KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Khalistan Liberation Force
(KLF) was formed towards the end of 1986 by Arur Singh as its ‘chief’. He
formed KLF after being ejected from the Panthic Committee. He organised Mai
Bhago Regiment under the banner of KLF as the armed wing of Presidium faction
of All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF). KLF which active until 1994, after
being significantly weakened in counter terrorism operation in India, By 1995
its cadre strength was estimated to be 23. In 2009 KLF was revived in Malaysia
by Inter-Services-Intelligence (ISI). KLF leadership currently believes that
they can revive the defeated Khalistan movement by conducting attacks which
will polarise the society along communal lines.
KLF was formed with an
objective of establishing Khalistan by secession of Punjab from India, through
armed violence.
KLF had an active presence in
Punjab until 1990’s. The main areas of operations for KLF in Punjab were Tarn
Taran, Majitha, Batala, Ludhiana, Patiala, Kapurthala, Ferozepur and Sangrur.
They also operated in Mumbai, Nashik (Maharashtra), Allahabad, (UP) Kolkata
(West Bengal) and Varanasi (UP). In 1992 the then KLF ‘chief’ Pritam Singh
Sekhon shifted to Pakistan. The current leader, Harmeet Singh of KLF is said to
be located in Gurudwara Bibi Nanki in Lahore since 2008. KLF is also said to be
using social media to radicalise, recruit and plan attacks.
KLF leader Harmeet Singh
operated under the instructions of ISI. He also keeps in touch with pro-Khalistan
elements in UK, Italy and Canada. Funding for KLF operations are sourced from
pro-KLF elements in based in Italy, UK, Canada and Scotland. Moreover, looting and extortion also were a
source of income for KLF. Between 1986-88 KLF and KCF- Sukhdev Singh Jhamke
coordinated their activities. Later under Gurjant Singh Budhsinghwala KCF
worked with the main body of KCF. In September 1988, there was an unsuccessful
unity move among the KLF, KCF, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan
Liberation Organisation (KLO). They also developed links with terrorist groups
such as Khalistan Armed Police (KAP), United Sikh Army and Mai Bhago Regiment. In
1991, KLF along with Bhindranwale Tiger Force was involved in talks the Indian
authorities in Ludhiana. However, the talks did not come to fruition. It has
also been reported that KLF developed linkages with Dawood Ibrahim and with
Islamist groups such as Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
The main targets of KLF were
Sikhs who did not adhere to its versionof Sikhism, Hindus, Border Security
Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and other security
forces. KLF attacked in small teams of seven to eight people or attacked in
larger groups numbering between 25-30 people.
KLF has been involved in attacks
on civilians, security forces using automatic weapons and Improvised Explosive
Device s (IEDs). They have primarily used IEDs and small arms to conduct mass
casualty attacks, targeting vehicles and railway infrastructure.
The founder Aroor Singh was
killed in an encounter in 1986. Later in 1987, Avtar Singh Brahma became the
‘chief’ of the outfit. Later, in August 1988 he was killed in an encounter in
Rajasthan after which Gurjant Singh Budh Singhwala. He was killed on July 29, 1992.
After the elimination of Gurjant Singh the next chief was Pritam Singh Sekhon,
who left for Pakistan in 1992 and died there in 2008. The current leader of KLF
is Harmeet Singh alias Happy PHD.
KLF is banned under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967 by the Union Ministry Home Ministry, Government of
India.
Date: 01-Dec-1992
Casualties: 16 persons killed
Details: KLF militants shot dead 16 bus passengers at Sidhwan in Jalandhar
Date: 15-Jul-1991
Casualties: 50 persons killed and another 30 injured
Details: KLF terrorists attacked the train passengers in a train at Baddowal village in Ludhiana, Punjab.
Date: 30-Nov-1986
Casualties: 22 persons killed
Details: KLF militants massacred 22 bus passengers near Khuda in Hoshiarpur District, Punjab.
| Incident Date | Incident | Civilian Killed | Military Killed | Security Force Killed | Civilian Injured | Military Injured | Security Force Injured | Civilian Abducted | Military Abducted | Security Force Abducted |
| 19-Mar-2023 | United Kingdom (UK) based pro-Khalistan activist, Avtar Singh Khanda was arrested for pulling down the Indian flag at the Embassy in London on March 19. According to sources, Avtar Singh Khanda is the son of Kulwant Singh Khukrana who was a terrorist of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). | |||||||||
| 23-Feb-2023 | During the recent nationwide raids conducted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) at 76 locations across eight states, it arrested six suspects, including a close associate of designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, identified as Lucky Khokhar alias Denis, said NIA on February 23. According to the central counter-terrorism law enforcement agency, the other five accused who were arrested in the raid, identified as, Lakhvir Singh, Harpreet, Dalip Bishnoi, Surinder alias Chiku Chaudhary and Hari Om alias Titul. So far, NIA has revealed that they have been involved in smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives etc. across international and inter-state borders in India for several Khalistani terror outfits, including the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). | |||||||||
| 24-Dec-2022 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on December 24 conducted multiple searches at different locations in Punjab pertaining to the case relates to terror activities of chiefs/members of proscribed terrorist organizations, such as Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) etc. NIA said the terror activities include smuggling of terrorist hardware such as arms, ammunition explosives and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) across International Borders (IB) for use by operatives and members of terror outfits and organized criminal gangs operating in various parts of the country for carrying out terrorist acts like bomb explosions, targeted killings etc. Incriminating materials, including digital devices and documents have been recovered during the raids. | |||||||||
| 26-Nov-2022 | A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) sent Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Kulwinderjit Singh alias Khanpuria – who was allegedly involved in attacks on establishments connected to the Dera Sacha Sauda and Punjab Police, to three-day custody on November 26. The NIA sought his custody to probe a case registered against him at the Rajasansi Police Station in Amritsar after a bag with two hand grenades and a mobile phone was recovered from two bike-borne men at a check post in Amritsar in 2019. | |||||||||
| 26-Jul-2022 | The special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District of Punjab framed charges against eight Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorists, on July 26, for the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu. The charges were framed against Sukhraj Singh alias Sukha of Lakhanpal in Gurdaspur, Ravinder Singh alias Ravi Dhillon of Hussainpura in Ludhiana, Akashdeep Arora alias Dhaliwal of New Janakpuri at Salem Tabri, Jagroop Singh of Karamsar Colony near New Subhash Nagar in Basti Jodhewal, Sukhdeep Singh alias Bhura of Kharal in Gurdaspur, Gurjit Singh alias Bhaa of Lakhanpal in Gurdaspur, Inderjit Singh alias Inder of Rashiana village in Tarn Taran, and Sukhmeet Pal Singh alias Sukh of Bhikhariwal in Gurdaspur. | |||||||||
| 07-Apr-2022 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed the reply against the bail application of United Kingdom (UK) national Jagtar Singh alias Jaggi Johal who is one of the accused in the targeted killing cases. The court fixed April 21 as the next date of hearing. The NIA termed Johal a chronic offender and said in its reply that during the investigation of the case, it came to light that Johal had played an important role in the eight targeted killings which were carried out by banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) during 2016-2017 in order to destabilize law and order situation in Punjab. The NIA also said that Johal’s involvement was also found in distribution of funds to other accused and in the translation of incendiary material online fanning the fires of secessionist sentiments in Punjab. | |||||||||
| 06-Apr-2022 | Punjab police registered a case against Pakistan-based chief of the banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) Lakhbir Singh Rode for allegedly smuggling arms and ammunition in the border areas of Amritsar district by using drones in the recent days to “attempt a big terror activity” in the state. State special operation cell (SSOC) wing of the Punjab police registered the case against Rode, who is also the chief of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), on April 6, but the first information report (FIR) was available on April 10. The case has been registered under Sections 25 of the Arms Act, Sections 3, 4, 5 of the Explosive Substance (Amendment) Act, Sections 120, 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 13, 18, 18-A, 18-B and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in Amritsar on the complaint of SSOC’s Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Harvinder Pal Singh. According to the FIR, the DSP received a tip-off that Rode, who is wanted in various criminal cases in Punjab, has been active in various anti-national activities and in contact with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and other separatist organisations. “With the help of the ISI and other separatist organisations, Rode has been sending contrabands of arms and ammunition in Punjab to attempt a big terror activity. He has been working, with the help of criminals and gangsters, to destabilise the peaceful atmosphere by targeting social and religious leaders,” it said. | |||||||||
