KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
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
14-Sep-2018
The Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK)—a pro-Khalistan militant group has claimed the responsibility of the ‘low-intensity’ blasts at the Maqsudan Police Station in Jalandhar District of Punjab on September 14 night. Reportedly, a letter with the letter-head stated ‘Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan’ (BTFK) went viral on the social-media platforms, claimed the responsibility of the attack. The letter also warned the Police personnel not to unnecessarily harass the people. However, the authenticity of the letter is yet to be ascertained.
21-Aug-2018
Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC)’s President Manjit Singh G.K. has claimed that he and his family members were attacked in New York, US by few alleged Khalistani supporters. The Government of India is closely cooperating with the governments of different countries to address the concerns of anti-India activities undertaken by such elements in those countries, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir. Manjit Singh had tweeted the incident to the Minister of External Affairs (MEA) Sushma Swaraj.
19-Aug-2018
The BSF recovered six plastic bottles filled with heroin weighing six kg in total, from river Sutlej near Joginder Border Outpost in Abohar Sector in Fazilka District in Punjab. The bottles flowed-in from Pakistan with the current of river. The recovered heroin is worth INR 30 Crore in the international market.
17-Aug-2018
The BSF officials recovered two Pakistan-based SIM cards, and 330 grams of heroin nearby the Old Mohamddi Wala Border Outpost in Ferozepur Sector in Punjab.
12-Aug-2018
The Sikhs for Justice (SFJ)— a United States (US) based Human Rights advocacy group with pro-Khalistan ideology, held a “London Declaration” on an independence referendum for the Indian state of Punjab at Trafalgar Square in London on August 12, 2018.
24-Jul-2018
The Dal Khalsa and ShrimoniAkali Dal (SAD) (Amritsar) inquired the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ)—a pro-Khalistan organisation, to clarify the doubts in its Sikh Referendum 2020 proposal. The ‘president’ of Dal Khalsa—Harpal Singh Cheema and ‘president’ of SAD-Amritsar—Simranjit Singh Mann expected that the SFJ leadership would announce their thoughts to the people of Punjab regarding the practicality of their ‘Referendum 2020’ proposal during an upcoming event on August 12, 2018 in London, UK. However, Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh has stated that the organisation such as SFJ are seeking to divide the State with its campaign—Referendum 2020, and there is a need to counter this propaganda more aggressively.
23-Jul-2018
Depicting itself as a ‘biggest victim’ of Pakistan-sponsored Narco-terrorism, the State of Punjab has approached the Central government to seek a special category status under the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) that provides financial support to the families of victims.Punjab has emerged as the biggest victim of a proxy war waged against it by Pakistan, for which Pakistan has used Narcotics as its silent weapon, wrote Punjab’s Health Minister Brahm Mohindra in a letter addressing Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
18-Jul-2018
As per the inputs from Intelligence agencies, two Khalistani militants—Lakhwinder Singh and Parminder Singh, are likely to execute an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on the Parliament House in New Delhi around India’s Independence Day in August. Considering the input, Delhi’s security has been elevated under ‘multi-layered’ security parameters. The militants shall arrive in Delhi in an explosives-laden Toyota-make Innova car with Uttar Pradesh vehicle registration number. The names given by the informer—Iqbal matches with the terrorists ran away in Nabha jail break incident in Punjab in November 2016, said an unnamed official.
12-Jul-2018
In a joint operation conducted by the BSF, Ferozepur District Police and the STF, 2.77 kilogram of heroin and 50 Pakistan-made rounds of .30 calibre pistol were recovered from the Border Outpost of Jagdish Sector along with the India-Pakistan border. The STF also arrested Baldev Singh who is resident of Nihalewala village of Ferozepur District and alleged cross-border drug peddler.