KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
17-Sep-2017
In joint operations that last all of last week, Punjab Police and UP ATS have arrested six suspects who had non-bailable warrants issued against them for their role in high-security Nabha jailbreak in Patiala (Punjab) in November 2016. Police said those arrested also have links with outlawed group BKI. One BKI suspect, identified as Harpreet Singh alias Jitendra Singh Tony was arrested from Mailani area in Lakhimpur Kheri District. Another BKI suspect, Satnam Singh was arrested by the joint team of the ATS, Punjab and local Police from Sikanderpur area of the Lakhimpur Kheri District. Sources said Police are close to busting a network of Sikh militants in the region, including from Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur and Lakhimpur Kheri. UP ATS IG Asim Arun said, "One of the terror suspects, Balwant Singh, who was arrested in Lucknow led us to Jitendra Singh Toni who is wanted for supplying arms during the armed jailbreak in November last year."
17-Sep-2017
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested three members of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) group along with 2.5 kilograms of Heroin from Ludhiana city in Ludhiana District of Punjab. The STF arrested Gurlal, who, along with two other men, was going to Firozepur to supply the Heroin, sources said.
02-Sep-2017
Fresh Inputs from intelligence agencies suggeststhat Sikh militants are getting more support from across the border to foment trouble in Kashmir and other parts of the county. The fresh inputs show support for Manjit Singh, 'leader' of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF). The intelligence inputs say this outfit is getting more active in South Kashmir and Kathua region of the state and in Punjab. Sikh radical elements sheltered in Pakistan are engaged in anti-India activities such as providing financial support to terror activities.
17-Aug-2017
The Uttar Pradesh (UP) Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested another alleged terrorist of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Jaswant Singh Kala from an Unnao farm house in Unnao District. He is wanted in multiple cases in Delhi, Rajasthan and Punjab and was hiding in the farm house for the past few weeks after allegedly killing a supporter of anti-Babbar Khalsa group in Punjab around two months ago. Kala was arrested on the revelations made by his accomplice Balwant Singh, who was staying with changed identity in Lucknow for the past five years. Balwant Singh was arrested from a Gurudwara on Nadan Mahal road in Lucknow on August 16 evening. He was Granthi at the Gurudwara. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of ATS, Rajesh Sahani said Jaswant Singh Kala has been one of the most active members of BKI. He said Kala is among Sikh hardliners who support pro-Khalistan groups. Sahani said Kala was involved in three sensational killings of the supporters of the anti-Babbar Khalsa groups in Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, and Faridkot and Nawa Shahar in Punjab in 2016 and 2017. He said Jaswant was earlier arrested under sedition charges and arms act from Delhi’s Modi Colony in 2008 and on similar charges in 2005.
11-Aug-2017
The three men arrested on August 9 night by Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Punjab Police had supplied pistols to pro-Khalistan militants for targeted political killings in Punjab. The arrested trio includes cousin of a Canada-based Khalistan separatist leader. The three were identified as Balkar Singh (45), Balwindar Singh (28) and Satyendra Rawat (26) from Dabra, Thatipur and Chinor areas of Gwalior District. According to key sources connected with the joint operation, Balkar was originally a native of Gurdaspur District of Punjab, who had migrated to Gwalior District over three decades back and was primarily engaged in agriculture.Gurmeet Cheema, Balkar’s cousin, operates an outfit Khalsa Sewa Dal (KSD) in Canada, and also has links with the terror outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) which primarily operate from Pakistan.
10-Aug-2017
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh approved a proposal of the State Police to set up an elite specially trained Special Protection Group (SPG) to deal with any terror attack and other threats in the State which shares border with Pakistan.
03-Jul-2017
The pro-Khalistani group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has put out a statement as a direct threat to Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) if they try to remove its hoardings of referendum 2020 or pose any hindrance in their movement. SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said in a statement that "BJP will face serious consequences if they remove the Referendum 2020 hoardings."
