KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
27-Mar-2015
A Pakistani smuggler shot dead by BSF personnel and recovered 24 kilograms of heroin from him from the Majhmian border outpost area close to the Indo-Pak border in the Amritsar sector. Troops had laid an ambush near the border on the intervening night of March 27 and 28. Soon, the troops observed some suspicious movement of Pakistani smugglers near the border who were trying to insert a plastic pipe through the border fence to push heroin packets across.
25-Feb-2015
Failing to get UT administrator's nod for suspension of notification prohibiting BKI militant Jagtar Singh Tara's movement from Burail jail in Chandigarh, the jail authorities failed to produce him before court on the second consecutive day and have now sought time till February 27. UT Police failed in producing Tara before the court of Additional District and sessions judge Shalini S Nagpal,as the state failed to obtain suspension of the notification under section 268 of the Code of CrPC prohibiting transportation of Tara from Burail jail. Jail authorities stated before the court that Tara's movement from Burail jail was prohibited as Section 268 of the CrPC (person shall not be removed from prison till the completion of the trial) imposed on the assassination accused, was still valid.The jail authorities sought time till February 27.
23-Feb-2015
Bathinda Court (Punjab) extended KTF chief Jagtar Singh Tara's Police remand by another two days. Previously, Tara was produced in court on February 9 and was sent to four-day police remand. Police also produced one Amarjit Singh of Dusarna village in Mohali District and accused him of having links with Tara. Arrested on February 12, Amarjit was also sent in two-day police remand. Tara is accused of making way for Bathinda-based Ramandeep Singh alias Sunny in getting arms training in Bangkok. Bathinda Police on November 9, 2014, had arrested Ramandeep and claimed that he was a member of the terror organization KTF headed by Jagtar Singh Tara. Police had recovered explosive material, a revolver and 5 letterheads of BKI. Bathinda District attorney Iqbaljit Singh Kingra said, "During interrogation, Ramandeep confessed that he had gone to Thailand to get arms training on Tara's insistence and had met him in Thailand." Kingra said that Ramandeep also told that Tara had got militant training at Pakistan and encouraged him to toe the same path.
22-Feb-2015
The UMHA has decided to take a fresh look into the case against Balwant Singh Rajaona, a BKI militant who was sentenced to death after his conviction in the case pertaining to the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh. The development follows the arrest of another BKI operative Jagtar Singh Tara, who was recently extradited from Thailand. Rajaona himself has refused to petition either the State Government or the Supreme Court for a stay on his death sentence. He is currently lodged in a Punjab jail. Sources said UHM Rajnath Singh has asked ministry officials to examine Rajaona's case afresh in the light of new facts that could emerge after Tara's interrogation. "Since Rajaona has refused to petition any authority for clemency, Home Ministry has decided to look into his case afresh. Since Tara has been extradited from Thailand and is presently in the custody of Punjab Police, new facts could emerge in the case. Even if there is a fraction of a chance that Rajaona was involved in the assassination case, the entire case has to be relooked into," said a senior Home Ministry official. Tara, a co-accused in the case, was facing trial for allegedly assassinating Beant Singh when he escaped along with three others through a tunnel dug inside the jail, where they were lodged in 2004. Two of the three others have been arrested, while the third is still at large.
05-Feb-2015
Pakistan's ISI trained Khalistan militants from the UK in Thailand last year (2014) to launch strikes in India, according to senior officials of Punjab Police who along with sleuths of central security agencies interrogated two such militants arrested recently in Thailand. The security agencies in Thailand arrested KLF 'chief' Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, in November 2014, and KTF 'chief' Jagtar Singh Tara, one of the alleged assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, on January 5, 2015. A Lahore posted Lieutenant colonel-rank Army officer of the ISI, identified as "Chaudhary" by Indian spy agencies, was the handler of Mintoo and Tara. He shifted Mintoo and Tara separately from Pakistan to Thailand last year (2014) to "develop sleeper cells in India". Top ranking Punjab Police sources said that this ISI officer later held a camp from July 5 to 13, 2014 at Mea Sot (a town in Thailand bordering Myanmar) in which "five UK-based Khalistan militants" were trained in assembling and handling of explosives made from locally available material. IG counter-intelligence Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav said, "Necessary follow-up actions (regarding ISI training UK-based Khalistan militants in Thailand) are being taken." Based on the interrogation reports of the two arrested men that the State Police and central agencies are collating, it has emerged that Gursharanvir Singh (living in Coventry of England) and Birmingham resident Piyara Singh Gill, also wanted by Punjab Police in August 2009 killing on Rulda Singh, President of RSS wing Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, were among the five UK-based Khalistan militants who attended the training camp in Thailand. Reports said that the central agencies have already approached UK authorities for their extradition.
