KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
02-Jul-2025
Police on July 2 detained three unidentified members of the notorious Slingshot Gang, also known as the Bala Gang—an interstate criminal group responsible for over 30 violent robbery attempts across Haryana, Punjab, and the National Capital Region (NCR)—in Panchkula, Haryana. The gang, which comprises seven to eight core members, is also linked to a INR 40 lakh dacoity in Faridabad and several attempted robberies in Panchkula. The first breakthrough came on June 24, when a gang member identified as Sujan was arrested, leading to the subsequent arrest of Vishal alias Baua on June 29.
02-Jul-2025
On July 2, Punjab Police on day 123 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign registered 104 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 156 drug smugglers and seized 7.8 kg of heroin, 3 kg of opium and INR1.43 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested reached to 20,206 in 123 days.
02-Jul-2025
According to a report by The Print, Nikhil Gupta, the Indian national accused in a foiled plot to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States (US), allegedly requested Czech authorities to notify his 'son in Pakistan' of his detention during hearings held on 30 June and 1 July 2023 in Prague, Czech Republic. This statement, recorded in Exhibit 19B of the unsealed court documents, has been strongly disputed by Gupta’s family, who claim it was the result of a mistranslation by a Hindi-speaking interpreter of Pakistani origin. They assert that the reference to a 'son in Pakistan' is not only false but defamatory, maintaining that Gupta has never visited Pakistan and that the claim was a 'deliberate error'.
02-Jul-2025
On July 2, the Counter-Intelligence (CI) unit in Amritsar busted a cross-border narcotics and illegal arms smuggling module with links to Pakistan and arrested three operatives—Sarabjit Singh, Kulwinder Singh, and Ashmandeep Singh and seized 1 kg of heroin, INR 2.9 lakh in drug money, three 9mm Glock pistols, three .30-bore Chinese pistols, two .30-bore PX-5 pistols, a currency counting machine, and a motorcycle from their possession near Tarn Taran in Tarn Taran district. Police officials revealed that the trio was operating under the direction of Pakistan-based smuggler Sikandar Noor, who used drones to drop arms and narcotics across the border. The accused were distributing these consignments to gangsters across Punjab to fuel criminal activities.
01-Jul-2025
On July 1 in Chandigarh, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh held a two-hour meeting with representatives of the Forum of Resident Doctors of Punjab, successfully addressing their concerns. Following the meeting, the forum announced the withdrawal of their proposed strike. Senior officials, including Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Alok Shekhar and Principal Secretary (Health) Kumar Rahul, were also present during the discussions, which aimed to strengthen collaboration between the government and the medical fraternity.
01-Jul-2025
On July 1, 57-year-old Lakhwinder Singh, who was injured by missile debris during a Pakistani aerial strike in May, died after 54 days on ventilator support in Ludhiana district, Punjab. A resident of Khai Pheme Ke village in Ferozepur, Singh had sustained critical injuries on May 9 when debris from the Pakistani missile strike set his house and car on fire. His wife, Sukhwinder Kaur (50), succumbed to her injuries on May 13. Their son, Jaswinder Singh, who also suffered burns in the incident, was treated and later discharged.
01-Jul-2025
Punjab Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order Arpit Shukla on July 1 revealed that Punjab’s anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh” completed four months where Punjab Police registered 12,135 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 19,880 drug smugglers and seized 786 kg of heroin, 301 kg of opium, 158 quintals of poppy husk, 11 kg of charas, 300 kg of ganja, 2.9 kg of ICE, 27.99 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets, and INR 11.58 crore drug money, accross Punjab.
01-Jul-2025
On July 1, Punjab Police, on day 122 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 92 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 128 drug smugglers and seized 4.1 kg of heroin, 3.5 kg of opium, 10 kg of poppy husk, 13667 intoxicant pills and INR 1.25 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab.
01-Jul-2025
Police on July 1 arrested one individual, identified as Manpreet Singh alias Manna and seized 304 grams of heroin from his possession, near Gurthali pull near Doraha in Ludhiana district.
30-Jun-2025
According to a report by The Wire, newly released defence documents revealed new details about the arrest and initial interrogation of Indian businessman Nikhil Gupta on June 30, 2023, at Prague airport in Czech Republic. The documents show that Gupta was detained in a covert joint operation between Czech authorities and the United States (US) Department of Justice (DOJ), following a sealed indictment issued by a federal court in the Southern District of New York, in the US. He was interrogated inside a police van, strip-searched, and asked to unlock his phones without being properly informed of his legal rights.
30-Jun-2025
On June 30, the X (formerly Twitter) handle of prominent Indo-Canadian journalist Sameer Kaushal was restored, 72 hours after its suspension. The suspension followed Kaushal’s posting of an interview with former Khalistani extremist Jaspal Atwal, in which Atwal alleged that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) maintains multiple covert agents in Canada who collaborate with anti-India separatist elements.
