KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 04-Oct-2012
A top UMHA official said that the Punjab government had assured the Centre in June that only a gurudwara was being constructed inside the Golden Temple and not a memorial for Sikh extremists killed in the 1984 operation. However, UMHA has received reports, contrary to claims of the Punjab government, that works on an 18-feet memorial is on and photographs of extremists like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale would be prominently displayed inside the memorial, once completed. A team of UMHA, hence, would go to Amritsar and Chandigarh to convey the Centre's concerns to the state government.
India 04-Oct-2012
To discuss over a memorial inside the Golden Temple (Amritsar District) for those who died in Operation Blue Star, UMHA decided to send a team of officers to Punjab. A section within the intelligence and security establishment also expressed concern and told the ministry about the repercussions of having such a memorial inside Golden Temple.
India 05-Oct-2012
An attack in London, on Lieutenant General K.S. Brar, who commanded Operation Blue Star, has prompted the NIA to take a closer look at the pro-Khalistan activism and fund-raising by radical Sikh organizations supposedly working for the welfare of incarcerated Sikh militants, as well as cyber sites openly promoting the Khalistan cause. At least two such organizations, the Sikh Organization for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW) and Punjabi e-paper 'Rozana Spokesman' have come under NIA, which is probing cases involving "active" remnants of Sikh militant groups such as BKI. The NIA suspects a possible attempt by certain foreign-based pro-Khalistan leaders and Pakistan's ISI to revive militancy in Punjab and is probing possible sources of terror financing for the project.
United Kingdom 06-Oct-2012
Scotland Yard released nine persons on bail in London who were arrested in connection with the attack on Lieutenant General (retired) Kuldeep Singh Brar. Three men will remain in custody. An extensive fundraising campaign is being undertaken by secessionist Sikh groups in Europe and North America at the instance of Pakistan's ISI to revive terrorism in Punjab. Sources in security agencies have informed about the movement of banned BKI, KCF, ISYF terror groups in western countries to radicalize Sikh youth by showing them doctored footage of Operation Blue Star and other propaganda materials. NIA sources confirmed that BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab.
India 08-Oct-2012
A goods train arrived in Amritsar of Punjab from Pakistan contained 105 kg heroin valued at INR 5.25 billion in the International market and 500 cartridges of Magnum 397 bore revolver valued around INR 200,000 lakh concealed in cement bags were seized.
India 08-Oct-2012
BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab, confirmed by the NIA sources. BKI’s Leaders Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were making efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. Both Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were believed to be in Pakistan recently, are also learnt to have made some trips to Germany, where too the BKI is said to have a large network of sympathisers, in order to raise funds for the organisation. Intelligence officials have told the NIA that in Pakistan Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh had regular meetings with top ISI officials, who have pledged full support to them.
India 08-Oct-2012
BSF recovered 2-kilogram heroin near India- Pakistan International Border (IB) in Khalra or Tarn Taran District.
India 11-Oct-2012
The Government has decided to provide security to Brigadier (Retired) Israr Rahim Khan, involved in Operation Blue Star.
India 11-Oct-2012
The BSF seized an assault magazine with 18 rounds of ammunition along with nine kilograms heroin valued around INR 45 crore, a mobile phone and two SIM of Pakistan's Zong mobile network near Rajatal village in Amritsar District. BSF stated that Pakistan based smugglers had used PVC pipe to smuggle heroin and ammunition from across the border fence. The smugglers also left behind a small quantity of opium. BSF mentioned that when they challenged, three Pak smugglers. They started spraying bullets on troops, who retaliated and opened fire. This made the smugglers flee back.
India 24-Oct-2012
A person named Rajbir Singh Yadav is arrested by Ludhiana Police and he is believed to be the mastermind behind a gang involved in extortion and circulating FICN printed in Pakistan. The gang had smuggled some INR 40.5 million FICN through their Pakistan-based contacts identified as Shahid and Qasim. Rajbir is on the wanted list of Nepal Police while several criminal cases have also been registered against him in Kolkata, Bhopal, and Punjab.
India 25-Oct-2012
The State Special Operation Cell (Counter Intelligence unit) of Amritsar Police arrested two cross-border smugglers, identified as Jassa Singh and Harpal Singh, and recovered five kilograms of heroin worth INR 250 million in the international market and INR 0.225 million FICN. The duo was indulged in cross-border smuggling of heroin and FICN and was delivering them to different destinations like Amritsar and Delhi.