| 18-Jan-2022 | Intelligence Bureau (IB), in its alert, said that according to inputs received in March 2021, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is planning to attack India's top leaders, VVIP, at the behest of Pakistan intelligence agency ISI. According to the alert, the Khalistan Liberation Force has joined hands with Islamic militants and all this has been done by the Pakistani agency ISI, so elaborate security arrangements should be made. According to the alert, on January 26, top leaders from 5 Central Asian countries Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan are expected to be the chief guests at the event. IB alerts sent through the Home Ministry provide information on SOPS, countermeasures and active terror outfits in India at a total of 32 points. | |||||||||
| 31-Aug-2021 | A special court of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Mohali District in Punjab on August 31, framed charges against eight militants of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) in the killing of Balwinder Singh Sandhu, a Shaurya Chakra awardee, by two unidentified persons at his residence-cum-school on October 16, 2020, in Bhikhiwind in Tarn Taran District of Punjab. "(The) Investigation has revealed that the charge-sheeted accused were part of the conspiracy hatched by Pakistan based leadership of proscribed terrorist organization Khalistan Liberation Force for assassinating comrade Balwinder Singh who was awarded Shaurya Chakra for his brave fight against terrorists at the peak of militancy in Punjab," a statement by the NIA read. The court framed charges against Sukhraj Singh, Ravinder Singh, Akashdeep Arora, Jagroop Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Gurjit Singh, Inderjit Singh and Sukhmeet Pal Singh for various offences under different sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and Arms Act, 1959. | |||||||||
| 27-Aug-2021 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) special court in Mohali District in Punjab on August 27 framed charges against nine members of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) in a September 2019 arms drop case from across the Pakistan border using drone. Special NIA judge Karunesh Kumar framed charges against KLF activists. According to the NIA, KLF ‘chief’ Ranjit Singh and Gurmeet Singh alias Baga, are the main accused in the case. The arms and ammunition dropped by drone was received on the Indian side by the nine accused against whom the charges have been framed. Before the NIA took over the case, the case was being handled by Punjab Police special operations cell. | |||||||||
| 27-Apr-2021 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against eight terrorists of the outlawed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) for their alleged involvement in killing Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the direction of their Pakistan-based handlers. Sandhu, who fought terrorism in Punjab, was shot dead in October 2020 in Tarn Taran district. The charge sheet, according to which Sandhu was killed by the KLF terrorists, was filed before a special NIA court in Mohali under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Inderjit Singh, Sukhraj Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Gurjit Singh, Sukhmeet Pal Singh, Ravinder Singh, Akashdeep Arora and Jagroop Singh were named in the charge sheet. The NIA investigation revealed that Sandhu was executed with the intent to strike terror in the minds of the people of India and especially those opposed to the Khalistani ideology. According to the NIA, the transnational conspiracy in the crime was hatched by Pakistan-based self-styled chief of the KLF Lakhvir Singh Rode and top foreign-based KLF terrorists who provided arms/ammunition and funds to the accused. Further, a well-oiled terrorist-narcotics-criminal nexus, wherein narcotic drugs along with weapons were smuggled by Pakistan-based entities from across the international border into Punjab for generation of funds for executing terrorist acts, has also been unearthed. | |||||||||
| 22-Mar-2021 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against seven Khalistani operatives namely – Jajbir Singh Samra aka Jazz aka Jass r/o Tarn Taran, Varinder Singh Chahal r/o Amritsar, Kulbir Singh r/o Nawan Shahar, Manjit Kaur r/o Ludhiana, Taranbir Singh aka Khanpuria r/o Amritsar, Kulwinderjit Singh aka Khanpuria {an operative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)}, and Harmeet Singh aka PhD {Pakistan based self-styled chief of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF)} in the NIA Special Court at Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District of Punjab, says NIA. The accused were allegedly involved in a case pertaining to the recovery of two hand grenades and a mobile phone from a bag in Amritsar on June 2, 2019. A case was filed in Raja Sansi Police Station, Amritsar (Rural) vide FIR No. 90. NIA had re-registered the case as RC-07/2020/NIA/DLI and taken over the investigation. Investigation has revealed that accused Jajbir Singh Samra and Varinder Singh Chahal were part of a Narco-Terror module involved in distributing the heroin smuggled from Pakistan in order to channelize the proceeds of drugs to various terrorist entities on the directions of Pakistan based terrorist Harmeet Singh aka PhD. They had also picked up grenades and concealed the same at pre-decided location for carrying out terrorist act to further the conspiracy hatched by Harmeet Singh aka PhD and Kulwinderjit Singh aka Khanpuria. Investigation has also revealed that chargesheeted accused namely Kulbir Singh, Manjit Kaur and Taranbir Singh aka Khanpuria had harboured and provided logistics support including accommodation, business VISA for Kulwinderjit Singh aka Khanpuria in Cambodia and Malaysia when he had escaped from India. | |||||||||
| 04-Dec-2020 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary charge-sheet in Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) narco-terror case in the NIA Special Court at Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar District. The agency filed the charge-sheet against “narco-terrorist” Dharminder Singh aka Dhana (32) under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. “The accused used to receive Heroin smuggled from Pakistan from accused Jajbir Singh Samra and further distribute/sell it to local traffickers. The proceeds so generated used to be deposited with Jajbir Singh for further strengthening the activities of KLF,” NIA said in a release. | |||||||||
| 26-Aug-2020 | Punjab Police busted an international narco-terror racket with links to proscribed militant group Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) with the arrest of a wanted drug smuggler, Rajinder Singh alias Ganja and a police constable Karamjit Singh. A .32 bore pistol, four live cartridges and 530 grams heroin were recovered from Rajinder’s possession. According to police, Rajinder faces several drugs and arms-related cases. He was also involved in hawala transactions to the tune of Rs 12 crore. The police constable was facilitating safe movement of drugs and money during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. | |||||||||
| 29-Jun-2020 | The two Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) members, who were arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police on June 27, revealed that senior politicians of Uttar Pradesh (UP) are on the hit list of KLF. During interrogation, the KLF members told the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) team that they had set up a training camp in western Uttar Pradesh. They also admitted to have prepared a list of political leaders of UP who were on their cross hairs. Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), UP ATS, Dhruva Kant Thakur said that “some of the leaders of the state were on their list.” The KLF members told the ATS that they were engaging youths in western UP at the behest of ISI handlers. | |||||||||
| 28-Jun-2020 | Punjab police foiled a terror module and arrested three members of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), identified as Sukhchain Singh of Patiala, Amritpal Singh of Mansa and Jaspreet Singh of Majitha in Punjab. One .32 bore pistol, along with 7 cartridges, were also recovered from the alleged terrorists. The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that the terror module was operating in various parts of Punjab at the behest of pro-Khalistani elements based in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UK. | |||||||||
| 28-Jun-2020 | Intelligence agencies warned the government of pro-Khalistan activities in the country backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and the banned Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) outfit. According to sources, the warning mentions that these anti-India activities are being guided by one ISI handler named Abdullah in close coordination with SFJ’s founder Avtar Singh Pannu, who is learnt to have been residing in the United Kingdom (UK). Abdullah’s name was also revealed during questioning of three arrested suspected sympathisers of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), who were planning to execute targeted killings in various northern states. The KLF supporters were arrested by the special cell of Delhi Police in a week-long operation across Delhi, Punjab and Haryana. Intelligence agencies have also shared inputs about another person named Pak-based Gopal Singh Chawla, a close aide of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Hafiz Saeed, for his role in pro-Khalistan activities in India. It has been suggested in the warning, which was shared earlier this month, to keep the national capital on high alert ahead of Independence Day. Inputs were shared that KLF group has been tasked by ISI and SFJ for terrorist activity in the national capital, said the source. | |||||||||
