KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Feb-2023
According to reports, Nihangs, members of several Sikh bodies and others are supporting the demands of the ‘Quami Insaaf Morcha’, which launched their protest march from Mohali on January 7 for releasing Sikh prisoners, including Balwant Singh Rajoana, a convict in former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh’s assassination. Report said that, in a span of one month, supporters from across the state thronged the protest venue and set up tents, first-aid kiosks, and community kitchen (langar) on the border.
10-Feb-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) shot down a drone and recovered a Chinese made pistol, ammunition and narcotics along the International Border (IB) in the Ferozepur Sector in Firozpur District on February 10. According to the BSF, a packet of consignment dropped by the intruding drone, containing 3 kg of heroin, a China-made pistol, cartridges and a magazine were recovered from the spot.
10-Feb-2023
Police arrested an aide of Canada-based gangster Lakhbir Singh Landa, identified as Vijay Kumar alias Toti and three of his accomplices, identified as Rahul, Amardeep Singh alias Patwari, and Suraj Singh from Kartapur in Jalandhar district. Police also recovered two country-made .32 bore pistols, along with 10 live rounds and two magazines, one country-made 9 mm pistol with two live rounds, one country-made .12 bore pistol with one live round and two motorcycles from them. The arrested persons were wanted in the recent Kapurthala kidnapping and extortion case.
09-Feb-2023
Punjab Police on February 9 arrested a 17-year-old boy along with 15 kg heroin and Rs 8.40 lakh drug money in Amritsar in Amritsar district. According to sources, Amritsar police arrested the juvenile at a checkpoint on Ram Tirath Road, while an accomplice identified as Resham Singh, who prima-facie seems to be the mastermind behind the narcotics smuggling racket, managed to flee. Preliminary investigations revealed that the consignment of drugs was airdropped by Pakistan-based smugglers using a drone.
08-Feb-2023
Police arrested a person, identified as Sattu Ram and recovered 500-gm of opium from his possession from near Pakki Tibbi village in Muktsar district on February 8.
08-Feb-2023
Police on February 8 identified and detained seven members of the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha, which was leading the protest, in which around 30 policemen, including the Rapid Action Force personnel, were injured while several police vehicles were damaged. Police charged 17 different laws, including the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act, and Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to murder) against them.
08-Feb-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) spotted a Pakistani drone near the Adia post in Gurdaspur in Gurdaspur district on February 8. According to BSF, soldiers opened fire on the drone and search operation underway by police and BSF. This is the fourth instance of a Pakistani drone being spotted on the Indian side in the last three days and of the BSF soldiers on duty firing at it and forcing it back to Pakistan.
08-Feb-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) on February 8 shot down a “rogue” drone entering into India from Pakistan near the Babapir border post in Amritsar sector in Amritsar district. According to sources, the drone fell into Pakistani territory across the International Border (IB) while it was flying back toward Pakistan. The drone was sighted during the intervening night of February 7-8.
08-Feb-2023
Police on February 8 arrested two gangsters involved in several cases of crime, identified as Gursewak Singh and Satwinder Singh after a brief encounter at Mudki area in Ferozepur district. Sources said the police seized two pistols from their custody.
08-Feb-2023
Around 33 police personnel were injured and dozens of police vehicles were damaged after armed protesters, under the banner of Kaumi Insaaf Morcha, seeking the release of Sikh prisoners went on a rampage, smashing vehicles and cornering cops, near the Chandigarh-Mohali border on the Sector 52/53 dividing road on February 8. According to sources, when police stopped the protesters who were marching towards Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh, they launched a violent attack on the police with swords, rods, sticks and other sharp-edged weapons. Riding horses and tractors, the protesters ploughed into police barricades and vehicles in a bid to enter Chandigarh.
07-Feb-2023
Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on February 7 claimed that Punjab police’s special drive against drugs had started yielding positive results as the public had extended full support to make Punjab a drug-free state. DGP said that the police had been carrying out cordon and search operations in drug hotspots of the state from time to time and people were cooperating. He said Harpinder Singh, sarpanch of Kharaurhi village in Fatehgarh Sahib, which had been declared drug-free by the panchayat, had thanked Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann and the police for launching a war against drugs.
