KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-Jan-2023
According to sources, there has been a fourfold spike in the number of drones being sighted in Punjab coming from Pakistan to deliver narcotics, weapons, explosives and ammunition. From January 2022, around 254 drones were sighted of which 22 were shot down by BSF. In 2021, 67 drones were spotted. Sources said, of the 254 drones spotted in 2022, BSF troopers fired at these drones on 226 occasions. As many as 22 drones were brought down and captured (nine were shot down and another 13 fell due to various reasons). Also, while 221 drone activities were detected inside the Indian territory and 22 inside Pakistan. Some 311 drones were spotted in 2022 across the entire western border — Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. In 2021, around 104 drone activities were recorded and 77 in 2020. Around 75% of sightings were in Punjab of the total drone activities reported along the western border this year. While in Punjab, as many as 133 drones coming from across the border were sighted by the BSF in 2020 and 2021, out of which 67 drones were sighted in 2021. A senior BSF officer said each BSF ‘hit’ team at the border that brings down a drone through rifle firing or using jamming technology is rewarded with a cash incentive of Rs 1 lakh. “This incentive is meant to motivate the troopers battling the drone menace,” said the officer.
India 01-Jan-2023
According to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) sources, four districts of Punjab along the border with Pakistan reported essentially the most variety of drone sightings final 12 months, and most of them had been China-made and that 22 had been shot down, resulting in seizure of narcotics, arms and explosives. The Border Security Force (BSF) has recognized Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Fazilka on the worldwide border the place greater than 85% of payload originating from throughout the border was dropped. Citing BSF knowledge, the officers mentioned that out of 200 drone sightings between July and December, 176 had been recorded in these four districts. Of the 22 drones introduced down by BSF this 12 months, 21 had been in these districts – up from one final 12 months.
India 02-Jan-2023
A live bomb shell was recovered in the fields on the Nayagaon-Kansal Road in Chandigarh, which is about one kilometer away from the helipad and about two kilometers from the official residences of Punjab Chief Minister (CM Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar. An official of the disaster management department who reached the spot said that the police control room received a message that a bomb-like object had been seen near the Kansal and Nayagaon T-point. "When we checked it and found that it was a live shell," he said, adding the area has been sealed. "It is a matter of investigation how this shell reached the spot," the official said.
India 02-Jan-2023
Rupnagar district police claimed to have arrested six accomplices of dreaded gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and seized 12 pistols along with 50 live cartridges in Ropar on January 2. One of the accused, Varinderpal Singh, was allegedly operating under the code name 777 from Amritsar jail. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni said the accused were also involved in the smuggling of weapons and drugs in the state on a large scale. Earlier on December 15, the police had arrested four such accused and recovered four pistols from them.
India 02-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on January 2 recovered another Pakistani drone with a consignment of approximately 1 kg of heroin near the International Border (IB) in Gurdaspur sector. According to BSF, it was an “old broken” drone (Hexacopter) which was found at a distance of two km from the IB by its troops under Border Out Post Kossowal in Gurdaspur.
India 03-Jan-2023
The pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) issued a warning for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of his Bharat Jodo Yatra which will enter Punjab on January 11. The Khalistani group once again threatened the Congress leader and challenged him to walk on the streets of Punjab. The group in the video said that a "bomb found in the park near CM Bhagwant Mann's Chandigarh residence could also have been found on the helipad."
India 03-Jan-2023
Slogans in favour of Khalistan were found written on the walls of the SSP office in Sri Muktsar Sahib in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a banned Khalistani terror organization based in the US, released a video taking responsibility for the act. Reportedly, the incident took place outside SSP Upinderjit Singh Ghuman's office where the walls were defaced with various slogans. Slogans like ‘Khalistani Zindabad’, ‘Rahul Gandhi Bharat Jodo Yatra’, Indira Gandhi assassination, etc were written on the wall. Later, SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun released a video of himself talking about various incidents in Punjab including bomb found near Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s office, Khalistani slogans written and also spoke about Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.
India 03-Jan-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been investigating multiple cases related to the smuggling of drugs, explosives and weapons from Pakistan into Indian territory using drones, is likely to look into January 2’s seizure of a drone by the Border Security Force (BSF) in Gurdaspur in Punjab for clues. It carried a consignment of one-kg heroin. The NIA has so far detected two modules comprising alleged members of banned terror outfits. Based on the findings, it has arraigned 12 accused persons in these cases.
India 03-Jan-2023
A day after an abandoned bombshell was found in a mango orchard near Nayagaon, Punjab-Chandigarh border, Chandigarh Police has ruled out a terror angle. In an official release issued on January 3, police said it appears to be a shell from old ammunition, and some scrap dealer must have dumped it there. The Army, however, is yet to release its detailed analysis report.