| 27-Jun-2020 | The Delhi Police busted a module of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and arrested its three sympathizers who were allegedly planning to execute target killings and extortions in various north Indian states on the directions of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-sponsored Khalistani leaders. The three men, identified as Mohinder Pal Singh (29), Gurtej Singh (41) and Lovepreet Singh (21) were arrested from Delhi, Punjab and Haryana in separate operations by the Delhi Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), special cell, in the last 10 days. According to Police, three pistols and seven cartridges, three smartphones, including an iPhone, containing many incriminating videos and photographs related to Khalistani movement and their propagators were seized from the arrested persons. Deputy Commissioner of Police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said that at least four persons were on the target list of the arrested men but they could not execute the killings because of the lockdown announced in the country to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). DCP Yadav said that Gurtej, the son of a subedar in the Indian Army, was in touch with an ISI handler, Abdullah, apart from having contacts with Avtar Singh Pannu of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and Gopal Singh Chawla, who is based in Pakistan and is a close aide of Hafiz Saeed, co-founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). “Abdullah had asked Gurtej to recruits like-minded people and send them to Pakistan for terrorist training. Gurtej recruited five men, including Lovepreet, who has been arrested along with him. He was also planning to extort Rs 10 lakh from two businessmen for arranging more weapons and logistics,” the DCP said. The DCP said that Mohinder originally belongs to Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir but had moved to Delhi in 2007 for studies. In 2013, he began developing orientation towards Khalistan movement and started attending Delhi court hearings of Jagrat Singh Hawara, a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant convicted for assassinating former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh. He came in touch with other sympathizers of the KLF and started working for the outfit, said Yadav. During interrogation, DCP said, Lovepreet, who worked at a computer repair shop, revealed that he developed an inclination towards Khalistan movement three-four years ago and was recruited by Gurtej, who promised to send him to Pakistan for weapon training. | |||||||||
| 13-Jun-2020 | According to sources, weapons supplied by Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) key arms supplier Javed, who was recently arrested by the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and brought to Mohali, were also used in the killings of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders in Punjab, including Brig Jagdish Kumar Gagneja (retired) in 2016. “The arms supplied by Javed were used in the killings of eight RSS leaders in Punjab, besides Gagneja,” sources said. It also revealed that a Special Investigation Team headed by AIG (counter intelligence) Harkamal Preet Singh Khakh has been set up to probe the case. | |||||||||
| 11-Jun-2020 | The Special Operation Cell (SOC) of Punjab Police got five days’ remand of key arms supplier to Khalistani terrorist, Javed. The court sent the arms supplier to police remand till June 16. Tthe SOC pleaded before the court that they need to interrogate Javed on his links with other terrorist groups, and the sources from where he procured arms and ammunition and got the funding. The SOC submitted that it also wants to ascertain his aides in Punjab and other states of the country. Sources said that Javed was wanted in Punjab for his alleged involvement in the supply of arms and ammunition to Dharminder Singh alias Gugni, member of banned Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), who was allegedly involved in the murder of a senior RSS office-bearer of Punjab, Brig Jagdish Kumar Gagneja (retired). The NIA is probing the case. Ashish, an accomplice of Javed, was also arrested earlier. Dharminder Singh is currently lodged in Tihar Jail in New Delhi. | |||||||||
| 08-Jun-2020 | The arrested arms supplier to Khalistani terrorists, Javed was sent to three-day police custody by the Mohali court. Police revealed in court that Javed had delivered around 150 weapons to gangsters in Punjab. The Punjab Police special is yet to recover weapons to identify the network of the accused arms supplier in Punjab. Police also revealed that Javed is the only arms supplier for six states, including Delhi, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir. Javed was arrested in Hapur in UP on June 7. According to Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officials, a number of pro-Khalistan terrorists have been caught in western UP and the Punjab Police was searching Javed for quite some time. | |||||||||
| 07-Jun-2020 | Uttar Pradesh (UP), Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a key arms supplier of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), identified as Javed Khan from Hapur in Hapur district of UP. ATS, which is probing Javed’s supply channel and chains in UP, said that he is also a close aide of Ashish, who is considered to be the right hand of Gugni Grewal aka Harmeet Singh ‘chief’ of KLF and supplier of weapons to the force. Javed’s aide Ashish also has a role in murder of RSS and Shiv Sena workers in 2016. Ashish was arrested by the UP-ATS on February 1, 2020. ATS also said that weapons provided by Javed also led to the killing of top RSS leader retired brigadier Jagdish Kumar Gagneja. In this murder, Javed’s aide Ashish arrested earlier by UP-ATS was also involved. Currently, this case is being worked upon by National Investigation Agency (NIA). | |||||||||
| 04-Jun-2020 | As per the reports, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is likely to facilitate a video conference between leaders of various Sikh militant groups operating in Pakistan and other countries as differences have emerged among them following the murder of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD outside a Gurudwara in Lahore in January 2020. According to intelligence sources, a majority of Sikh militant leaders living under ISI protection were involved in smuggling of narcotics and Happy’s murder was most likely a fallout of territorial dispute. “There is a cut throat competition among the Sikh militant groups in Pakistan to become ISI ‘favorite’ and Happy’s murder was a clear-cut result of the dominance of a different Sikh militant outfit. Otherwise, no one could have even touched him, that too outside a gurdwara,” said sources. It also said that ISI favoured International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) ‘chief’ Lakhbir Singh Rode and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF)’s Paramjit Singh Panjwar to play a prominent role in KLF after Happy’s murder but others from three countries of Europe wanted a UK-based Sikh leader to have the reigns of KLF in his hands. This leadership issue has led to a schism between them. “We are of view that ISI will soon hold a video conference among the warring Sikh militant leaders from UK, Europe and Pakistan to bring about a truce,” sources said. | |||||||||
| 03-Jun-2020 | According to reports, a long-drawn battle is underway within the banned Khalistani terror outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) more than four months after its ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD was killed under mysterious circumstances in Lahore in January, 2020. Report said, in the fray for the new leadership of KLF are radical elements from Pakistan, UK, Italy, and Switzerland. Pakistan based Lakhbir Singh Rode also ‘chief’ of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, the UK based Paramjeet Singh Panjwar, Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala, KLF spokesperson Dhanna Singh, Italy based Gurjinder Singh Shastri and Switzerland based Pappu Singh are trying to take the mantle of the group. Though the KLF has its separatist Khalistani agenda, the mainstay of its existence is by drug trafficking especially in Indian Punjab, and Pakistan’s notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has used the terror group for smuggling illegal weapons and drugs into India. Report added that ISI has been backing Lakhbir Singh Rode and Paramjeet Singh Panjwar. Both are trying to get support from cadre based in Italy, Germany, Canada and the UK to become next KLF ‘chief’. Wahiwala and Shastri do not seem to have the support of the ISI, which can make things difficult for them. KLF is now heading towards a schism with a new faction emerging led by UK based Gursharanvir Singh Wahiwala. Wahiwala is getting support from cadres in Canada, US and Italy. What has increased the infighting is Wahiwala alleging that Dhanna Singh, the spokesperson of KLF, is responsible for the killing of Happy PhD. Meanwhile, house of Gursharanvir Singh was raided by Mid Westland Police in UK on February 19 on the complaint made by Dhanna Singh fueling the acrimony. UK based KLF militants had assembled on February 23 to discuss the future course of the group after the death of Happy PHD. A total of eight persons, Gursharanvir Singh, Amritveer Singh, Avtar Singh Khandaand Amanveer Singh, attended the meeting. Gursharanvir vouched for himself citing his close ties with former KLF ‘chiefs’ -Happy PhD, Mintooo. While asking to avoid Italian and swiss contender he called for the continuation of violent activities. | |||||||||
