KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
03-Jan-2026
Police on January 3 arrested a 25-year-old postgraduate student, identified as Mohammad Tanveer and recovered 15.2 kg of charas from his possession near the Railway Colony in Jalandhar district. A Bihar resident, Tanveer allegedly has links to a Nepal-based drug trafficking racket and was previously involved in smuggling liquor from Punjab to Bihar.
03-Jan-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 3 seized 1.107 kg of heroin along with a drone used to transport the contraband from across the border in Habib Wala village, Ferozepur district.
03-Jan-2026
Punjab’s Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on January 3 announced that the second phase of the anti-narcotics drive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ will be launched on January 5 to intensify efforts against drug abuse. He said rehabilitated youths would play an active role in motivating others to quit addiction. Following the success of phase one, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has directed the rollout of phase two with the aim of making Punjab drug-free.
03-Jan-2026
Himachal Pradesh Police on January 3 registered an FIR under provisions of the Explosive Substances Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the January 1 blast near the Nalagarh police station in Solan district. While two Khalistani terrorist groups have claimed responsibility, the claims remain unverified. The probe has been expanded, with assistance sought from the Punjab Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
02-Jan-2026
Police on January 2 arrested two persons, identified as Arshdeep Singh alias Dara and Gurbir Singh alias Gora and seized 1 kg of heroin from their possession in Nihal Singh Wala, Moga district.
02-Jan-2026
On January 2, Punjab Police, on day 307 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 74 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 93 drug smugglers and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 14 kg of poppy husk, 993 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 4450 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
01-Jan-2026
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sukhminderpal Singh Grewal on January 1 alleged that self-styled Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) general counsel Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and his alleged handler J.S. Dhaliwal were acting as ISI-backed propaganda agents, terming their activities foreign-sponsored sabotage against India. In a social media post, Grewal said such actions should not be misrepresented as activism or dissent, calling them “paid treachery” and an attack on India’s unity and integrity. He also condemned alleged threats to disrupt the National Anthem in Punjab’s schools, describing them as a deliberate attempt to poison young minds and asserting that Punjab’s sacred legacy cannot be misused to spread hatred at the behest of foreign agencies.
01-Jan-2026
On January 1, Punjab Police, on day 306 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 38 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 49 drug smugglers and seized 468 grams of heroin, 202 intoxicant pills and INR 2,500 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
01-Jan-2026
Patiala Police on January 1 arrested eight gangsters, identified as Gurpreet Duggal, Dimple Kosal, Dhruv, Pratham, Sachin Gupta, Deepanshu alias Deepu, Husanpreet Singh, and Shaukat Ali, and recovered nine .32 bore pistols and one .30 bore Px5 pistol from their possession in Patiala district. According to police, the organised gang was planning major criminal activities, including targeted killings and gang wars. Investigations revealed that the gang was operating at the behest of notorious criminal Bobby, a resident of Tarn Taran, who is currently based abroad.
01-Jan-2026
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Ferozepur Range, on January 1 arrested a drug smuggler and recovered 5,500 intoxicating tablets from his possession in Ferozepur district.
01-Jan-2026
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Punjab, Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) Gurinderbir Singh, on January 1 released ANTF’s performance report for 2025, highlighting a significant crackdown on the drug trade. During the year, the ANTF registered 69 cases and recovered 119.472 kg of heroin and 6.510 kg of opium. The force also seized 33,780 loose pills and 300 injections of synthetic drugs. Action under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act led to the recovery of 3,87,417 banned capsules and 1,32,100 banned tablets. Drug money amounting to INR 21.15 lakh was also recovered during the period.
01-Jan-2026
Rajasthan’s Sri Ganganagar police on January 1 said they had busted a major extortion racket linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, exposing an interstate network operating from Jodhpur to Punjab. Police arrested four persons on December 29, 2025, and seized INR 91 lakh from their possession. Officials said two more accused were expected to be arrested on January 1 as investigations continued to unravel the wider extortion network.
01-Jan-2026
The banned Khalistani terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), along with a little-known group, the Punjab Sovereignty Alliance (PSA), claimed responsibility via social media for the blast near the Nalagarh police station in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh on January 1. Although no injuries were reported, the explosion cracked windows of nearby buildings, including an Army canteen about 40 meters away. The groups alleged the attack was in response to synthetic drug manufacturing in Himachal Pradesh and named United Kingdom (UK)-based Gopi Nawanshahria and Kabal Singh as key conspirators. However, senior Punjab Police sources dismissed the drug-related claim, stating the blast was orchestrated at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI to fuel regional tensions and bore similarities to recent blasts in Punjab.
01-Jan-2026
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Nuh, Haryana, on January 1 arrested the eighth accused in the Pakistani espionage and terror-funding case in the Mewat region, identified as Sandeep alias Sunny from Sangrur district of Punjab. Sunny allegedly received INR 50,000 via hawala from Rizwan, a young lawyer and the prime accused, linked to a foreign drug network. Police said Sunny was in direct contact with overseas drug traffickers and maintained close links with Rizwan, who was also involved in anti-national activities. The case began with Rizwan’s arrest on November 26, 2025 and eight accused have been arrested so far.
31-Dec-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on December 31 outlined Vision-2026 for the police, stating that 2026 would witness the toughest-ever crackdown on gangsters, alongside a major technology-driven upgrade in infrastructure and capabilities. Accusing Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of plotting fresh disturbances in Punjab by supplying weapons to gangsters and terrorists, he said such attempts were foiled in 2025. Yadav said nearly 40 foreign-based gangsters were attempting to foment violence in the state, adding that while the number fluctuates, over 400 gangs and modules are currently active. He made the remarks while responding to media queries on recent killings and extortion cases. The DGP lauded the Border Security Force (BSF) for neutralising over 260 of the nearly 515 drones sighted in 2025. He said Punjab Police’s “second line of defence”—the first of its kind by a state police force—would be fully operational in 2026. The Anti-Drone System (ADS) fleet will be expanded from three operational units to nine, with 10 more to be procured in phases. He added that Drone Response Teams (DRTs) are already operational and will be further integrated with Village Defence Committees (VDCs) in the coming year.
31-Dec-2025
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Daljinder Singh Dhillon said 2025 was an eventful year for Pathankot Police, which effectively curbed the inflow of illegal arms from neighboring Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, while intensifying its anti-drug campaign. A record 444 FIRs were registered and 751 persons arrested during the year. Under the Arms Act, 29 offenders were apprehended. Police seized around 6.5 kg of heroin, 15 kg of poppy husk, 242 grams of opium, and over 10,000 drug capsules, besides confiscating INR 10 lakh in drug money.
31-Dec-2025
Bhupinder Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), while presenting the annual performance report of Ferozepur District Police for the period January 1 to December 30, 2025, stated that the district registered 1,617 cases under the NDPS Act and arrested 2,013 accused, recording major recoveries. Seizures included 266.085 kg of heroin, 56.592 kg of opium, 1,362.577 kg of poppy husk, 21.600 kg of ganja, and 9,74,797 intoxicant tablets and capsules. Police also recovered drug proceeds and hawala money amounting to INR 1.40 crore. Under the Arms Act, 52 cases were registered and 68 persons arrested, with the recovery of 104 illegal weapons, including pistols, revolvers, an AK-47 rifle, firearms, magazines, and cartridges.
31-Dec-2025
According to reports, Punjab is facing an acute shortage of police personnel, yet a disproportionately large number of security guards continue to be deployed with political leaders across the state, raising serious concerns about skewed public safety priorities and inefficient resource allocation. For years, the Punjab Police has witnessed inadequate fresh recruitment, resulting in widespread manpower shortages at police stations across districts. This deficit has had a visible operational impact, with investigation, patrolling, and crime prevention increasingly under strain, even as criminal activity shows an upward trend. Paradoxically, while frontline policing capacity has eroded, the number of security personnel attached to political leaders—from local figures to senior functionaries—has grown steadily.
31-Dec-2025
The Ministry of Defence, in its year-end review issued on December 31, reported a total of 791 drone intrusions along the western border during 2025. Of these, nine incidents were recorded along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, while 782 intrusions occurred along the IB in Punjab and Rajasthan. During the year, Indian security forces neutralised 237 drones in the IB sector, including five carrying war-like stores, 72 transporting narcotics, and 161 without any payload. The Ministry stated that the effective deployment of indigenous spoofers and jammers along the western front played a crucial role in countering the drone threat.
31-Dec-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on December 31 said that following Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is waging a proxy war aimed at destabilizing Punjab. He said Punjab Police will focus on hybrid threats such as drone-based cross-border smuggling, terror foot soldiers, and organised crime. Yadav added that the state government has sought INR 175 crore from the Union government to procure 17 anti-drone systems in the next financial year.
31-Dec-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said in an interview that the overall law and order situation in Punjab in 2025 is under control and better than in most states. Despite attempts to destabilise the state, he said Punjab Police has effectively tackled challenges in close coordination with central agencies. On targeted killings and attacks on police stations, the DGP said these were high-impact but low-volume crimes. Since September 2024, 24 such incidents—mostly grenade attacks on police stations—have occurred, all of which have been solved. The networks behind them were dismantled, accused arrested, and several handlers detained or deported from abroad. Citing National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) data, Yadav said the national crime rate stands at 448 crimes per lakh population, while Punjab’s is 227—nearly half the national average. Chandigarh’s crime rate is 338, Haryana’s 740, and Himachal Pradesh’s 267. He noted that while individual incidents in Punjab gain wide attention due to social media, the overall crime situation remains firmly under control.
31-Dec-2025
On December 31, Punjab Police, on day 305 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 91 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 117 drug smugglers and seized 1.2 kg of heroin, 1 kg of ganja, 5 kg of poppy husk, 536 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 11,860 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
30-Dec-2025
Police on December 30 arrested a drug peddler, identified as Rakesh Goyal alias Rinku and seized 30 grams of heroin from him in Koom Kalan, Ludhiana district.
30-Dec-2025
On December 30, Punjab Police, on day 304 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 82 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 113 drug smugglers and seized 455 grams of heroin, 25 kg of poppy husk, 1995 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 54,440 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
30-Dec-2025
Police on December 30 busted a cross-border drug smuggling cartel with alleged links to Pakistan-based handlers by arresting seven persons, identified as Judgebir Singh alias Judge, Jaspal Singh alias Jass, Dawinder Singh alias Bau, Mandeep Singh, Anmolpreet Singh, Harpinder Singh alias Bhinda, and Tarunpreet Singh and seizing 4.075 kg of heroin, 1 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), and a 9 mm Glock pistol from them, in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the contraband was smuggled from Pakistan and distributed across Punjab through local modules operating on the directions of across-the-border handlers, with coordination allegedly carried out via social media platforms.