23-Jan-2015
The Police will take recently extradited KTF militant Jagtar Singh Tara to Nepal border after his disclosure that he had hidden the large quantity of Research Department Explosive (RDX) and other ammunition in a village near Indo-Nepal border. Police said Tara had disclosed that he had hidden a consignment of around 4kg RDX, detonators and other ammunition in a village in Rudrapur District of Uttarakhand, which is located near Indo-Nepal border. However, the court had extended Tara's remand only for three days, during which the Patiala Police will take Tara to Indo-Nepal border to recover the ammunition. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand resident Devi Singh, the fourth accused involved in the sensational 2004 Burail Jailbreak, who escaped along with three assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, is currently living in Pakistan and has converted to Sikhism. This was confirmed by KTF militant Jagtar Singh Tara, who was nabbed by Indian security agencies from Thailand recently, revealed a senior Police officer associated with the probe. Significantly, Indian security agencies had the information that Devi didn't move out of Pakistan since he sneaked into that country after the escape from Burail jail by digging a 104-feet tunnel. Three of the four accused in the jailbreak, have already been arrested by Punjab Police, and Devi is still on the run.
19-Jan-2015
Jagtar Singh Tara, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief and mastermind behind former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination, was extradited to India within a mere two days of his arrest as he did not contest the plea moved by New Delhi in Thailand court. Sources in the Punjab Police said Tara himself requested for extradition, a process that usually took years. The extradition, however, does not bar India from giving him the death penalty if any court finds him guilty of committing a crime under rarest of rare cases. Tara was arrested on January 5 and the Thailand court ordered his extradition on January 7. He was flown to India on January 15 after the completion of various formalities. Sources said Tara had told investigators that he along with his Pakistan-based associates wanted to carry out killings in Punjab and that they had even shortlisted some leaders. Tara is learned to have stayed in Ganganagar, Kurali and Fatehgarh Sahib for a few months before escaping to Pakistan through Nepal and Thailand. Police officials said he was giving some conflicting replies about his whereabouts after he escaped from the Burail Jail in January 2014. However, Police said that his claims were being verified.
05-Jan-2015
Authorities in Thailand arrested Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant, identified as Gurmeet Singh alias Jagtar Singh Tara convicted for his involvement in a bomb attack in 1995 that killed former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh and at least 15 other people. Gurmeet Singh, one of six Sikh militants convicted for the blast outside government headquarters in Punjab, fled a high-security prison in Chandigarh in 2004 before receiving a life sentence in 2007. Gurmeet, entered Thailand in October 2014 and was arrested in the eastern province of Chonburi, Thai National Police Spokesman Lieutenant General Prawut Thawornsiri said. Prawut also said Gurmeet faces extradition to India.
31-Dec-2014
India's BSF seized 361 kilograms of heroin in 2014 on the border with Pakistan in Punjab. The seizure, according to BSF officials, is worth over USD 286 million in the international market. The seizures (till December 30, 2014, are higher than the previous record of 322 kilograms recovered in 2013 along the barbed wire fenced 553-km border between India and Pakistan in Punjab. In 2012, the BSF recovered 288-kilogram heroin in the Punjab sector, comprising the frontier districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, and Fazilka.