| 29-May-2020 | The state special operation cell (SSOC) arrested two persons with links with the terror outfit, Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) for “disruptive activities” in Punjab. The Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rakesh Kumar refused to reveal their names and other details as the matter is under investigation. According to sources, the suspected persons are having contacts with Gursharanveer Singh, an ‘active member’ of KLF. | |||||||||
| 29-May-2020 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against 10 accused in the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) narco-terror network module case. The case pertains to seizure of 500 grams of heroin and Rs 1.2 lakh drug money from three men in Amritsar on May 31, 2019. The NIA took over the probe on January 22, 2020. During the investigation, it was emerged the role of Harmeet Singh alias PhD, Pakistan-based self-styled chief of KLF, and Jasmeet Singh Hakimzada, a Dubai-based international drugs smuggler and money launderer, in running the narco-terror network to further the terrorist activities of KLF. The narco-terror network included persons involved in smuggling and selling of heroin, militant elements and Hawala operatives based in Punjab, Delhi and Dubai, who were responsible for the entire chain from selling of heroin and channelizing the proceeds to Dubai and Pakistan at the behest of Harmeet Singh and Hakimzada. | |||||||||
| 07-May-2020 | Punjab police arrested seven persons including the most wanted gangster Baljinder Singh alias Billa, who allegedly had links with slain Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harmeet Singh Happy and Germany-based Bagga of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) from Kapurthala area in Kapurthala district. Billa, who was wanted in more than 18 cases including that of murder, arms smuggling and drug peddling. Besides Billa, the six arrested are Sukhjinder Singh, Mohit Sharma, Lovepreet Singh, Mangal Singh, Maninderjeet Singh and Lovepreet Singh alias Lovely. Police also recovered consignment of weapons included two 30 bore drum machine guns, three pistols (marked SIG Sauer made in Germany), two Glock pistols (made in Austria), two 30 bore pistols, one 32 bore pistol, one .315 bore rifle, 341 live cartridges and two drum magazines and 14 pistol magazines from their possession. Rs 3 lakh in cash and one hundred Australian dollars were also recovered from them. The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that “one of the biggest caches of highly sophisticated weapons seized from a criminal gang”. He said the SIG Sauer pistols are in fact being used by members of the US Secret Service, which protects the highest elected leaders of the United States, especially the President of the United States. The DGP also said preliminary investigations suggested that most of the weapons recovered from Billa were smuggled from Pakistan in different consignments. Police were also investigating the role of militants in the supply chain of illegal weapons. Billa during preliminary investigations revealed that he was in contact with various Pakistan-based weapons and drugs smugglers and had already received many consignments of weapons and drugs from them, mostly in the Ferozepur area. | |||||||||
| 06-May-2020 | The Punjab police registered a case against its former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini along with eight other accused for kidnapping of Balwant Singh Multani, son of then IAS officer, in 1991. The Mataur police station in Mohali on May 6 registered an FIR against Saini who was then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandigarh and other eight accused in the case. The case has been registered under Sections 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to exhort confession), 219 (public servant in judicial proceeding corruptly making report contrary to law), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The Chandigarh police had picked up Balwant after an attack on then SSP Saini in Chandigarh in which four cops in his security detail had died. The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar was the mastermind of the RDX attack to blow up SSP Saini’s car on August 29, 1991. | |||||||||
| 17-Mar-2020 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) failed to produce in court the death verification report of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, who was allegedly killed in Pakistan in January. The NIA special court, which was hearing the 2016-17 targeted killings case, fixed March 24 as the next date of hearing. Harmeet Singh was one of the main conspirators in the targeted killings case which took place in Punjab between 2016 and 2017. | |||||||||
| 23-Feb-2020 | UK based KLF militants had assembled to discuss the future course of the group after the death of Happy PHD. A total of eight persons, Gursharanvir Singh, Amritveer Singh, Avtar Singh Khandaand Amanveer Singh, attended the meeting. Gursharanvir vouched for himself citing his close ties with former KLF ‘chiefs’ -Happy PhD, Mintooo. While asking to avoid Italian and swiss contender he called for the continuation of violent activities. | |||||||||
| 10-Feb-2020 | A National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali sent three arrested accused in the drug smuggling case involving the slain Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) member Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, to the NIA custody. According to NIA officials, the court sent three accused, Nirmal Singh, Satpal Singh and Hiralal for seven days to the agency’s custody. The case pertains to the arrest of three accused persons with 500 grams of heroin and Rs 1.2 lakh in drug money for which a case was registered in Amritsar. The NIA official said that during investigation, role of Harmeet Singh, whois believed to have been killed in Pakistan, has emerged in running a cross-border narco-terror network through drug smugglers, militant elements and hawala operatives based in Punjab and other states in India. | |||||||||
| 06-Feb-2020 | Pakistan media and government have kept their silence over the killing of KLF chief Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD. Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Satwant Singh denied any knowledge about Harmeet’s killing or any Sikh outside Gurudwara Bebe Nanaki. “These are canards and there is not an iota of truth in them,” he said. | |||||||||
| 06-Feb-2020 | In a poster circulated on social media, slain KLF chief Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD’s father Avtar Singh said he came to know about his son’s death through media reports and had appealed to Sikh organisations and individuals to converge in large number for his son’s ‘Antim Ardas’ (Final Prayers). | |||||||||
| 05-Feb-2020 | The ‘Bhog’ ceremony of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, who was killed in Pakistan a week ago, was held at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj in Railway Colony in Amritsar. Hardline Sikh leaders like, former Akal Takht jathedar Jasbir Singh Rode, Damdami Taksal’s spokesperson Sarchand Singh, Jarnail Singh Sakhira, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh, Principal Baljinder Singh, former militant Daljit Singh Bittu and Narayan Singh Chaura attended the event. The leaders glorified the slain militant leader by calling him ‘warrior’ of ‘contemporary Sikh struggle’. They also sought probe into his murder by an independent agency in Pakistan. | |||||||||
| 05-Feb-2020 | During the ‘Bhog’ ceremony conducted by the prominent Sikh seminary Damdami Taksal in the memory of slain Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, the Damdami Taksal spokesperson Sarchand Singh said that Harmeet Singh achieved ‘martyrdom’ in his struggle, initiated by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, in Pakistan. | |||||||||
| 02-Feb-2020 | According to some sources, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader, Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD was murdered over an alleged illicit affair with a married Muslim woman from Pakistan. The sources said, Harmeet Singh was having an affair with a Pakistani woman from some time and did not pay heed to warnings from the family members of his paramour after their relation became an 'open secret'. "Earlier it was believed that Happy was killed in a gang war over drug money. He might have been killed over an illicit affair. The woman was a close relative of a Pakistani drug lord. He used to visit the family regularly and later developed intimate relations with the woman. Woman's family knew about their affair and had asked him to maintain a distance from the woman", sources added. | |||||||||