21-Jun-2017
Punjab Police on June 21 arrested two persons with links to a suspected terror module neutralised in the month of May. Gurpreet Singh and Simranjit Singh were arrested from their native villages of Jiwanwal in Faridkot and Kamalpur in Moga District of Punjab. Police have not shared any evidence on the terror activity by any of the modules neutralised last month. The operation was done by the Punjab intelligence wing. However, ADGP (intelligence) Dinkar Gupta did not confirm who the targets of these men were and whether there was any specific alert from the ministry of home affairs or Interpol. The Police claimed two .32 bore pistols, four magazines and cartridges have been seized from them. The cops said Canada-based Gurjeet Cheema during his visit to India earlier this year, gave two pistols, along with ammunition to Gurpreet, who passed on one of the pistols to Simranjit.
10-Jun-2017
Police arrested two drug smugglers from Tarn Taran District and recovered contacts of about 130 Pakistan-based smugglers from their mobile phones. An official spokesperson said Sukhbir Singh alias Titu of Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran District and Tasveer Singh alias Tassu of Dhanoya Kalan in Amritsar District both in their sixties were arrested. About 6 kg heroin, a Pakistani SIM card, two rifles and a motorcycle were recovered from them.
05-Jun-2017
The UMHA has alerted Punjab government of a possible infiltration by Pakistan-based pro-Khalistanis in the wake of surcharged atmosphere on 33rd anniversary of Operation Bluestar. The alert said, "According to an input, the Lakhbir Rode group has planned to strike on the event of Ghallughara (Op Bluestar anniversary) week...He (Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale's nephew Lakhbir Rode) has convened a meeting at Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. A bag full of hand grenades has been provided to two terrorists, possibly of Indian origin, to create terror in Punjab. These terrorists are planning to cross over to India before June 6," it added. Sources said that ISI is funding Rode to exhorting his foreign contacts to support them in launching terror operations in Punjab. A huge rush of cops and paramilitary forces have secured the area of the Golden Temple in Amritsar and key border locations in rural hinterlands of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Pathankot and Gurdaspur. This is the third alert in last two weeks. The first one was on a new radical group "being extremely agitated" over the continuing sacrilege incidents in Punjab, and wanting to teach a lesson to perpeterators of 2015 Faridkot sacrilege incident that had led to killing of two Sikhs in Police firing.
04-Jun-2017
The Punjab Police arrested three terrorists having direct links with Pakistan's ISI-backed banned terror outfit, International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). The arrested terrorists — Gurdial Singh, Jagroop Singh, and Satwinder Singh — had been trained and tasked by the ISI to carry out terror attacks and target various 'anti-Panth and anti-Sikh forces/individuals' by Pakistan-based ISYF 'chief' Lakhbir Rode and Harmeet Singh alias Happy alias PHD.
29-May-2017
Four persons, including a woman, were arrested, who according to the Police, were planning to carry out targeted killings under the banner - ‘Khalistan Zindabad’ from Bathinda District of Punjab. They have been identified as Harbarinder Singh of Amritsar, Amritpal Kaur of Ludhiana, and Jarnail Singh and Randeep Singh of Gurdaspur. Two pistols (4 magazines and 5 live rounds) were also recovered from them. On the radar of these “highly radicalised youth” were Congress leaders Tytler and Kumar, as well as those they considered responsible for incidents of sacrilege or desecration.
21-May-2017
The BSF and the Punjab Police in a joint operation neutralised a terror module with links to Canada and Pakistan after arresting two suspected Khalistani militants. The two were arrested from the Indo-Pak border area when they were trying to recover weapons that were earlier smuggled into India from Pakistan, a Punjab Police spokesperson said. "Those arrested have been identified as Mann Singh (40) from Sri Hargobindpur in Gurdaspur and Sher Singh (28) from Kartarpur in Jalandhar," he said.Security forces have seized an AK-47 assault rifle, five hand grenades, a modified machine-pistol, five pistols and over 450 rounds of ammunition of different calibre from the duo.
