KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF)
was formed by Jagtar Singh Tara, a former Babbar Khalsa International
(BKI) militant. Jagtar Singh was involved in the killing of the then Punjab
Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. KTF was formed with the
patronage of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). KTF is one of the four militant groups
besides BKI, KLF and KZF which are being used by ISI to revive violence in
Punjab.
KTF is based out of Pakistan, it
also has its sympathisers in France, Canada and Spain.
KTF is one of Khalistani
militant groups which receive general amount of funding from ISI. KCF ‘chief’ Paramjit
Panjwar's former driver Rattandeep Singh Resham Singh is also a member of KTF. Jagtar
Singh Tara, who was involved in the killing of Beant Singh was arrested in
September 1995. However, he and two other accused escaped from Jail in January
2004 from Chandigarh’s Burail Jail. BKI members Jagtar Singh Hawara and Paramjit
Bheora, co-accused in the Beant Singh killing, and Devi Singh, also escaped with
him. Although Hawara and Paramjit were arrested, Jagtar Singh managed to cross
over to Pakistan. Jagtar Singh later left Pakistan for Thailand on the pretext
of getting married, although his real motive was to establish a training facility
for Khalistani militants in Bangkok. During his stay in Bangkok, he met with ISI
officials, France based KTF militant Purshotam Singh, Spain Jaswinder Singh and
Canada-based pro-Khalistani identified as Hardeep Singh. Jagtar Singh was arrested from Chonburi
Province in Pattaya, Thailand in 2015. During interrogation, he had stated that
ISI had shifted its training base for Khalistani militants from Pakistan to
Thailand. KTF reportedly has some of its sympathisers in Germany and Thailand. KTF has had linkages with Jihadi groups
such as Lashkar e Toiba (LeT). In 2014, KTF and LeT had plotted to airdrop
four LeT militants into Pathankot in Punjab using an air glider. Jagtar Singh
had ordered a glider from Germany. However, the glider developed technical glitches
and the plan was unsuccessful.
KTF has been attempting to carryout
explosions and armed attacks in Punjab. Additionally, they have also tried to target
VIPs and facilitate attacks by Pakistan-based Jihadi elements in Punjab.
UK based: Paramjit Singh based in Birmingham, Baljeet Singh Gill based in London, Sarabjit Singh
residing in London, and Sarabjit Singh Banur based in London,
US based: Kulwant Singh
France based: Parshotam Singh Pamma
Spain based: Jaswinder Singh
| Incident Date | Incident | Civilian Killed | Military Killed | Security Force Killed | Civilian Injured | Military Injured | Security Force Injured | Civilian Abducted | Military Abducted | Security Force Abducted |
| 15-Apr-2023 | The head of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has claimed responsibility for the shooting and killing of four soldiers at Bathinda Military Station on April 12. In a video, he has demanded the creation of Khalistan as a separate nation for Punjab to prevent such attacks and warned Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) has also claimed responsibility for the firing at the Bathinda Army Cantt. Ajit Singh, a member of KTF, has issued a letter on letterhead alleging that the Indian Army was responsible for the killing of Sikhs during their attack on the Golden Temple in 1984, and this attack on the Indian Army was an act of vengeance. | |||||||||
| 15-Apr-2023 | The Punjab Police on April 15 dismissed the claims made by banned groups such as the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) of being responsible for the killing of four soldiers at Bathinda Military Station on April 12 as "diversionary". The Additional Director General of Police (DGP), Surinderpal Singh Parmar stated that based on the investigations so far, it appears to be an internal issue of the army. The weapon used in the attack, a 5.56 INSAS rifle, was recovered with spent cartridges. Thus, Parmar dismissed the claims made by KTF and SFJ as hollow and intended to garner media attention. | |||||||||
| 27-Mar-2023 | According to an official statement, three suspected members of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), identified Manpreet Singh (23), Amritpal Singh (24), and Arshdeep Singh (26) were arrested in Iloilo in Philippine during a joint operation by the Philippine government agencies this month. Alexander Ramos, the Executive Director of Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), stated on March 27 that heavily armed troops raided an apartment in an exclusive subdivision in the central Philippine city at dawn on March 7 and caught the militants off guard. The suspects, who are also on the Interpol Red Notice watchlist, are believed to have entered the country using fake passports. The authorities are also investigating the alleged connections of the suspects to another banned terrorist group, Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF). | |||||||||
| 22-Mar-2023 | According to a report, police and intelligence officials in Punjab have been informed that nine organizations operating in six countries, including Pakistan, are responsible for the increased terrorism and violence in the state. Among these organizations, three of them are linked to Pakistan, including the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) led by Ranjeet Singh Neeta, the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) led by Wadhawa Singh Babbar, and the Khalistan Commando Force of Paramjit Singh Panjwar (KCF). The other groups mentioned in the report include Hardeep Singer Nijjar of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) based in Surrey, South East London, Gurjeet Singh Cheema of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) based in Canada, and Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga and Bhupinder Singh Bhind of KZF based in Germany. Additionally, Gursharanvir Singh is based in the UK, Gurjinder Singh in Italy, and Purshottam Singh is stationed in France. Meanwhile, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a notorious organization, is from the United States (US) and poses as a political activist. The report also highlights the significant role played by the Indo-Canadian narcotics syndicate known as the 'Brothers Keepers' gang, which is made up of the Grewal and Dhaliwal clans. | |||||||||
| 21-Mar-2023 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 21 filed its initial charge sheet against twelve individuals in one of three terror-gangster nexus cases that the agency is investigating. The charge sheet accuses the twelve individuals of having ties with pro-Khalistan organizations and conspirators based in Pakistan. The NIA is investigating 10 more people for their alleged role in the terror conspiracy, including plans to eliminate certain leaders, singers, and businessmen to terrorize people, extort money from them and create a sensation. The NIA spokesperson stated that the investigation has uncovered links between the charge-sheeted accused and the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and its operative, Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, a listed Individual Terrorist. | |||||||||
| 04-Mar-2023 | Punjab police on March 1 arrested one person, identified as Tejvir Singh who was another shooter in the murder of electrician Paramjit Singh who was shot dead on January 4, from Bardeke village in Jagraon in Ludhiana district. Tejvir Singh was presented in the court on March 4 and sent to four days police remand. Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla took responsibility for the killing of the electrician in a purported Facebook post. | |||||||||
| 17-Feb-2023 | The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) on February 17 declared Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, currently based in Pakistan and affiliated to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) as a terrorist and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) as terrorist organisation. According to intelligence officials, Rinda, who is believed to be living in Lahore, is associated with the banned group BKI and is said to have played a key role in the 2021 attack on the intelligence headquarters of the Punjab Police in Mohali. Rinda hails from Rattoke village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab, and he was previously arrested in 2008 after a scuffle during a family feud. After getting in touch with criminals during his time in prison, Rinda shifted his base to Nanded in Maharashtra. Following his interactions with criminals while serving time in prison, Rinda relocated to Nanded in Maharashtra. Subsequently, he utilized counterfeit travel documents to enter Pakistan in 2020 and established contact with pro-Khalistan terrorist organizations, who reportedly provided him with security. In August 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) offered a cash reward of INR 10 lakh to anyone with information on Rinda. KTF is a militant outfit that seeks to revive terrorism in the state of Punjab and poses a threat to India's territorial integrity, national security, unity, and sovereignty. The organization promotes various forms of terrorism, including targeted assassinations within Punjab. The recent classification of KTF as a terrorist organization brings the total number of designated terrorist groups to 44 under the Schedule of the Act. | |||||||||
| 30-Jan-2023 | According to reports, days after Jagraon man Paramjit Singh (45) was shot dead by two assailants who barged into his house at Bardeke village on January 4 and later Canada-based gangster-turned-Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla took responsibility of the murder in a purported Facebook post, the Ludhiana rural police late on January 29 arrested one of the two shooters and recovered a weapon from him in Ludhiana. Police said that Abhinav Singh alias Abhi, was arrested and a 32 bore pistol and four cartridges were recovered following his interrogation. Wanted gangster Arsh Dalla of Moga, believed to be hiding in Canada, in a purported Facebook post had claimed the responsibility of the murder and said that he took the revenge of his ‘younger brother’ Dilpreet Dhaliwal’s death who had “died by suicide” after Paramjit had “harassed him”. Jagraon Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Satinder Singh Virk said that a total of 14 accused were booked in the case, including Arsh Dalla, of which 10 have been arrested. “Those who are yet to be arrested include Arsh Dalla, two other shooters who executed the crime and one accused who is currently in Australia. Abhinav was one of the three shooters who opened fire as seen in the CCTV footage. He executed this targeted killing on Dalla’s orders,” DSP Virk said. He added, “A total of three shooters had arrived on the spot, two of them had barged inside and opened fire while one was driving the vehicle. We have added UAPA sections to the earlier FIR which is applicable on Dalla and three shooters for targeted killing.” | |||||||||