| 02-Feb-2020 | The Indian intelligence agencies suspect that the killing of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leader, Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD is the fallout of a rivalry between three groups over control on drug money. An official said that, “There is an ongoing rivalry between Pakistan-based Khalistani groups led by Harmeet Singh, Khalistan Zindabad Force’s Ranjit Singh Neeta, and Paramjit Singh Panjwar of the Khalistan Commando Force. Initial reports suggest that drug money has been a major factor.”Harmeet Singh was wanted by various Indian agencies, including the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Punjab Police, in 17 cases.The official also added that the recent spurt in trafficking of Afghan-origin heroin through traditional sea routes via Pakistan had led to generation of huge money for the syndicates that were also being used to push weapons into India for terror activities. | |||||||||
| 01-Feb-2020 | The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested an arms supplier of the militant outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), identified as Ashish Kumar from Roorkee in Haridwar District of Uttarakhand. According to Police, Ashish Kumar, who hails from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, was wanted in a case of attempt to murder lodged at Mohali district of Punjab in 2018. He had allegedly supplied weapons to KLF members involved in the killing and attack on some Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members in Punjab. The Additional Director General, ATS, D K Thakur said that Ashish used to supply weapons to one Gugni Grewal, who is considered a close aide of slain KLF leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD. Kumar also confessed that he had sold eight pistols to Gugani over the past three years. | |||||||||
| 31-Jan-2020 | According to sources, Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has turned several chiefs of Khalistani terror outfits based in Pakistan into drug smugglers who are destroying a generation of youth of Punjab and other parts of India. Smuggling of weapons and drugs by Pakistan-based Khalistani terror chiefs has resulted in a rivalry among the militant Sikh Groups who are competing for the ISI's patronage and each one of them is trying to outperform the other in smuggling drugs like heroin in India, report said. It was the result of rivalry among the Khalistani militant groups based in Pakistan that on January 27, the ‘chief’ of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, was killed at the Dera Chahal Gurudwara near Lahore by a local gang over financial disputes stemming from drug smuggling. | |||||||||
| 29-Jan-2020 | According to reports, though the parents of killed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD in Amritsar want Pakistan to return his body for cremation, Pakistan won’t agree with this as the Khalistani terrorist was living under fake identity at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan. According to the documents. His parents, father Avtar Singh and mother Khushbir Kaur, live in Chheharta area in Amritsar, Punjab. However, his Pakistan documents identify him as 37-year-old Bhupinder Singh. According to his identity card, given to him according to security officials by Pakistan’s deep state, Happy was Bhupinder Singh, son of Sant Singh, Mohalla Balila Nard, Gurudwara Pati Saheb, Nankana Saheb. His religious identity card, which shows his date of birth as December 12, 1983, was valid till May 31, 2024. | |||||||||
| 29-Jan-2020 | According to local sources, the slain Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD was cremated at Babu Sabu Chowk cremation ground in Lahore in the presence of fellow Khalistani extremist Lakhbir Singh Rode, the ‘chief’ of International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) on January 29. A superintendent-rank police officer and the Station House Officer of the Dera Chahal station were also present at the cremation ground where Happy PhD was discreetly cremated, sources said. | |||||||||
| 28-Jan-2020 | The news of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD’s killing in Lahore in Pakistan on January 27 brought relief to Indian security agencies, especially the Punjab Police, which had got nine red corner notices issued against the terrorist leader. Happy PhD, who was a PhD student in religious studies at Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar in 2008 and later became the ‘chief’ of terror outfit KLF, remained a headache for the Indian security agencies for more than 11 years. He was one of the most active Khalistani terrorist in Pakistan and was allegedly involved in almost every terror attack, radicalisation of youths and drug smuggling in Punjab since 2008. His name first appeared in terror-related activities on November 5, 2008, when the Makhu police of the Ferozepur police district named him in an FIR for having received a cache of weapons and ammunition from Pakistan to kill Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. However, Police couldn’t arrest him in that case. Later, he reportedly moved to Pakistan where he rose through the militant ranks fast and became the KLF ‘chief’ in a few years. According to police, Happy PhD was considered the main link between Khalistani and Kashmiri militants. He also ran a network of funding terror activities and smuggling through Dubai-based smuggler Jasmeet Singh Hakeemzada. | |||||||||
| 28-Jan-2020 | The Pakistani media did not report a word on the killing of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD apparently because of the sensitivity attached to the matter, sources said. He was reportedly killed near Dera Chahal Gurudwara on the outskirts of Lahore in Pakistan on January 27. According to local sources, the body of slain militant was not shifted to any of the Lahore’s morgue for autopsy and there was no FIR registered over his murder. Sources said, "We have been asked not to pursue this case. Therefore, no FIR has been registered in the murder of Harmeet Singh."The law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area near the Gurudwara in Burki since January 27 and no one including journalists were allowed to visit there. It was also reported that he was shot dead by a local gang over financial disputes related to drug smuggling. | |||||||||
| 27-Jan-2020 | According to sources, the ‘chief’ of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD was reportedly killed by a local gang over financial disputes stemming from drug smuggling at the Dera Chahal Gurudwara near Lahore in Pakistan. Harmeet Singh was wanted in India in several cases, and involved in the smuggling of weapons and drugs from Pakistan. He was also allegedly involved in the targeted killing of Hindu leaders in Punjab in 2016-2017. The Interpol, acting on India’s request, in October 2018, issued red corner notice against Harmeet Singh along with seven other Khalistani terrorists based in different countries. He was a resident of Chheharta in Amritsar, Punjab in India and he was living in Pakistan for the last two decades. | 1 | ||||||||
| 11-Aug-2019 | Government of India has put into motion the process to allow Sikhs, who figured on the now defunct “blacklist”, to visit India. The controversial list was done away in April 2019. GoI through embassies and high commissions abroad, written to the persons mentioned on the list that they can now travel to India. Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), a banned terrorist outfit, has welcomed the removal of the “blacklist” of Sikhs by the Indian Government. Some of its members have expressed the desire to visit India, but with a rider that they would be allowed to raise the demand for ‘Khalistan’. | |||||||||
| 22-Feb-2019 | National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge-sheet against eight people allegedly owing allegiance to the banned Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF), in a case of attempt to murder Shiv Sena leader Amit Arora on February 3, 2016 in Ludhiana. Those charge sheeted include Hardeep Singh alias Shera, Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian, Dharminder Singh alias Guguni, Anil Kumar alias Kala, Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi, Harmeet Singh alias Happy (suspected to be in Pakistan), Gurjinder Singh alias Shastri (suspected to be in Italy) and Gursharanbir Singh alias Pehalwan (suspected to be in UK) | |||||||||
| 12-Feb-2019 | Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir states in Lok Sabha that Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) were involved in the November 2018 attack in Amritsar.He also informed that the two people were arrested in connection with the incident and three people residing abroad have been accused in the attack. | |||||||||
| 02-Jan-2019 | The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir said in Rajya Sabha that in the recent grenade attack on a Nirankari mission in Amritsar, the involvement of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), and the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) has emerged; and in last two years, 18 Khalistan-inspired outfits were busted with arrests of 95 Khalistani operatives. | |||||||||
| 27-Dec-2018 | Concerning the efforts of Pakistan-based Sikh extremist elements to revive ‘Khalistan militancy’ in Punjab the Central government, exercising their powers conferred by the Section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA], 1967, added the ‘Khalistan Liberation Force [KLF] and all its manifestations’ as the 40th entry in the First Schedule of UAPA that proscribes terrorist organisations. It is believed that KLF is involved in terrorism as it has committed and participated in various acts of terrorism in India. KLF has also been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youth for terrorist activities in India, read the notification released by the UMHA. | |||||||||
