KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-Aug-2012
Drugs, arms, and FICNs brought from Pakistan and Dubai were seized in Bhatinda District. Several arrests have been made in separate such incidents. In one such incident, suspects Jora Singh and Bhagwan Singh of Ferozepur District bought heroin from Pakistan on August 18 and ran away from the border when challenged during smuggling. BSF then found seven kilograms of heroin and FICN worth 573,000 dumped on the spot. The counter-intelligence Police at Barnala claimed to have arrested suspects Paramjit Pamma and Gurjant Singh with 120-kg poppy husk and 250-gm opium.
26-Jul-2012
BSF has recovered three pistols and one-kilogram heroin valued at INR five crore, near Border outpost D.S. Pura, (Amritsar Sector) near India-Pakistan border. Troops reacted swiftly and challenged the Pakistani intruders who fled back taking advantage of darkness and undulating ground but dropped the contrabands in the fields which were recovered later.
13-Jul-2012
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that the threat of terrorism remains in Punjab and also expressed confidence about the government's ability to tackle any attempt to thwart peace in the border state. He commented, ''Punjab is by no means free of all terrorism-related activities. We are keeping a watch. We have inputs that some individuals and groups are busy trying to revive terrorism in Punjab. Nine arrests were made in 2011 and 47 in 2010. Besides 5kg of RDX was recovered from near Ambala and two activists of BKI were arrested from Delhi”.
10-Jul-2012
A local court of Chandigarh, awarded three-year Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) to four people, including an alleged ISI agent, in a three-year-old FICN case. The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Surinder Sahni convicted Savinder Kaur, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Kumar, and Raj Kumar Gill and also slapped a fine of INR 5,000 each.
10-Jul-2012
According to the Public prosecutor, Savinder Kaur, an ISI agent, had visited Pakistan on various occasions over the past few years and she had been purchasing the fake currency notes from her counterparts in Pakistan and sold the fake currency notes to Yudhvir, this gang operated in various districts of Punjab.
03-Jul-2012
State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, a unit of Counter Intelligence wing of Punjab Police arrested three cross border smugglers, identified as Dilbagh Singh, Bikramjit Singh and Gurpartap Singh in Ram Tirath Road, Amritsar and recovered INR 5 lakh FICN, 1 pistol, 38 live cartridges and Pakistani mobile phone set.
14-Jun-2012
Police arrested two persons, identified as Gurcharan Singh and Manjit Singh, involved in an FICN racket, from Salem Tibri area of Ludhiana along with FICNs worth INR 25,000. The gang's leader Ranjeet Singh alias Jeeta is still absconding. According to the preliminary investigation, Ranjeet used to bring FICN, minted by Pakistan's ISI, from the Indo-Nepal border and hand it to his gang members in Punjab.
25-May-2012
Three Pakistan nationals, including the driver of a goods train from across the border and his assistant was among five persons detained at the Attari (Amritsar District) railway station after BSF soldiers spotted a bag containing FICNs with a face value of around INR 1.5 million and drugs were thrown from the train.
20-May-2012
Two suspected KZF militants, identified as Sandeep Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, were arrested along with 2.7 kilograms of RDX, three detonators, two timers, three bombs, two China-made pistols, and 11 cartridges from Kamana village of Nawanshahr District. The duo owed allegiance to Ranjeet Singh Neeta-led KZF.
04-Apr-2012
The BKI militant, Baljinder Singh, who had jumped off a moving train in front of the snoring cops on March 30, while being brought to Bhatinda (Punjab) for a court hearing, has 47 criminal cases, including of murder and robbery pending against him. Most of the criminal cases registered against him are in Punjab and the rest in Haryana and Delhi.
03-Apr-2012
An under-trial prisoner of BKI managed to escape while he was on his way for a court hearing in Bhatinda in Punjab. The prisoner, Baljinder Singh, had been lodged in Tihar Jail and was on his way to Bhatinda in the custody of Delhi Police officials.
29-Mar-2012
BSF personnel killed three cross-border smugglers, including two Pakistanis, and recovered 10 kg heroin valued at around INR 50 crore and one pistol from check post near pillar number 72/17, close to Sundergarh border outpost near the India-Pakistan International Border.
28-Mar-2012
Union Government stayed hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a BKI terrorist facing a death sentence for the assassination of then Punjab CM Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. The hanging, scheduled to be carried out on March 31, has been stayed following a petition filed by SGPC, the Sikh religious body.