13-Nov-2014
BTKF militant Rattandeep Singh recorded a confession statement about his involvement in the bomb blast at Sector 34, on June 30, 1999, and named Pakistan-based Sikh militant, Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, for masterminding the blast. Singh, in his confession statement, also claimed that most fugitive militants settled in European countries and Pakistan have been indulging in drug trafficking. Meanwhile, Singh disclosed that the recently held Jasbir Singh aka Jassa had got him INR 1, 00,000 before executing the blast. Sources in the operations cell said, "During interrogation, Rattandeep narrated the pathetic condition of extremists based in Pakistan and other foreign countries. Panjwar, head of KCF, is now a builder in Pakistan and under the acute pressure of ISI to revive terrorism in Punjab." He also disclosed his links with Pakistan-based head of KZF, Ranjit Singh Neeta.
09-Nov-2014
Police arrested BKI militant Ramandeep Singh alias Sunny, from Cantonment Road in Bathinda, and recovered 200 grams explosive material, a timer, battery, wire, a pistol .32 bore and five letter heads of BKI. A case under the UAPA, Explosives Act and Arms Act has been registered against him at Bathinda kotwali Police Station. The arrested militant has reportedly been guided by Pakistan's ISI. Ramandeep also confessed that Babbar Khalsa militant Jagtar Singh Tara has floated a wing, KTF, and is recruiting youths to carry out militant activities in India. He had also spent a month in Thailand and Malaysia in April-May, 2014. Ramandeep was allured on Facebook by militants and BKI sources had sent him money from Europe through money transfer service. An unspecified amount of money was sent to him through a money transfer firm and he was asked to report in Thailand, while ISI agents provided him training. He had returned in May and was to conduct trails of bomb detonation. Bathinda zone IG Paramraj Singh Umranangal said, "During initial investigations, Ramandeep has confessed that he got training in making bombs and was to conduct a trial explosion at a secluded place."
07-Nov-2014
Punjab Police arrested ‘chief’ of KLF, Harminder Singh alias Mintoo and his key operative Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi. Police tracked and located the two in Thailand and coordinated with central agencies and Thai authorities. Mintoo, was running active modules among Khalistani militants outside India, was arrested from Delhi airport. The arrest location of Gopi is still not specified. He was wanted in 10 terror offenses filed in Punjab.
07-Nov-2014
The central investigation agencies are not only looking into alleged KTF militant Ramandeep Singh Goldy's role in Patiala and Ambala bomb blasts in 2010 and the killing of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh in 2009 but also whether he was in touch with former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's assassin Jagtar Singh Tara during his stay in Thailand and Malaysia.
06-Nov-2014
Top KTF militant, Ramandeep Singh alias Goldy wanted for April 20, 2010, Patiala blast and the murder of Rulda Singh, head of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat on July 28, 2009, was arrested by Punjab Police in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) after he was deported by Malaysian authorities.
04-Nov-2014
Heroin seizures by BSF troops in Punjab have increased. BSF has recorded its highest seizure of drugs in recent years along the India-Pakistan international border. In over 10 months, BSF has seized over 328.6 kilograms of heroin valued at INR 16.50 billion (about USD 270 million) in the international market. The seizure, till November 3, is even higher than the previous all-time high of 322 kilograms recovered in 2013 along the 553-kilometer International Border between India and Pakistan. A total of 44-kilogram heroin has been seized in the first three days of this month alone. Previously, in 2012, BSF had recovered 288-kilogram heroin in the Punjab sector, comprising the frontier districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka. The seizure of heroin made by the BSF in 2011 was just 68 kilograms. The seizure was 115 kilograms in 2010, 120 kilograms in 2009 and 100 kilograms in 2008, officials said. The drug network operates along the Afghanistan-Pakistan-India route.
03-Nov-2014
BSF recovered 22 kilograms of heroin close to the India-Pakistan border near Ulloke village of Ferozepur District. Disclosing this, BSF received inputs regarding smuggling from the area around the Ulloke border outpost, following which security was intensified in the area.