India 03-Jan-2023
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on January 3 directed officers to confiscate the property of those involved in drug peddling to counter the drug menace in the state. Chairing a meeting to review the law-and-order situation in the state, Mann reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to wipe out the scourge of drugs from the state. He said the government had already put the big fish involved in drug peddling behind the bars and to ensure stern action, the property of drug peddlers must be seized with immediate effect. The CM said necessary amendments, if any required, in the requisite laws will be duly made and the officer in whose jurisdiction drugs are sold would be held accountable for this lapse.
India 03-Jan-2023
A Pakistani intruder was shot dead by the Border Security Force (BSF) on the International Border (IB) near Gurdaspur in Gurdaspur district on January 3 morning. The accused who crossed the border was neutralised by the 72nd Battalion of BSF at around 8 am when BSP troops were on their routine patrolling. According to the reports, a pump action shotgun was recovered from the Pakistani intruder.
India 03-Jan-2023
Police on January 3 arrested a resident of Prem Vihar, identified as Sunil Kumar along with 6 gm heroin from his possession near the Shiv Mandir in the Daulatpur colony in Ludhiana District.
India 03-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized a damaged drone along with 782 gm of heroin from near the Kassowal border out post (BOP) in Gurdaspur sector in Gurdaspur district on January 3 night and the contraband was handed over to the police.
India 04-Jan-2023
The Counter Intelligence Wing of the police has recovered 5 kg heroin and detained one person in this connection in Amritsar.
India 04-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) suspects that the Pakistani intruder whom it shot down early on January 3 in the Gurdaspur sector was a terrorist intrusion mission’s scout. According to Punjab frontier’s former BSF inspector general M S Malhi, he had all the signs of a guide sent ahead to test the infiltration route. This intruder had a pump action gun, which is not so lethal as a conventional assault rifle. He was alone and not even smuggling arms or drugs into the country, which supports the theory that he was a scout. Malhi said, “Even drones can deliver weapons and drugs these days, so a man wouldn’t be risked unless required to lead armed intrusion.” On why the Pakistani side will choose the Channan outpost area for infiltration, he said it had a cross-border tunnel found recently, and the intruder’s accomplices might have retreated through a similar underground passage after he was shot dead.
Australia 04-Jan-2023
A poster of a so-called referendum by the Khalistanis was found outside Plumpton Gurdwara, Victoria, Australia and the same was shared on the social media platforms. The posters included the images of former Indian Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi, Beant Singh and Satwant Singh. The poster read, 'the last battle. Khalistan Referendum. Voting January 29, Melbourne.' This comes in the wake of India warning Australia of increasing presence of Khalistani extremists in the country in December. This was following a Khalistani Referendum Rally being announced. The Australian authorities began looking into the matter following the warning. It however seems that no major action has been initiated by Australia ahead of the so-called referendum schedule for January 29. The same has been called by the proscribed terror group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). The images have been shared by several social media handles that are pro-Khalistan. The posters while being shared blamed the Hindutva system of India for the Sikh Genocide of 1984.
India 04-Jan-2023
Punjab Police’s special task force arrested an alleged drug peddler, identified as Jassi Kumar (21) after recovering 920 gm heroin from his possession at a checkpoint in the Moti Nagar area in Ludhiana district. Police said he has been involved in the drug trade in the area for the last few years. The scooter used by the accused in the crime has also been impounded.
India 04-Jan-2023
An electrician, identified as Paramjit Singh (45) was shot dead by two armed persons at his house in Bardeke village near Jagraon in Ludhiana district. According to reports, the assailants fired four bullets, killing him on the spot. There were reportedly three persons who came in a car and two of them entered the victim’s house. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the house. Meanwhile, after the incident, a Facebook post by Jaspreet Singh, who claimed to be Canada-based fugitive gangster Arsh Dalla, took the responsibility for the murder. In the post, he said Paramjit had been murdered as he had “mentally harassed” a person at Minian village due to which he had “committed suicide”. “.. My younger brother Dilpreet Dhaliwal of Minian village was harassed and he died by suicide because of this man.. so I got him killed to take revenge of my brother’s killing…,” said the post, while tagging accounts of other gangster groups, including Jaipal Bhullar-Jassi gang and Davinder Bambiha gang. An officer from Ludhiana rural police said that it was suspected that Jaspreet Singh, from whose account the post has been uploaded, is slain gangster Jaspreet Jassi of Kharar. “Maybe his account is being misused to mislead the police,” said the officer.
India 05-Jan-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) expressed deep concern over the rising number of youths in India getting addicted to drugs and peddling. “This country has one of the largest number of youths, a factor to power economic growth, but an overwhelming majority of addicts are amongst these youths, which has resulted in increase of crime and violence,” observed the court. The HC added that the lives of the citizens are being destroyed due to the selling of these banned substances.
India 05-Jan-2023
According to the Border Security Force (BSF), a 62-year-old Bangladeshi national, identified as Mohammed Mahmud Alam Tulu was arrested by the BSF from near the International Border (IB) in the forward area of Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district on January 5 night. The man was approaching the border fence from the Indian side and going towards Pakistan, the spokesperson said.