KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
14-Oct-2025
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has frozen assets worth over INR 25.5 crore of two accused, Dr Jatinder Malhotra and Dr Arti Malhotra, under Section 68F(2) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The action follows a financial probe by NCB’s Amritsar Zonal Unit into a case linked to the seizure of 34,372 tramadol tablets from a local pharmaceutical network earlier this year. The accused are alleged to have acquired the assets using proceeds from illegal psychotropic drug trade.
14-Oct-2025
The Delhi High Court on October 14 granted 10 days’ interim bail to Naresh Sehrawat, a life convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, following the death of his mother. The case concerns the murder of Avtar Singh and Hardev Singh on November 1, 1984, shortly after former Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh were convicted by the Patiala House Court on November 14, 2018.
14-Oct-2025
Panthic organizations on October 14 observed “Lahnat Diwas” (Curse Day) marking the 10th anniversary of the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot district, which left two people dead and several others injured. They called it “Curse Day” to condemn successive state governments for failing to deliver justice even after a decade.
14-Oct-2025
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand on October 14, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, told Canadian reporters during a conference call that Canada is taking a step-by-step approach to normalizing relations with India, initially focusing on ending New Delhi’s interference in Canadian affairs, followed by a longer-term goal of freer trade. Anand said she was firm in her meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Indian officials, emphasizing the importance of respecting Canada’s sovereignty and refraining from violent and illegal activities.
14-Oct-2025
A Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation led by its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, on October 14 met death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced for the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, inside Patiala Central Jail. According to sources, the meeting focused on various issues related to Rajoana and his pending mercy petition with the Central government.
13-Oct-2025
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on October 13 approved the deployment of six specially trained sniffer dogs across six major central jails in the state as part of the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign to curb drug trafficking and other criminal activities within prisons.
13-Oct-2025
Former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on October 13, blamed senior Army officers for the failure of Operation Bluestar, citing inept planning and poor execution. He praised former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for signing key accords that helped restore peace in insurgency-affected states but noted that the Punjab Accord failed due to Harchand Singh Longowal’s insistence on a problematic deadline.
13-Oct-2025
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on October 13 declared, “We want Hindustan, not Khalistan,” reaffirming the Congress Party’s commitment to a united India. He added that it is for the people to decide the kind of leadership they want — those working among them or those operating from abroad.
13-Oct-2025
India and Canada have agreed on a series of measures during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit, where she met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A joint statement on October 13 from Anand and Jaishankar outlined several specific steps the two countries plan to take “to restore stability in the relationship.” The statement also emphasized “mutual respect for shared democratic values, the rule of law, and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
13-Oct-2025
On October 13, Punjab Police, on day 226 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 63 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 79 drug smugglers and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, 674 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 7850 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
13-Oct-2025
Amritsar city remains on high alert amid repeated recoveries of weapons and narcotics smuggled from Pakistan during the festive season. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said all officials have been directed to stay on the ground and personally oversee security. Authorities are monitoring history-sheeters and recently released criminals to prevent any disruption. Over 4,000 police personnel, supported by a Border Security Force (BSF) company, have been deployed across the city.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized a packet containing approximately 566 grams of heroin from the rooftop of a house in Daoke village, Amritsar district.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone along with a packet containing 560 grams of heroin from Naushera Dhalla village in Amritsar district.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized two AK-47 rifles with two magazines, one pistol with a magazine, and 10 live rounds from Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The arms and ammunition were found concealed in a field near the India-Pakistan border, likely intended to be retrieved later by Indian handlers associated with Pakistan-based terror outfits.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 seized 1 kg of heroin and a drone from the fields of Cheema Kalan village in Tarn Taran district.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 neutralized and seized a DJI Mavic 4 PRO drone carrying 1.144 kg of heroin from a farming field near Havelian village in Tarn Taran district.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 seized one DJI Air 3 drone with 566 grams of heroin in Rajatal area of Amritsar district.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone carrying 586 grams of heroin from the fields in Rajatal area of Amritsar district.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone equipped with a pistol and magazine from a field near Dal village in Tarn Taran district.
12-Oct-2025
On October 12, Punjab Police, on day 225 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 40 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 56 drug smugglers and seized 156 grams of heroin, 200 grams of opium, 357 intoxicant tablets/ capsules and INR 1600 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
12-Oct-2025
According to reports, the Border Security Force (BSF) has arrested about 350 smugglers since January 2024 - averaging one every other day - and foiled several attempts to smuggle narcotics and weapons across the 553-kilometer India-Pakistan border in Punjab. Most arrests occurred in Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur districts, identified as high-risk zones due to frequent drone intrusions. Although the Centre extended the BSF’s operational jurisdiction from 15 kilometer to 50 kilometer inside Punjab in October 2021, officials clarified that most arrests took place within the original 15- kilometer belt.
12-Oct-2025
In a joint operation with Barnala Police, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on October 12 arrested two Davinder Bambiha gang operatives, identified as Sandeep Singh and Shekhar and recovered one PX5 pistol, one .30 bore pistol, four .32 bore pistols, and 19 live cartridges from their possession on the Barnala-Bathinda main road near Dhaula village in Barnala district. Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested accused were acting on the directions of their foreign-based handlers and were planning to supply the weapons to Bambiha gang foot soldiers for carrying out criminal activities.
12-Oct-2025
Jalandhar Police on October 12 arrested three persons, identified as Neeraj, Manav and Kunal and seized 16.8 grams of heroin from them in Jalandhar district.
12-Oct-2025
A gangster linked to the Satta Naushehra gang, identified as Gursewak Singh alias Bomb, was injured and arrested following a police encounter near Fatehabad town in Tarn Taran district on October 12. However, his accomplice managed to escape. Gursewak Singh has a long criminal record, with at least six first information reports (FIRs) registered against him.
12-Oct-2025
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) breakaway faction led by former Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on October 12 extended support to the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) candidate, Mandeep Singh Khalsa, for the Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll scheduled on November 11. Mandeep Singh is the brother of Sandeep Singh Sunny, the main accused in the 2022 murder of Shiv Sena leader Sudhir Suri. The Simranjit Singh Mann-led SAD (Amritsar) has also endorsed Mandeep Singh’s candidature.