KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
09-Sep-2025
Police on September 9 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Sukhpreet Singh and Kadar Singh, and seized 12.10 kg of heroin from their possession in Jhariwala village, Faridkot district. Preliminary investigation revealed the consignment was flown in from Pakistan via drone for distribution among local smugglers and peddlers.
09-Sep-2025
According to sources, during a recent interrogation, notorious arms trafficker Saleem Ahmed alias Pistol revealed plans to establish a weapons manufacturing unit near the Pakistan border with the support of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed operatives. The facility was intended to produce counterfeit pistols, including Turkish Ziganas and Chinese Stars, for supply to gangs across Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab. Pistol, one of north India’s leading illegal arms suppliers with links to organised crime syndicates, was detained in Nepal on August 8 and faces charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
09-Sep-2025
Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khalistani radical and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, on September 9 in Amritsar, stated that Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) boycotted the vice-presidential polls to protest the “injustice” done to Punjab. He alleged that floods in the state were aggravated by government negligence and criticised the Centre for failing to announce timely relief. He further said that Amritpal Singh and MP Sarabjit Singh Khalsa abstained from voting as a principled stand for Punjab’s rights, while also highlighting the continued detention of Sikh political prisoners.
09-Sep-2025
Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, officiating Jathedar, Akal Takht, on September 9, called for a special collective meeting of all Sikh organisations, institutions, groups, personalities, and Punjabi artists engaged in flood-relief work at the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) office on September 13. Akal Takht Secretariat in-charge Bagicha Singh further urged each organisation to send only one representative to ensure that relief efforts proceed smoothly, emphasising the importance of planned distribution and long-term service.
09-Sep-2025
On September 9, court sent Gursewak Singh, along with Soni Singh alias Soni, Vishaldeep Singh alias Gola, Gurpreet Singh, and Arshdeep Singh—who were recently arrested with 8 kg of heroin—to three-day police remand in Amritsar. During interrogation, it was revealed that Gursewak supplied heroin in crowded areas to avoid detection, and that the racket had links with Pakistan-based smugglers using drones to push consignments across the border.
09-Sep-2025
India, on September 9, repatriated 67 Pakistani prisoners through the Attari-Wagah joint check-post near Attari village in Amritsar district. The group comprised 53 fishermen and 14 civilians who had completed their sentences in various Indian jails. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that India has urged Pakistan to expedite the release and repatriation of all Indian prisoners, including fishermen, still in Pakistan’s custody.
09-Sep-2025
Faridkot Police on September 9 dismantled an international drug trafficking network linked to Pakistan-based smugglers, arresting two key operatives, Sukhpreet Singh and Kadar Singh, and seizing 12.1 kg of heroin from their possession in Jhariwala village, Faridkot district. Police revealed that the drugs were smuggled via drones from Pakistan and stored at a house in Jhariwala village for further distribution. Investigations are underway to uncover the full extent of the network.
09-Sep-2025
The jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) and radical Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, on September 9, cast his vote in the vice-presidential election through a postal ballot from Dibrugarh jail, Assam. The Election Commission directed jail authorities to facilitate his voting under Rule 26 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, and officials ensured the sealed ballot reached the returning officer in Delhi before the 6pm deadline.
09-Sep-2025
The jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) and radical Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, on September 9, cast his vote in the vice-presidential election through a postal ballot from Dibrugarh jail, Assam. The Election Commission directed jail authorities to facilitate his voting under Rule 26 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, and officials ensured the sealed ballot reached the returning officer in Delhi before the 6pm deadline.
09-Sep-2025
A former village sarpanch and Congress leader, Jugraj Singh alias Jugga, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at his village Cheema Khudi in Batala in Gurdaspur district on September 9. The attackers fled the scene immediately after the shooting. A group claiming allegiance to a faction linked to Pakistan-based Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda later took responsibility on social media, alleging Jugraj Singh had acted as a police informant and was involved in drug trafficking.
08-Sep-2025
Since 2023, Chandigarh Police have dismantled more than five major interstate and cross-border drug syndicates, exposing a shift from the traditional Delhi–Nigeria supply route to Pakistan-based handlers who use drones and pipes along the Punjab border. Investigations uncovered direct links to Lahore and Kasur in Pakistan, with local operatives retrieving consignments for hefty commissions. Recent crackdowns on networks tied to handlers such as Zubair Rana and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed cartels have also highlighted the use of social media for coordination. Police are now focusing on financiers and cross-border masterminds, significantly disrupting these trafficking chains.
08-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on September 8 busted a major heroin trafficking cartel by arresting five smugglers—identified as Soni Singh, Gursewak Singh, Vishaldeep Singh alias Gola, Gurpreet Singh, and Arshdeep Singh—and seizing 8.187 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar district. Police stated that the syndicate, operated from Pakistan, used hotels as contraband storage sites, while backward and forward linkages are now being investigated.
07-Sep-2025
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on September 7 arrested Baljinder Singh alias Rainch, an associate of foreign-based gangster Goldy Brar, and seized five pistols along with 10 live cartridges from his possession, in Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Police revealed that Baljinder had been supplying illegal firearms to the Brar gang on the directions of jailed associate Malkit Singh alias Kitta Bhani, and that further investigation is underway to expose the entire nexus.