16-Apr-2017
Punjab Police arrested two suspected terrorists belonging to a terror module set up by a Europe-based Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) in Batala town of Gurdaspur District. Police also claimed to have recovered "a huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession". The seizure included one 9 mm pistol, two magazines and 13 live rounds, two 32 bore pistols, along with 4 magazines and 33 live rounds and one 12 bore country made gun.
25-Feb-2017
Two Dera Sacha Sauda followers, Satpal Sharma and his son Ramesh Kumar, were shot dead by two unidentified assailants at their canteen at Naam Charcha Ghar, a meeting centre for the Dera followers, in Jagera village in Khanna in Ludhiana District.
28-Nov-2016
Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) 'chief' Harminder Mintoo, who along with five others escaped from Nabha jail in Patiala District of Punjab on November 27, was re-arrested from New Delhi Railway Station in New Delhi. 12 to 14 armed men, some of them in Police uniform, entered the high-security Nabha Central Jail, attacked guards and escaped with Mintoo in the morning of November 27. Along with the terrorist, five gangsters lodged in the jail also escaped. Subsequently, in the evening of November 27 Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Parminder Singh alias Painda, who had played a key role in planning and executing the jailbreak, from Kairana in Shamli District. He was driving one of the SUV used in the escape.
27-Nov-2016
Five armed men in Police uniform broke into Nabha prison jail in Patiala District of Punjab and took along Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Mintoo. Mintoo, who was arrested by Punjab Police in November 2014, was wanted in 10 terror related cases, including the 2008 attack on Sirsabased Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and 2010 recovery of explosives at Halwara Air Force station. Five gangsters including one Vicky Gonder also fled along with Mintoo. State Police have flagged a high alert across the State and on borders of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir.
06-Nov-2016
According to an input received by the UMHA, Pakistan's ISI has directed Pakistan-based Sikh terrorists to activate their sleeper cells in India to carry out terrorist strikes in Punjab to take advantage of prevailing resentment over detention and arrest of radical entities involved in organising Sarbat Khalsa. Sarbat Khalsa is a parallel congregation of Sikhs which is scheduled to be held on November 10 in Bathinda District. Punjab Police had been put on high alert after intelligence agencies warned about twelve Babbar Khalsa terrorists who managed to enter Punjab to carry out subversive activities in the northern parts of India.The revelation came following the interrogation of suspected terrorist Kamaldeep Singh who was arrested on October 23, 2016 from Punjab. During his interrogation, Kamaldeep had allegedly claimed that 12 Khalsa terrorists, who were trained in Pakistan, managed to enter India to disrupt the poll related activities in the state.
12-Sep-2016
With assembly polls in Punjab around the corner, the state is now facing threats from Khalistan elements, which even though few in number, are still active and reportedly getting support from foreign-based intelligence agencies like Pakistan’s ISI. “All political parties must refrain from indulging in any kind of vote-bank politics, especially in such sensitive times when the polls are near. The ISI in Pakistan does not have a better moment than this to strike and make parties forget their morals, thus creating unrest,” the Chairman of the All-India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF) M S Bitta said. “Further asserting that no political parties must associate themselves with Khalistani elements whatsoever, he added that the Centre and intelligence agencies must take charge and ensure that nothing untoward happens in the state. “You can’t just leave everything on the security forces. People in the state, including politicians, must make themselves aware of the dangers Khalistani elements pose in the state with the polls nearing,” Bitta said.
24-Aug-2016
Punjab Police recently arrested three militants of Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), a group demanding separate Sikh homeland called Khalistan through armed struggle. A huge cache of weapons was also recovered from their possession. The trio, arrested from Amritsar, was in touch with handlers in Belgium, Pakistan and the UK. It is believed they had direct links with Pakistan’s ISI.