KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
07-May-2026
On May 7, the 107th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 585 raids, arrested 323 persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 123 individuals, while 44 persons were verified and released after questioning. 12 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
07-May-2026
On May 7, Punjab Police, on day 432 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 114 drug smugglers, and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 75 kg of poppy husk, 271 narcotic tablets/capsules and INR 3625 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested a person, Harpreet Singh for allegedly selling heroin and seized 48 grams of heroin from his possession in Abupura village in Ludhiana district.
07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested an alleged drug peddler, Sarabjit Singh, and seized 15 intoxicating tablets from his possession in Mohalla Bagh Wala, Shahkot, in Jalandhar district.
07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested a man, identified as Vinod Sharma and recovered 120 grams of heroin from his possession during a special checking and patrolling operation in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
07-May-2026
Several colleges in Amritsar and Baba Bakala in Amritsar district received bomb threats via email on May 7. The threats, later confirmed to be a hoax, warned of bomb explosions between May 7 and May 9 in multiple locations across Punjab, including Amritsar, Adampur, and Fatehgarh Sahib. The email, purportedly sent by the Khalistan National Army, also mentioned Bhagwant Mann and Ravneet Bittu while issuing threats against them. It further referred to Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’ and cited the recent blast near the cantonment area in Khasa, Amritsar, for which the Khalistan Liberation Army had claimed responsibility.
07-May-2026
Aam Aadmi Party Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Singh on May 7 alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had launched a “Mission Punjab” through the recent twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar in an attempt to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the poll-bound state. He further claimed that there was a “direct relation” between the BJP and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), citing the Pathankot attack as an example. Singh alleged that the blasts were part of the BJP’s electoral strategy to create unrest in Punjab and accused the party of having a “history” of cooperating with the ISI.
07-May-2026
India on May 7 categorically rejected allegations of foreign interference made in a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), describing the claims as “baseless” and contrary to India’s long-standing policy of respecting the sovereignty of other nations. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India’s position on the issue had remained “clear and consistent,” asserting that the country adheres to international norms and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other states.
06-May-2026
The Chandigarh Police on May 6 arrested a Class 12 student — a minor — while he was allegedly on his way to Patti in Tarn Taran district to carry out a murder at the behest of two gangsters operating from abroad, thereby foiling a suspected gang-linked killing plot. Investigations revealed that the minor was in active contact with Prabh Dasuwal and Gurvinder Singh, and had reportedly left home on May 5 to execute the attack. The case has highlighted a troubling pattern of online gang recruitment. The student, who had recently appeared for his Class 12 board examinations, was allegedly drawn into the gang network around two months earlier through Instagram, after which communication reportedly shifted to Telegram for operational instructions. According to investigators, the minor sought contact with gangsters after being assaulted by local youths and seeking revenge, following which he was allegedly groomed and recruited by the network.
06-May-2026
Police on May 6 arrested six alleged shooters and operatives linked to the Rashid Cable Wala gang and Hashim Baba gang, identified as Faiz Qureshi, Maaz, Nawajish, Affak, Imran alias Teli, and Arshad alias Chota and seized 10 illegal firearms and 81 live cartridges, including nine pistols of .30 and .32 bore and a .312 bore rifle, in Karol Bagh, New Delhi. According to Police, the group was planning attacks on rival gang members and was involved in extortion and betting rackets across East and Northeast Delhi.
06-May-2026
On May 6, the 106th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 586 raids, arrested 308 persons and recovered seven weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 57 individuals, while 21 persons were verified and released after questioning. 13 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
06-May-2026
On May 6, Punjab Police, on day 431 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 110 drug smugglers, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 2321 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 30,088 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
06-May-2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 6 moved to secure forensic evidence and gather crucial inputs from the May 5 twin blast sites in Jalandhar and Amritsar, joining the Punjab Police investigation into the back-to-back explosions. According to sources, NIA teams were deployed to assist state agencies in examining CCTV footage, debris, and forensic samples to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the cause of the blasts, which have renewed security concerns in the border state.
06-May-2026
In the aftermath of the May 5 twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, security has been significantly heightened across Jalandhar ahead of the second phase of Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’, scheduled to commence from his Baradari residence in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district on May 7.
05-May-2026
A delivery worker for Flipkart, identified as Gurpreet, was injured in a blast near the gate of the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar district on May 5. The explosion occurred while he was returning to his scooter after delivering a parcel, destroying the vehicle and damaging nearby electrical equipment, poles, and shop windows. Preliminary reports suggested that explosive material may have been concealed inside a dustbin located between a BSNL box and the scooter. The dustbin was blown apart in the blast, while the BSNL box was severely damaged.
05-May-2026
A low-intensity blast occurred near the boundary wall of the Army cantonment area on Khasa Road in Amritsar on May 5. The exact nature of the explosion was yet to be determined, though the blast damaged a tin sheet installed along the wall to obstruct visibility into the cantonment. Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sohail Qasim Mir stated that preliminary assessments suggested that an object may have been thrown at the wall, causing the explosion. No major damage or casualties were reported.
05-May-2026
The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA), through a letter circulated on social media, claimed responsibility for the May 5 IED blast outside the Border Security Force headquarters in Jalandhar. The group stated that the attack was carried out to avenge the killing of Ranjit Singh during a police encounter in Gurdaspur in February. However, the KLA’s statement falsely claimed that two BSF personnel were killed and three others injured in the blast. Official sources have confirmed that these casualty claims are inaccurate.
05-May-2026
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on May 5 arrested three persons, including one injured in an exchange of fire, and recovered a .32 bore pistol from the accused, following a shooting incident in the Verka area of Amritsar district. The arrests followed a violent clash between two groups near the Verka bus stand, during which multiple rounds were fired.
05-May-2026
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that nearly 80–90 per cent of extortion calls received in Punjab are fake and are often made by local criminals impersonating gangsters or members of notorious gangs. He urged the public to immediately report such calls through the Anti-Gangster Helpline, assuring prompt and strict police action. Reiterating the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards organised crime, Yadav warned that stringent action would be taken against anyone involved in criminal activities. He also cautioned youths against falling prey to gangsters operating from abroad.
05-May-2026
On May 5, the 105th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 586 raids, arrested 249 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 77 individuals, while 33 persons were verified and released after questioning. 13 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
05-May-2026
On May 5, Punjab Police, on day 430 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 126 drug smugglers, and seized 614 grams of heroin, 733 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1350 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-May-2026
On May 4, the 104th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 589 raids, arrested 350 persons and recovered nine weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 74 individuals, while 43 persons were verified and released after questioning. Eight proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
04-May-2026
On May 4, Punjab Police, on day 429 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 147 drug smugglers, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 757 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 4050 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-May-2026
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on May 4 arrested Aditya alias Makhan, the last fugitive in the murder of kabaddi promoter-player Kanwar Digvijay Singh, from Agartala, Tripura. Rana Balachauria was shot dead during a kabaddi tournament in Sohana, Mohali, on December 15, 2025. According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, Aditya, a resident of Amritsar, carried out the murder on the directions of foreign-based handlers. He faces at least 14 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, armed robbery, and NDPS violations.
04-May-2026
Police on May 4 arrested a notorious criminal, identified as Happy Singh alias Harpreet Singh and seized two pistols, five cartridges, and 96 grams of heroin from his possession in Amritsar district. He has at least seven cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, and offences under the NDPS Act.