07-Sep-2025
On the night of September 7–8, Chandigarh Police’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) busted an inter-state narco-syndicate operating between Himachal Pradesh and the tricity, arresting five accused, including three Punjab Secretariat contractual employees, and seizing 742 grams of charas, in Chandigarh.
06-Sep-2025
Kotwali Police on September 6 registered a case against United States (US)-based gangster, Vishal Pachar alias Bablu and two others on charges of extortion and issuing death threats, after a businessman in Abohar, Fazilka district, reported receiving a call on August 12 from a foreign number demanding INR 50 lakh. The caller allegedly threatened to burn down the victim’s shops and home with petrol bombs, and two armed men later entered his shop to intimidate him. Police stated that Vishal, a native of Sriganganagar, Rajasthan now believed to be in the US on a fake passport, has been linked to multiple criminal cases, including arms and drug smuggling.
05-Sep-2025
Khalistani group ‘Shaheedi Force Unit One’ of the Punjab Sovereignty Alliance, in a recent open letter, claimed responsibility for the August 10 IED blast at the Gharinda Police Station in Amritsar, describing it as a response to what it called growing repression of Sikhs in India. The group’s commander, Jassa Singh Azad, warned of more such attacks unless the alleged persecution ends, accusing authorities of targeting Sikh youth and families.
05-Sep-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on September 5 arrested a wanted terror accused in the March 2025 Amritsar temple grenade attack case, identified as Sharanjit Kumar alias Sunny, in Gaya, Bihar. Sunny was allegedly involved in both the conspiracy and execution of the attack, which was carried out by two bike-borne assailants under the direction of foreign-based handlers.
04-Sep-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on September 4 busted a cross-border drugs and arms smuggling and Hawala racket, arrested three individuals identified as Harpreet Singh, Gurpal Singh and Ranjodh Singh, and seized 2.02 kg of heroin, four pistols and INR 3.5 lakh of Hawala money from their possession, in Amritsar in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had links with Pakistan-based smugglers and used drones to transport consignments across the border.
03-Sep-2025
Islamabad Police on September 3 arrested Manshu Behal and two juveniles for opening fire outside a beauty salon-cum-academy near Khalsa College and seized a China-made Glock pistol, six live cartridges, and a motorcycle were recovered, in Amritsar district. Investigations revealed they acted on the directions of foreign-based handlers, with Behal admitting financial distress drove him to the crime.
03-Sep-2025
The Anti-Gangster Task Force of Punjab, in a joint operation with the Tarn Taran Police, on September 3, arrested two key associates of foreign-based terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, identified as Vikramjit Singh alias Vicky and Harpreet Singh alias Prince and seized a .32 calibre pistol, a .315 calibre pistol, and nine live cartridges from their possession, in Amritsar district. Both have a history of criminal cases, and further interrogation is underway to trace their network and handlers.
03-Sep-2025
Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora recently revealed that between January 1 and August 31, 2025, the district police registered 730 cases and arrested 861 accused in their intensified crackdown on drugs. The operations led to the recovery of over include 9.19 kg of heroin, 6.91 kg of opium, 234.3 kg of poppy husk, 516 poppy plants, 1.07 kg of intoxicant powder, 1 kg of ganja, 14 grams of ICE, and 63,676 intoxicating tablets. In addition, the police seized INR 6.72 lakh in drug money from traffickers and peddlers.
03-Sep-2025
On September 3, Punjab Police, on day 186 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 56 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 83 drug smugglers and seized 631 grams of heroin, 6082 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1000 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 28,142 in 186 days.
03-Sep-2025
On September 3, Gurmel Singh, president of the Patti block of the Congress party, was shot dead by armed assailants in Tarn Taran district. Gangsters Doni Bal, Prabh Dasuwal, Afridi Tut, and Kaushal Chowdhury later claimed responsibility in a social media post, alleging that Singh was a police informer who had provided information leading to Afridi’s arrest and was preparing to share more with their rivals.
03-Sep-2025
A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mohali on September 3 issued open-ended non-bailable warrants against former Punjab Police Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Jagdip Singh, who has been declared a proclaimed offender in two disappearance cases. He is accused in the 1992 kidnapping and disappearance of Mohinder Kaur, mother of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar, and in the 1999 disappearance of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) employee Aroor Singh, for which seven people were charge sheeted. A lookout circular was issued against him in 2021.
02-Sep-2025
Former member of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), Gurpreet Singh Nihang, in a recent interview with 5WH, revealed that he quit the organisation after nearly two decades, sharply criticising its leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun for ego-driven leadership, lack of transparency, and betraying the original spirit of the movement. Nihang accused Pannun of abandoning core Khalsa values, inflating claims about the Khalistan referendum, and running the outfit in a self-serving manner while disregarding the risks faced by others. He emphasised that for him, Sikhi and Khalsa traditions held far greater significance than Pannun’s hollow pursuit of Khalistan.