02-Nov-2014
BSF seized one pistol, 30 live rounds, three Pakistani mobile phones and four SIM cards along with 22 packets of 22 kilogram of heroin, valued at around INR 1.10 billion and 20 gram of opium, after gun battle with Pakistani smugglers, in which one smuggler from Indian side, Tasveer Singh died and other two Balwinder Singh and Fateh Singh were injured.
25-Sep-2014
Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested three people from Delhi and Amritsar in a narcotics-related hawala racket. The ED raids in Delhi and Amritsar were based on information provided by Australian authorities who were trailing the network. ED sources said simultaneous and synchronized action taken at four premises in Amritsar and five premises in Delhi led to the arrest of two drug traffickers, Paramdeep Singh Arora and Gagandeep Singh Arora in Amritsar, and hawala operator Gaurav Gupta in Delhi.
17-Sep-2014
Lahore-based BKI militant outfit's de facto ‘chief’ Ratandeep Singh, who had only last year replaced ailing Wadhwa Singh as the BKI head and was sent by ISI, was arrested by Punjab Police. He was sent to India as Hussain Sheikh Zahid (son of Sheikh Nasiruddin) and was arrested by the SSOC team of Punjab Police near Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. He was sent to 10-day Police remand by an Amritsar court.
09-Sep-2014
KZF operative Dilbagh Singh who was arrested in Guwahati (Assam) was trying to explore possibilities of procuring weapons from the North East region. Easy availability of illegal weapons in the North East has become a matter of grave concern and now Khalistani militant groups have also started eyeing the region to procure weapons. The KZF still has a presence in Punjab and Jammu areas and the ‘chief’ of the outfit, Ranjit Singh Neeta is now out of the country and his whereabouts are not known. But there have been inputs that he has been trying to revive the outfit and the efforts to procure weapons might be a part of the plan to revive the same.
05-Aug-2014
Punjab local court remanded nine days Police custody to three militants of KZF and KLF, who were arrested by Punjab Police in assistance with Jammu Police on August 4 from Miran Sahib in Simbal Camp of RS Pura area in Jammu District. The three Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet Singh alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma and Swaran Singh Shabba were booked under sections 17,18, 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and sections 153-A,121 and 120-B of the IPC and sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act.
04-Aug-2014
Punjab Police with the assistance of Jammu Police arrested four militants of KZF and KLF from Miran Sahib in Simbal Camp of RS Pura area in Jammu District (J&K). The arrested militants were identified as Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet Singh alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma, Swaran Singh alias Shabba and Jasmeet Singh. Police recovered three Pakistani SIM cards, four Pakistani mobile telephones and half a dozen local SIM cards from the possession of arrested militants.
09-Jul-2014
BSF seized FICN with a face value of INR 7, 83,000 along with four kilograms of heroin near a border outpost in Attari of Amritsar District (Punjab) along the Indo-Pakistan border. BSF Punjab Frontier has issued operational guidelines to strengthen border to check narcotics smuggling because of ongoing cultivation and monsoon season, and also to check the activities of anti-national elements along Punjab border with Pakistan.
05-Jun-2014
A note of IB revealed how ISI coroneted banned KTF 'chief' Jagtar Singh Tara as the new 'chief' of the global Khalistan movement to "renew aggression". The note, dated September 30, 2013, said that ISI has announced a parting of ways with KTF and another banned militant outfit BKI. The IB note also revealed that Tara has made his new residence at a place near the revered Sikh shrine Nankana Sahib.
04-Jun-2014
Agencies have received fresh inputs about Jagtar Singh Tara of KTF and Lakhvir Singh Rode of ISYF coming together to smuggle in explosives from across the border and provide logistics to target BJP leaders. The agencies have also received fresh information about two groups of 10-15 militants belonging to the KCF planning attacks on PM Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the RSS and BJP. A meeting to target Modi was held recently in Islamabad which was attended by Dr. Khalid Rashid and Mohammad Ghalib from the UK, Azmat Khan from JKLF and Wadhwa Singh of BKI.