| 24-Nov-2018 | Acting upon the information provided by arrested Bikramjit Singh, the Punjab Police arrested Avtar Singh (32)—the prime accused of recent grenade attack in Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar, from Khiala village in Lopoke in Amritsar district of Punjab. Avtar Singh is a graduate and had no criminal history. Avtar Singh’s link with Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD— self-styled ‘chief’ of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) based in Pakistan has been traced where Harmeet Singh has been emerged as most active pro-Khalistan leader of an outfit supported by Pakistan’s ISI, said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora. Upon disclosure by Avtar Singh, the Punjab Police recovered two pistols of .32 bore (one of the pistols is US-made), four magazines, and 25 live rounds of ammunition, said DGP Arora. | |||||||||
| 21-Nov-2018 | Speeding up on the action in the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack case, Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has claimed that the Police has arrested—Bikramjit Singh, an alleged member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) from Loharka Village, Amritsar District, while search in on-going for Bikramjit’s associate. The grenades were dumped from across the fence by Pakistan's ISI. These were made by Pakistan Ordnance Factory. Bikramjit has provided information which indicates that the grenade was provided by “Happy” based in Pakistan. “Happy” is suspected to be the Pakistan-based KLF ‘chief’—Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD. | |||||||||
| 01-Oct-2018 | The UMHA received a detailed proposal from the NIA claiming that the pro-Khalistan outfit— Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is behind the killings of RSS leaders and trying to revive militancy in Punjab with support from Pakistan’s ISI agency; therefore, the outfit shall be proscribed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA]. A decision on banning KLF would be taken soon. The ban was essential to choke funding, training and further recruitment activities of the KLF group, said an unnamed UMHA official. | |||||||||
| 04-May-2018 | The NIA filed chargesheet in the Special NIA court in Mohali, Chandigarh against 15 people in connection with the killing of RSS leader Ravinder Gosain on October 17, 2017, in Ludhiana District of Punjab. The investigation revealed that killing of Ravinder Gosain was a part of transnational conspiracy executed by the senior leadership of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). The objective of the conspiracy is to destabilise the law and order and revival of terrorism in Punjab. As part of the conspiracy, a large sum of funds was supplied through Italy, Australia and the UK to the perpetrators of the killings or attempted killings, by Hardeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh. These funds were used by the duo to purchase weapons for executing the killings and other logistics. | |||||||||
| 18-Apr-2018 | Khalistan Liberation Force’s (KLF) ‘Chief’ Harminder Singh Mintoo died on April 18, in the Nabha Central Jail in Patiala District of Punjab. Harminder Singh Mintoo played major role in conspiracy of revival of terrorism in Punjab. He was an alleged mastermind behind terror killings, fund-raise for terror activities, organising terror modules and backing the agenda of Khalistan in Punjab and elsewhere. Mintoo almost succeeded in establishing connection among gangsters, narco-smugglers, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and proscribed pro-Khalistan outfits, said an unnamed official. | |||||||||
| 20-Mar-2018 | The NIA, which is probing the killings of the workers of RSS and a Pastor, has revealed a network of conspirators of Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) and supported by Pakistan’s ISI with further connections through Dubai, France, the UK, Italy and Pakistan. As per the probing, the KLF ‘Chief’ Harminder Singh Mintoo, who is currently in Patiala Jail and his associated based in Pakistan—Harmeet Singh had masterminded the killings of RSS workers with intentions to disturb the law and order situation and revival of Khalistan militancy in Punjab. Harmeet Singh, suspected to mastermind the killings of RSS preacher Ravinder Gosain in October 2017, Shiv Sena leader Durga Das Gupta, and a Pastor, Sultan Masih. A UK resident, Jagtar Singh Johal, reportedly had connections with KLF financier and arranged finances to purchase murder weapons, execution of the killings and for the personal expenses of two hitmen hired for the killings. The NIA has traced the financial transactions to Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, UK, Italy and Dubai. | |||||||||
| 28-Feb-2018 | An ex-Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) member, Gurdev Singh Tanda—who was deported by Thailand Government, was produced before the Court in Amritsar and send to five days Police custody. Gurdev Singh had been active in propagating anti-India activities and was wanted in a terrorism related case of 2010. He was in Thailand since 2007, said an unnamed official. | |||||||||
| 23-Jan-2018 | Investigation has revealed the involvement of pro-Khalistan module in the target killings of religious-political leaders over the past two years in Punjab. The module had paid more than INR 40 lakh to the alleged killers—Hardeep Singh alias Shera and Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian, to carry out the killings. When Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) visits India, other NRIs from their country hand-over some money and other things to give to relatives or friends in India. In their modus-operandi, instead of using direct transfer to bank accounts, the handlers paid to killers through such NRIs. We are trying to reach the NRIs,” said an officer on the basis of anonymity. These handlers were supported by the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and used to communicate the addresses of those NRIs through a messaging application—Signal, said another unnamed senior officer. | |||||||||
| 09-Jan-2018 | According to unidentified sources in Punjab Police, the foreign-based pro-Khalistani groups are luring the young, educated, suave men and women from families with no prior links with Khalistan movement and radicalising the ‘new brand’ of Sikh militancy in Punjab. This is a new medium of spreading terrorist propaganda. The young men and women are getting radicalised via cyberspace. All investigations in such cases are handed over to the NIA. It is unclear as of how many such pro-Khalistani modules have been prepared for further anti-national activities, said Punjab’s DGP Suresh Arora. A British citizen—Jagtar Singh alias Jaggi Johal was arrested by Punjab Police on November 4, 2017 and during preliminary interrogation he revealed that top leaders of the Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF)—Harminder Singh Mintoo and Harmeet Singh alias PHD, are recruiting young Sikhs with support of Pakistan’s ISI to revive the Sikh militancy and other anti-India activities, said an unnamed Punjab Police official. | |||||||||
| 05-Dec-2017 | An NIA probe into a series of targeted killings, including those of RSS workers, Dera Sacha Sauda followers and a pastor in Punjab in the last two years has revealed that Pakistan's ISI is using Khalistani extremists to try and stoke communal unrest in the state. The plan was to foment tension by killing key people and revive militancy. ISI turned to Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) led by Harminder Singh Mintoo, lodged in Moga jail, and Harmeet Singh, said to be living in Pakistan under ISI cover. Details of the conspiracy were revealed during questioning of two hitmen — Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian and Hardeep Singh alias Shera — by the NIA in the case relating to the murder of Ravinder Gosain, an RSS pracharak, in Ludhiana in October 2017. | |||||||||
| 29-Nov-2017 | Security Forces arrested some pro-Khalistani militants from Punjab on November 4, which includes Jagtar Singh Johal alias Jaggi—a citizen of the UK, allegedly using the Internet to lure youth to revive Sikh militancy in Punjab, Allegedly Jagtar Singh was in touch with Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harminder Singh and other members of the outfit. Adding to the role of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate (ISID), Chief Minister of Punjab—Amarinder Singh claimed that ISID always looks for the opportunity to disturb the internal security and peace in India, whether through Khalistan issue or anything else. | |||||||||
| 27-Nov-2017 | In connection with RSS leader, Ravinder Gosain murder case, the NIA special court extended the custody of two accused—Ramandeep Singh alias Canadian and Hardeep Singh alias Shera. The investigation has some ramifications that suspects the role of Pakistan in this conspiracy, said senior special Public Prosecutor. Both the accused have links with the UK based banned Khalistan separatist groups—International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), said an official on condition of anonymity. | |||||||||
| 25-Nov-2017 | A year after the sensational Nabha jailbreak in Punjab’s Patiala, wherein two terrorist and four gangsters escaped from the prison with the help of 15 other gangsters, the Punjab Police have failed to nab eight accused, including two escapees and a Hong Kong-based handler. Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘chief’ Harminder Singh Mintoo, another militant Kashmir Singh and gangsters Vicky Gounder, Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, Neeta Deol and Amandeep Dhotian had escaped on the morning of November 27, 2016. The daring act, the kind of which was never seen even during the heydays of militancy in Punjab, had rocked the nation. | |||||||||