07-Feb-2023
According to reports, India has told Canada that the Khalistan issue is of “national security concern” for New Delhi and that Ottawa should take stringent action against those who continue to pose threats to the Indian community there, even as both sides vowed to boost strategic ties between them under the Indo-Pacific construct. Sources said the issue was raised during Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly's hurricane trip to India during which she held one-on-one as well as delegation-level meetings with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on February 7. Canadian minister's visit comes months after India issued a rare- and strongly-worded travel advisory on Canada, talking about rising incidents of “hate crime” in that country and attempts to “terrorise the Indian community” thereby Khalistani extremists.
07-Feb-2023
Ludhiana Rural Police arrested a person, identified as Jagtar (26), along with 50 grams of heroin, after an encounter across the town of Jagraon in Ludhiana district on February 7 late night. Jagraon Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Satinder Singh Virk said that on the way, the accused injured at least three commuters who were admitted to the hospital.
06-Feb-2023
Kapurthala police arrested eight members of an international extortion gang that has links with gang members in the United States (US) in Kapurthala district.
05-Feb-2023
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) wing of the Punjab Police arrested two close associates of the United States (US)-based gangster Amritpal Singh, identified as Sandeep Singh alias Sipa and Avtar Singh alias Manu in Gurdaspur district. According to police, they have also recovered some weapons, apparently smuggled from across the border. However, they didn’t disclose the quantity and the specifications of the recovered weapons. Amritpal Singh, who has been working in collusion with Canada-based gangster-turned terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, and the two arrested accused have been booked under Section 25 of the Arms Act, and Sections 120 and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the SSOC’s Amritsar police station on February 4. According to the First Information Report (FIR), “Amritpal Singh of Bholath town in Kapurthala district, who is presently living in the USA, wants to disrupt the Punjab state’s peace by unleashing targeted killings and terror activities with the help of his associates sitting in various jail.”
05-Feb-2023
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 5 said it has recently carried out search operations in 10 different places in Tarn Taran district of Punjab in connection with the recovery of arms and drugs cases. According to an official, during the course of the search, various incriminating evidence, drugs and arms and ammunition were recovered and seized relating to numerous immovable properties worth crores of rupees in the names of the accused persons, members of their family and their associates. The recoveries include heroin of 2.2 kg, suspected contraband material weighing over 13 kg, 2 rifles and 3 pistols along with some cartridges.
04-Feb-2023
Border Security Force (BSF), on February 4, recovered 2.256 kg heroin from a field close to the village of Ghurmi in Fazilka district. According to the sources, the troop found three packages of drugs (2.256 kg of heroin) wrapped in white polythene during the search.
04-Feb-2023
According to report, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval would meet with his United Kingdom (UK) counterpart Tim Barrow in London for the annual strategic dialogue. He is expected to express India's grave concerns about the UK purposefully turning a blind eye to the rise in Sikh radicalization and anti-Indian sentiments in the nation, which are supported by Pakistani Muslims. The UK government has not done anything to block the funding of so-called Khalistan terrorism through radical gurudwaras in Britain in the name of imagined crimes against the community in India, despite India addressing the subject of Sikh separatism in Britain at the highest intelligence levels. The Indian government believes that the UK is using radicals as a leverage point against India and attempting to use violence in the name of freedom of speech.
04-Feb-2023
Police arrested two persons, identified as Harmeet Singh alias Mitta and Amritpal Singh along with nine pistols in Bathinda. Police said they have connection with the district's supply of weapons and ammunition.
03-Feb-2023
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on February 3 conducted searches in a money laundering case linked to a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) and recovered 2.2 kg of heroin and other contraband items weighing about 14 kg of narcotics in Tarn Taran district. Along with two rifles, three pistols, and live ammunition, the ED also found property paperwork on the suspects' properties. ED conducted searches at 10 locations in the Tarn Taran district villages of Sheron, Naushera Pannuan, and Bugha.