30-Jun-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on June 30 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 460 grams from fields near Chak Bazida village in Fazilka district.
30-Jun-2025
Punjab Police on June 30 busted a major drug racket and arrested Sukhjeet Singh alias Sukha and seized 100 grams of heroin along with three illegal pistols and 6 live cartridges from his possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. The operation, part of an ongoing anti-narcotics drive, brought the total seizure to 13.1 kg of heroin, five illegal pistols, 12 bullets, three magazines, three luxury vehicles, and INR 22,000 in drug money. Earlier arrests included Shivam Sodhi alias Shiva and Barinder Singh alias Babbu, who were held on May 20 and May 22, respectively.
30-Jun-2025
According to Border Security Force (BSF) sources, over 130 drones were recovered along the International Border (IB) with Pakistan in Punjab between January 1 and June 30, 2025. During the same period, the BSF also seized approximately 135 kg of narcotics, including heroin, and 79 weapons of various types. The Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur regions remain major hotspots for drone-based smuggling, with China-made Mavic series drones frequently used to drop drug consignments from across the border.
30-Jun-2025
On June 30, Punjab Police, on day 121 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 56 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 83 drug smugglers and seized 65.4 kg of heroin, 1.2 kg of opium and INR 1.04 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab.
30-Jun-2025
On June 30, Australia-based associate of the Lucky Patial–Davinder Bambiha gang, Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal, who was earlier linked to the murder of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother Harjit Kaur and cousin Karanvir Singh through a viral social media post, denied any involvement in the killings. Speaking to freelance journalists on YouTube, Dhaliwal claimed that the post circulating in his name was fake and that he had no role in the incident.
29-Jun-2025
On June 29, under the patronage of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) held a special religious function to mark the death anniversary of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at the historic Hawa Mahal in Rambagh in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The event featured recitations, Kirtan, and performances highlighting Sikh history and heritage. Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj emphasised the importance of preserving Sikh heritage sites and announced plans to hold annual commemorative events at Rambagh.
29-Jun-2025
On June 29, Punjab Police, on day 120 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 77 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 114 drug smugglers and seized 4.1 kg of heroin and INR 9.6 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab.
29-Jun-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police, on June 29 recovered a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone from fields near Kalash village in Tarn Taran district.
29-Jun-2025
On June 29, Inder Mohan Singh, President of Dashmesh Sewa Society and former member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), welcomed the official inclusion of Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda, as the fifth Sikh Takhat under the Delhi Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1971. He noted that the President of India’s assent was received after a delay of over three and a half years, with the Delhi Government issuing the official Gazette notification on June 24, 2025.
28-Jun-2025
On June 28, family members of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria staged a protest at the Batala bypass in Gurdaspur district, blocking the Amritsar-Pathankot national highway by placing the bodies of his mother, Harjit Kaur, and cousin, Karanvir Singh, on the road. The demonstration, which lasted nearly four hours, was triggered by allegations of political involvement in the killings, with accusations directed at a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and a local liquor contractor. The protest was called off after police assured the family of a thorough investigation within a week.
28-Jun-2025
Punjab Police on June 28 announced the formation of multiple teams to identify and apprehend the assailants involved in the fatal shooting of Harjit Kaur, mother of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, and his associate Karanvir Singh, in Batala in Gurdaspur district. Karanvir Singh succumbed to his injuries at Batala Civil Hospital, while Harjit Kaur died later at a hospital in Amritsar. Although a social media post by the rival Bambiha gang claimed responsibility for the attack, police have yet to officially confirm the gang’s involvement.
28-Jun-2025
Senior police officers on June 28 confirmed escalating tensions between rival gangs following threats of retaliation from jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s group over the murder of his mother, Harjit Kaur, and cousin, Karanvir Singh, in Batala, Gurdaspur district. The Davinder Bambiha gang, which initially claimed responsibility, later posted on social media that Harjit Kaur was killed accidentally. Officers expressed serious concern, noting that this marks the first instance of a gang targeting a rival’s family members in Punjab, and warned that the incident could trigger a dangerous new cycle of gang violence in the region.
28-Jun-2025
The Government of India on June 28 appointed Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Parag Jain as the new Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for a two-year tenure. A 1989-batch officer of the Punjab cadre, Jain currently heads the Aviation Research Centre (ARC) and will assume charge from incumbent chief Ravi Sinha on July 1. Known for his operational acumen during Operation Sindoor and significant experience in Pakistan-related intelligence, Jain's appointment comes at a crucial time following recent intelligence lapses, including the Pahalgam terror attack.
28-Jun-2025
On June 28, Punjab Police, on day 119 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 78 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 101 drug smugglers and seized 3.5 kg of heroin, 4.1 kg of opium and INR 1.83 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab.