arrested by the Patiala Police on November 1. The modus operandi of the grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan is similar to what Shabnam Deep Singh had planned to attack any crowded place in Patiala, said Patiala SSP M.S. Sindhu. Shabnam Deep Singh’s close aid—Jatinder Singh, who was arrested on November 19 in Sangrur, has confessed that Shabnam Deep Singh and others [unknown] were getting instructions from their handlers based in Pakistan and floated a new Khalistani outfit—Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF) to revive the militancy in Punjab.
20-Nov-2018
With the probability of role of local Sikh youths in the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack, the Police raided and detained Sikh activists [unspecified counts with identities undisclosed], without any concrete evidences of their involvement. The Police must have investigated the matter and not jump to the conclusion based on the 1978 clash between Sikhs and Nirankaris, said Spokesperson of Dal Khalsa—Kanwar Pal Singh Bittu. Among the activists, Dal Khalsa member—Gurjant Singh, and senior ‘Vice-President’ of Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale) [SYF-B]— Ranjit Singh Damdami were also detained but released in the evening of November 20 [same day].
19-Nov-2018
The Chief Minister of Punjab (Capt.) Amarinder Singh, said that the grenade explosion inside the prayer hall of Nirankari Bhawan in Adliwal village in Amritsar, has Pakistan’s ‘signature’ as the grenade used (HG-84) in the attack was similar to the grenades being manufactured by the Pakistan’s Army Ordinance Factory (AOF),. As per the initial investigations, the explosion at Nirankari Bhawan had no religious linking, says CM Singh.
19-Nov-2018
The Sangrur district Police arrested, Jatinder Singh (28), an alleged member of Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF) from Dirba in Sangrur district of Punjab. Jatinder Singh was wanted by the Patiala Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A] and the Explosive Substances Act (ESA). A team of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) arrested him from the main market of Dirba. He [Jatinder Singh] is a native of Patiala and had been hiding at the house of his relative in Dirba, said SSP of Sangrur—Sandeep Garg.
18-Nov-2018
At least three people were killed and 20 others injured in a grenade blast at a religious congregation at Nirankari Satsang Bhawan at Adliwal village in Amritsar District. The blast took place near Amritsar’s Rajasansi, close to the international airport. Amritsar police commissioner, S Srivastva said, “It is suspected to be a terrorist attack. We have been probing. No arrest has been made so far. Two unidentified men attacked the congregation.” Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora said, “It (this incident) appears to have a terror angle. Because it is against a group (of people) and it is not against any individual. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it as that.” The DGP also said there was no specific input about any possible attack on Nirankari Bhavan. “There was no issue with this group as such… There was no specific input on (Nirankari Bhavan),” he said.
09-Nov-2018
Acting upon intelligence inputs, the BSF and Anti-Narcotics Cell recovered three packets of heroin weigh 4.30 kg worth INR 22 crore in the international market, from Border Outpost of Shameke of India-Pakistan Border in Ferozepur Sector of Ferozepur district in Punjab. The packets were kept inside the hollow space in a tree.
05-Nov-2018
The BSF officials observed some suspicious activity and recovered three kilograms of heroin near the International Border (IB) at Ranian village of Ludhiana district in Punjab.
04-Nov-2018
Regarding the efforts of pro-Khalistan elements to revive insurgency in Punjab, the Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that general public shall remain alert during the festival season as there are possibilities of attempt to disrupt the state of peace in Punjab. One of our neighbouring countries [referred to Pakistan] keeps trying to create disturbance as they don’t want India to progress. Punjab is a State which is rising and progressing at a very fast pace. I have been reading in media about the Referendum 2020 and going through these reports too. I have come to the conclusion that some attempts are being made to revive insurgency. In Punjab, the ‘Mission 2020’ has been announced, however it cannot be ruled out that this mission cannot extend to North-Eastern States,” said General Rawat. General Rawat was invited at the Foundation Day of a School in Nabha of Patiala District in Punjab.
01-Nov-2018
The Punjab Police raided a Khalistani terror module—Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF), supported by Pakistan’s ISI, and arrested the KGF operative—Shabnamdeep Singh, from Patiala. The Police team also recovered a hand grenade, and other arms from the possession of Shabnamdeep Singh. Reportedly, Shabnamdeep Singh conspired to attack in crowded places, included Police Stations, and he was promised to get INR 10 lakh for each attack, from abroad [unspecified location]. The police also seized a pistol, six bullets, a cellular phone, and a motorcycle from his possession. Shabnamdeep Singh was produced before a local Court and given five-day Police remand.
24-Oct-2018
After five days of interrogation of Jerman/German Singh—the mastermind to plot assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, the Punjab Police arrested Jerman’s close relative—Ishwar Singh, from Balongi village of Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district in Punjab. Also, from the information obtained during Jerman’s interrogation, the Police have recovered the dump of arms including .315 bore rifle, .32 bore pistol, and two .315 bore pistols from Jerman’s Maternal Grandparents’ residence in Bijalpur village in Samana city of Patiala district in Punjab.
10-Oct-2018
Police arrested three Kashmiri students—Mir Junaib Khalid, Sejal Mohamed, and Adnan Farooq Dar from Kharar town in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District and recovered 30gms of heroin from their possession. All three were produced before the Kharar Court and sent to a day of Police remand. The accused were coming from Chandigarh and were staying at rented homes in two separate societies located on Kharar-Landran Road, said an unnamed official. Likely, these students were taking drugs from Delhi and supplying to other Kashmiri students of private colleges in Mohali District of Chandigarh.
01-Oct-2018
The UMHA received a detailed proposal from the NIA claiming that the pro-Khalistan outfit— Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is behind the killings of RSS leaders and trying to revive militancy in Punjab with support from Pakistan’s ISI agency; therefore, the outfit shall be proscribed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA]. A decision on banning KLF would be taken soon. The ban was essential to choke funding, training and further recruitment activities of the KLF group, said an unnamed UMHA official.
25-Sep-2018
In an attempt to kill, five unspecified Khalistan sympathisers attacked Nishant Sharma— ‘President’ of Right-Wing outfit Shiv Sena Hind who was sentenced to four years in prison in a fraud case in Ropar sub-jail in Punjab. Nishant has been on hit-list of Khalistan sympathisers for his speeches against Sikh radicals and attacking Jagtar Singh Hawara—assassin of former Punjab’s Chief Minister Beant Singh. Nishant was stabbed in the early hours of September 25 after attackers broke the lock of his barrack.
14-Sep-2018
Four ‘low-intensity’ blasts took place at Maqsudan Police Station in Jalandhar District of Punjab, injuring two Policemen, Station Head Officer (SHO) Ramandeep Singh, and Constable Parminder Singh aka Pala. The low-intensity blasts could be the handiwork of mischief-mongers, however, the probe in on-going, said DGP Suresh Arora