23-Mar-2012
According to Police, Narender Singh, a BKI militant who was arrested from IGI airport at New Delhi on March 19, wanted to target religious figures like Baba Ram Rahim and Baba Ashutosh. The Delhi police officials also said that the said militant had got the training in Pakistan.
19-Mar-2012
A patrolling party of BSF shot dead three Pakistani smugglers near Amarkot village in Amritsar District and recovered 22 kilograms of heroin valued at around INR 11 million in the international market.
19-Mar-2012
A BKI militant, identified as Narender Singh alias Raju was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi. Sources said that Narender Singh was on his way to Germany to meet BKI 'chief' Harvinder Singh to organise terror activities in India.
13-Mar-2012
March 31, 2012, has been fixed for the hanging of BKI militant, Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is a convict in the assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. Rajoana will be hanged inside the Patiala Central Jail.
04-Feb-2012
BSF patrol parties seized 23 kilograms heroin, valued around INR 1150 million, near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar and Ferozepur.
19-Jan-2012
One group of BKI may have sneaked into the country from across the border to target political and religious leaders in the poll-bound state of Punjab as per top intelligence sources. The prime targets in the hit list of these terrorists are said to be Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and religious Dera leaders like Ashutosh, according to sources. The MHA is will issue a fresh advisory to the Punjab Government to beef up the security of the top political and religious leaders during campaigning. The elections are due in the State on 30th January.
05-Jan-2012
A local court acquitted five persons, including four former activists of Babbar Khalsa, in a case related to unlawful activities, illegal possession of explosives and firearms. The acquitted Babbar Khalsa activists were identified as Baljit Singh Bhau, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi, Buta Singh, Balwinder Singh Dekwala. Daljit Singh Bittu, president of Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), was also acquitted. However, the court found one person, Harminder Singh Cherian, guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and also imposed a fine of INR 5000 on him. A case was registered on November 15, 2009, against seven persons under the Unlawful Activities Act, Arms Act, Explosives Act and various sections of the IPC and they were arrested. Apart from the four Babbar Khalsa activists, Daljit and Harminder, Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Daya Singh Lahoria had also been arrested in the connection. However, Lahoria was acquitted by a court a few months back.
30-Dec-2011
Government asked states bordering Pakistan to step up vigil following inputs that militants from across the border may strike in India, specifically in poll-bound Punjab. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said, "What we gathered, we review every day... We alert the states who are targets... Apart from the jehadi groups, there is BKI (Babar Khalsa International) and some other Khalistani groups. We did bust a BKI module a few days ago. So, we have to remain on high alert in Punjab. We are working with the Government of Punjab and we will continue to remain high alert," he added. Asked whether there was a revival of the Khalistan movement in Punjab, he said, "There is no revival. These are remnant elements from old groups. Many of them have fled the country; many of them have taken refuge in foreign countries. These are remnant groups. There is no revival of the Khalistan movement".
25-Dec-2011
The security of VVIPs in Punjab is being reviewed in the wake of the revelations made by BKI militants arrested by Delhi Police on December 22. Delhi Police claimed that that the module had been tasked by BKI chief Wadhwa Singh and an operative Kulbir Singh to assassinate three religious leaders in Punjab and Haryana and some political leaders in Punjab during the upcoming Assembly elections. According to the Police, the BKI is on an overdrive to recruit cadre.
23-Dec-2011
During interrogation, Sarabpreet allegedly disclosed the name of his accomplice as Jaswinder Singh. Subsequently, the Police mounted raids and arrested him at Ropar in Punjab. Two pistols and 30 live cartridges were allegedly seized from him. Ashok Chand, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) said Sarabpreet was told to eliminate Baba Ram Rahim of Ambala in Haryana, Baba Pyara Singh of Banihara at Ropar and Baba Ashutosh of Ludhiana, besides political leaders in Punjab.
22-Dec-2011
Two suspected BKI militants were sent to 10 days in Police custody. They were arrested by the Delhi police based on leads that they planned to assassinate some religious and political leaders. Sarabjeet Singh was arrested in the Shalimar Bagh area of Delhi on December 22 by Delhi Police. Police reportedly seized a firearm, two magazines containing 15 live cartridges, five mobile phones, a cordless phone, three driving licenses purportedly issued in Punjab, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, two PAN cards and a laptop, besides two pen drives, from the accused.
01-Dec-2011
BSF recovered five kilograms of heroin and FICNs of various denominations amounting to INR 980,000 from Naushehra Dhallan village near India-Pakistan international border in Punjab.