| 15-Nov-2017 | A local court at Baghapurana in Moga District of Punjab extended the Police remand of the alleged hitman Ramandeep Singh and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) ‘commander’ Harminder Singh Mintoo arrested in connection with a series of targeted killings in Punjab. Ramandeep’s Police remand has been extended for three days till November 18 and Mintoo’s for two days till November 17. | |||||||||
| 10-Nov-2017 | Punjab DGP Suresh Arora claimed that the handlers of the ISI-backed terror module behind targeted killings of religious leaders in the state were based in Italy, the UK and Canada. "The role of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is being investigated. Although it is too early to share details, funding for the module from foreign sources has been confirmed," he said. The DGP made the announcement after the arrest of a second alleged sharp-shooter in the case on November 10th morning. Hardeep Singh Shera (21) of Fatehgarh Sahib is believed to be directly involved in at least three of the eight murders. Shera and the second jailed sharp-shooter, Ramandeep Canadian, were reportedly contacted on Facebook. So far, five people have been arrested over their alleged involvement in the killings. Those arrested include a UK national, Jagtar Singh Johal. Shera is believed to have fled to Italy six days after he allegedly killed Gagneja on August 6, 2016. His passport has revealed that he would leave the country after each killing and return when the ‘dust settled’. Officials were reluctant to give details, but said his passport bore visas for ‘many nations’. Arora said Shera tried to fire at the Police who confronted him at a gym in Fatehgarh Sahib on November 10. However, he was quickly overpowered. He has no criminal record. | |||||||||
| 10-Nov-2017 | According to reports, Shera had met KLF ‘commander’ Harminder Singh Mintoo in Italy three years ago. “Hardeep was adopted by his paternal uncle. He was just 18 when he met Mintoo in Italy. Mintoo had stayed at Hardeep’s place in Italy for 21 days and then he also tried to influence him with Khalistani ideology. He tried to radicalise him and asked him to join KLF but he refused them. | |||||||||
| 08-Nov-2017 | Punjab DGP Suresh Arora interrogated four suspects for the murders of religious figures that took place in the State in the past months. Arora arrived at Moga (Moga District) a day after Chief Minister Amarinder Singh declared that the high-profile cases of the killings of religious figures had been solved with the arrest of four persons. Amarinder had also claimed that the gang members were being funded by Pakistan-based ISI. Harminder Singh Mintoo of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and one of the main accused in Nabha jailbreak case is also learnt to have been brought to Moga on November 8 for questioning. Moga SSP Rajjit Singh confirmed that five suspects, including Mintoo, were in custody of the Moga Police and DGP Suresh Arora had questioned them personally. | |||||||||
| 08-Nov-2017 | The Punjab Police identified the fourth accused of the terror module as Ramandeep Singh, the sharp-shooter seen in CCTV footages with covered face on a motorcycle. Sources said Ramandeep had revealed the name of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Singh Mintoo during his interrogation, following which the Moga Police brought him from the Nabha jail on a production warrant. | |||||||||
| 07-Nov-2017 | The shooter who has confessed to his involvement in the seven targeted killings in Punjab, including RSS leaders Brigadier Jagdish Gagneja (retd.) and Ravinder Gosain, since last year has been identified as Ramadeep Singh alias Raman Canadian (28), a resident of Chuharwal in Ludhiana District. After his arrest on November 7, Ramandeep was produced in Baghapurana court on November 8 and has been remanded to seven days of Police custody. During his interrogation, Ramandeep revealed that he had selected his targets to carry out killings at the behest of his ISI handlers and some of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) leaders, who have taken refuge in Pakistan, so as to create communal disturbances to destabilise the State. | |||||||||
| 06-Oct-2017 | A court in Jaipur (Rajasthan) awarded life sentence to Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) militant, Harnek Singh for the abduction of Congress leader Ram Niwas Mirdha’s son Rajendra more than 22 years ago. Additional District Judge Pramod Malik also slapped a penalty of INR 20,000 on the convict. Harnek Singh, who belonged to terrorist outfit KLF, has been in jail since he was arrested by the Punjab Police in 2004. He was brought to Jaipur and arrested in this case on February 28, 2007. The Additional District Judge had held Singh guilty in the abduction case on October 5 and reserved the order on quantum of punishment for today (October 6). | |||||||||
| 11-Aug-2017 | The three men arrested on August 9 night by Madhya Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Punjab Police had supplied pistols to pro-Khalistan militants for targeted political killings in Punjab. The arrested trio includes cousin of a Canada-based Khalistan separatist leader. The three were identified as Balkar Singh (45), Balwindar Singh (28) and Satyendra Rawat (26) from Dabra, Thatipur and Chinor areas of Gwalior District. According to key sources connected with the joint operation, Balkar was originally a native of Gurdaspur District of Punjab, who had migrated to Gwalior District over three decades back and was primarily engaged in agriculture.Gurmeet Cheema, Balkar’s cousin, operates an outfit Khalsa Sewa Dal (KSD) in Canada, and also has links with the terror outfits Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) which primarily operate from Pakistan. | |||||||||
| 28-Nov-2016 | Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) 'chief' Harminder Mintoo, who along with five others escaped from Nabha jail in Patiala District of Punjab on November 27, was re-arrested from New Delhi Railway Station in New Delhi. 12 to 14 armed men, some of them in Police uniform, entered the high-security Nabha Central Jail, attacked guards and escaped with Mintoo in the morning of November 27. Along with the terrorist, five gangsters lodged in the jail also escaped. Subsequently, in the evening of November 27 Uttar Pradesh Police arrested Parminder Singh alias Painda, who had played a key role in planning and executing the jailbreak, from Kairana in Shamli District. He was driving one of the SUV used in the escape. | |||||||||
| 27-Nov-2016 | Five armed men in Police uniform broke into Nabha prison jail in Patiala District of Punjab and took along Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harminder Mintoo. Mintoo, who was arrested by Punjab Police in November 2014, was wanted in 10 terror related cases, including the 2008 attack on Sirsabased Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and 2010 recovery of explosives at Halwara Air Force station. Five gangsters including one Vicky Gonder also fled along with Mintoo. State Police have flagged a high alert across the State and on borders of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir. | |||||||||
| 08-Jul-2015 | According to Intelligence reports Pakistan’s ISI is funding pro-Khalistan groups in India and abroad including Babbar Khalsa in India, US, Germany, and Canada. 22 Sikhs that rose slogans on the periphery of Golden Temple near Akal Takht in Amritsar recently were instructed to take help from Pakistan to spread violence in India. According to a report the Pakistani spy agency can also use the ultras of four Khalistan militant groups - Ranjit Singh Meeta - headed Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), Jagtar Singh Tara-headed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), Wadhwa Singh-led Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Harminder Singh Minto-led Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) - to revive militancy and launch terror strikes in Punjab. The ISI and the radical Sikh groups are trying to lure unemployed youths to join terror groups. | |||||||||
| 07-Nov-2014 | Punjab Police arrested ‘chief’ of KLF, Harminder Singh alias Mintoo and his key operative Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi. Police tracked and located the two in Thailand and coordinated with central agencies and Thai authorities. Mintoo, was running active modules among Khalistani militants outside India, was arrested from Delhi airport. The arrest location of Gopi is still not specified. He was wanted in 10 terror offenses filed in Punjab. | |||||||||
| 05-Aug-2014 | Punjab local court remanded nine days Police custody to three militants of KZF and KLF, who were arrested by Punjab Police in assistance with Jammu Police on August 4 from Miran Sahib in Simbal Camp of RS Pura area in Jammu District. The three Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet Singh alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma and Swaran Singh Shabba were booked under sections 17,18, 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and sections 153-A,121 and 120-B of the IPC and sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act. | |||||||||
| 04-Aug-2014 | Punjab Police with the assistance of Jammu Police arrested four militants of KZF and KLF from Miran Sahib in Simbal Camp of RS Pura area in Jammu District (J&K). The arrested militants were identified as Harpreet Singh alias Harmeet Singh alias Pintu, Karanjit Singh alias Pamma, Swaran Singh alias Shabba and Jasmeet Singh. Police recovered three Pakistani SIM cards, four Pakistani mobile telephones and half a dozen local SIM cards from the possession of arrested militants. | |||||||||
| 04-Aug-2014 | The investigations have revealed that activities of KZF, which is headed by Jammu’s Ranjit Singh Neeta, now based in Sialkot of Punjab province in Pakistan and KLF headed by Harminder Singh alias Mintu of Punjab, also in Pakistan, were being funded and coordinated by militant elements based in Spain and England. | |||||||||
| 24-Feb-2014 | An Army trooper, Sepoy Harmeet Singh, posted in the 73 Armoured units at Hisar (Haryana) cantonment was sent to judicial custody following his arrest on February 20 for allegedly transporting illegal weapons to KLF militants. | |||||||||
| 02-Feb-2014 | Several pro-Khalistan terror outfits are plotting to attack Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, and state DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, according to eight terror alerts that were issued by the IB in 2013. The alerts mention that the terror outfits have the "military and financial" support of Pakistan's spy agency, ISI. The most recent alert, dated December 3, 2013, from the office of the UMHA reports the terror outfit KLF had been assigned the task to eliminate Saini. "The ammunition, including a suicide jacket, has been pushed into the Indian territory via Rajasthan border and has reached Chandigarh” the alert said. | |||||||||
| 15-Sep-2013 | Punjab Police busted a sleeper cell of banned terror outfit KLF that had several Shiv Sena leaders on its radar, arresting three militants, identified as Sukhjinder Singh, Narinder Pal and Surinder Singh in Gurdaspur District. An AK-47 rifle with a magazine and 20 cartridges, one 0.38 bore US-made revolver with 5 cartridges and a Brazil-made 0.45 bore Taurus pistol with three cartridges were recovered from them. | |||||||||
| 14-Aug-2013 | KLF militant Devinderpal Singh Bhullar’s plea seeking a review of its verdict refusing to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of delay in deciding his mercy plea by the government has been dismissed by the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi refused to review its April 12, 2013, verdict by which it had rejected his plea for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment. Bhullar was convicted and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast here in September 1993, killing nine people and injuring 25, including then Youth Congress president MS Bitta. The Supreme Court had on March 26, 2002, dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2001 and endorsed by the Delhi High Court in 2002. He had filed a review petition which was also rejected on December 17, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition which too had been rejected by the apex court on March 12, 2003. Bhullar, meanwhile, had filed a mercy petition before the President on January 14, 2003. The President, after a lapse of over eight years, dismissed his mercy plea on May 25, 2011. Citing his delay, he had again moved to the Supreme Court for commutation of the death sentence but his plea was rejected. | |||||||||
| 26-May-2013 | Sikh organization Dal Khalsa has sent a 'memo' to the EU for intervention on the issue and to save KLF militant Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was awarded death sentence for killing nine persons and injuring 17 others in Delhi in a bomb attack on September 11, 1993. | |||||||||
| 12-Apr-2013 | Supreme Court declined to commute the death sentence of KLF militant Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, found guilty of killing nine and injuring 17 others in Delhi in a bomb attack on September 11, 1993. | |||||||||
| 22-Jan-2013 | Four KLF militants, identified as KLF chief Baba Bakshish Singh, Jasbir Singh alias Jassa, Harhant Singh alias DC and Pargat Singh were produced in a Patiala court in connection with the recovery of a bomb near Nabha LPG bottling plant in Patiala district in January 2010. Jassa and DC were arrested by Nabha Police on February 22, 2010, while trying to target vital installations in Punjab. Pargat Singh was arrested on May 2010 while staying in a paying guest accommodation in Sant Nagar (Jalandhar District) on a fake name and identity. The fourth accused, Bakhshish, was arrested from near Amritsar (Amritsar District) on May 29, 2010, and 2.3 kilograms RDX, a detonator, 30 bore pistol, and 28 cartridges were recovered from his possession. | |||||||||
| 13-Jun-2010 | Bakhshish Singh, a KLF militant who was arrested on May 30 said when freed he would again make an attempt to kill controversial Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who had emulated Guru Gobind Singh, leading to clashes between Sikhs and Dera followers two years ago. He told the media gathered on the local court premises that he had done nothing wrong by targeting the Dera head and would not mind making another attempt on his life. | |||||||||
| 29-May-2010 | Punjab Police’s Special Operation Cell arrested a KLF terrorist, Bakshish Singh Baba, who reportedly masterminded a bomb attack on the convoy of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief in Karnal in February 2008, from Amritsar recently. Baba, carrying a reward of INR 500000 on his head, was reportedly involved in more than 25 cases of terror-related activities and destruction of public property in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi. | |||||||||
| 08-May-2010 | A car with two kilograms of explosives was found abandoned near a busy Railway Station in Amritsar, Police said. Although so far, no particular terrorist outfit has taken the responsibility, Police believe this incident was part of the attempt of BKI and Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) elements to revive terrorism in Punjab. | |||||||||
| 30-Mar-2010 | A hardcore militant arrested by the Punjab Police was working towards the revival of terror outfit KLF and planning to carry out a series of explosions in the State at the behest of Pakistan's ISI, a senior Police official said. Amritsar City Police Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma said, “He was associated with the defunct KLF and was working towards its revival by trying to cause series of explosions in the State at the instance of Pakistan's ISI.” “Baba at a very young age joined the BTFK (Sangha Group) in the early 1990s. Subsequently, after the death of BTFK area commander Sukh Ram Singh Kulara, he joined KCF headed by Jarnail Singh Shatrana,” the Commissioner said. | |||||||||
| 18-Oct-2006 | Nishan Singh, a terrorist belonging to the KLF, was arrested from Batala Road at Kalanaur in the Gurdaspur district. He had provided shelter to Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjeet Singh Bheora, two of the accused in the Beant Singh assassination case after their escape from Burail jail in Chandigarh. Police also claimed that the three had hatched a conspiracy to revive terrorism in Punjab and that Nishan Singh was a member of various terrorist outfits having their base abroad, including in Pakistan. | |||||||||
| 26-Sep-2004 | Police arrested a KLF terrorist, identified as Surinder Pal Singh in Patiala District. | |||||||||
| 16-Aug-2004 | Punjab Police arrested the ‘self-styled chief’ of KLF, Harnek Singh alias Bhupat a checkpoint near Madhopur village in the Fatehgarh Sahib district. The accused is wanted in many cases relating to mass killings of innocent people, assassination attempts on political leaders and police officers, kidnappings and extortion. A revolver, some live ammunition, and documents relating to fixed deposits were recovered from his possession. | |||||||||
| 17-May-2001 | Police arrested two KLF terrorists from Ludhiana. They were arrested while trying to snatch the car of a resident whom they killed when he refused to oblige. A senior police official said eight criminal cases, including murder, were registered against one of the terrorists identified as Jasbir Singh Jassa, who had been absconding from the Nabha jail since August 21, 2000. The duo reportedly carried out orders at the behest of England-based KLF members, Gurnam Singh, and Sandeep Singh. | |||||||||
| 27-Jul-1990 | A warning was issued by several militant groups, including SSF, AISSF (Bittoo), BTFK, KCF, and KLF, cautioning students of a specific community not to apply for admission in professional colleges. | |||||||||
| 28-May-1990 | The militant outfits, AISSF, KCF, KLF and BKI criticized Rajdev Singh for accusing SS Mann of being a Congress(I) agent. | |||||||||
| 08-Apr-1990 | KLF militants, identified as Jugraj Singh alias Toofan Singh, and Bakshish Singh alias Hira were killed in a police encounter in Batala. | 2 | ||||||||
| 22-Jul-1989 | On the death anniversary of KLF ‘chief’ Avtar Singh Brahma, his brother receives a Saropa (dress of honour) from Giani Puran Singh. | |||||||||
| 22-Jul-1989 | KLF, KCF and BKI present a gold medal to Hari Singh Nalwa. | |||||||||
| 29-Mar-1989 | Balwinder Singh resigns from the membership of the Panthic Committee and supports unity between AISSF, KCF, KLF and BTFK. | |||||||||
| 21-Jul-1988 | KLF ’chief ‘, Avtar Singh Brahma killed in a police encounter in Rajasthan. | 1 | ||||||||
| 11-Apr-1988 | The leaders of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Shamsher Singh and Takht Singh, claim that their organization is a political one and its aim was Khalistan. They reject the activities of Panthic Committee, and reiterate that they believe in armed struggle. They also claim responsibility for the assassination of Indira Gandhi, Sant Longowal and a breach in Bhakra Canal. | |||||||||
| 19-Mar-1988 | Avtar Singh Brahma of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), says in a message that they would not surrender till the attainment of Puran Azadi (complete self-determination). |