| 29-Jan-2023 | The Moga police on January 28 registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against four gangsters hiding abroad, including Canada-based designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), for allegedly smuggling weapons to create unrest in Punjab. Three other gangsters booked from Dalla’s gang and also allegedly hiding abroad are Jackpal Singh, a native of Kothe Patti Mohabbat of Moga (currently believed to be hiding in Malaysia); Amritpal Singh of Chand Nawan of Moga (currently believed to be hiding in Manila of Philippines) and Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, a native of Buiyan Wala village of Ferozepur (currently believed to be hiding in Philippines). A fifth accused named in the FIR is Harpreet Singh alias Harry, a local from Mohalla Loharia of Moga, and currently an active member of the Dalla gang in Punjab, according to the police. | |||||||||
| 28-Jan-2023 | A report authored by a Punjab Police officer, Gulneet Singh Khurana, in an Intelligence Bureau e-book has claimed that pro-Khalistani entities (PKEs) are in touch with certain news agencies and journalists who propagate for them. The reports said, “PKEs have been found to be using social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube etc. to reach out to public to provide their narratives.” It was published in an e-book which is a compilation of articles by the IB from serving officers. “Besides, they have been found to be connected to some news agencies/journalists personally who take their interviews and put them on their personal news channels," adds the report. The officer is tasked with supervising various cases linked to Khalistani terrorism, including the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). | |||||||||
| 17-Jan-2023 | According to report, Baldeep Singh, brother of Canada-based wanted gangster cum terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, has managed to flee abroad after getting a passport based on forged documents. Baldeep Singh was out on bail in an attempt to murder case when he managed to get a passport made based on forged documents and fly abroad. The Moga Police on January 17 registered a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Baldeep Singh, his brother Arshdeep Dalla, their father Charanjit Singh and four other accomplices who are currently lodged in different jails of Punjab. The jailed accomplices allegedly helped Baldeep in getting a passport based on forged documents, as per the FIR registered by the Moga Police. Gangster Arshdeep, a native of Dala village of Moga, and his father Charanjit Singh were recently booked by Ludhiana rural police for the alleged murder of one Paramjit Singh of Bardeke village who was shot dead by two shooters who had stormed inside his house. In a purported Facebook post, Arsh, an alleged operative of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), had claimed responsibility for his murder. He was designated as a terrorist by the Centre over his alleged association with Khalistan movement and terror activities. | |||||||||
| 15-Jan-2023 | A probe by an intelligence agency has revealed that the two suspected terrorists arrested by Delhi Police’s special cell were being handled by the K2 (Kashmir-Khalistan) desk of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The duo, Jagjit alias Yaqub and Naushad, have revealed the names of at least two Shiv Sena leaders and two other religious leaders in Punjab who they were tasked with eliminating. Delhi Police will follow up with Punjab Police and intelligence agencies regarding this, sources said. Police said they have not been able to identify the man whose body parts they had recovered on January 14. The police are also analysing mobile communication between the two accused and their handlers - Canada-based Arsh Dalla and an ISI operative. Dalla, a permanent resident of Canada, is accused of being involved in over two dozen cases of murder, extortion and targeted killings, police said, adding a red notice by Interpol is pending against him. Dalla has been operating as an associate of terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and engaged in providing logistics for targeted killings on ISI’s instructions, sources said. | |||||||||
| 09-Jan-2023 | The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) declared Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist after discovering his involvement in crimes such as murder, extortion, targeted killings, and terrorism. According to MHA notification, Gill is associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and is accused of various offences, including targeted killing, extortion for terrorism funding, attempted murder, inciting communal strife, and spreading terror in Punjab. The UMHA in a statement said that Arsh Dalla has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 due to his involvement in cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons and association with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Arshdeep Singh Gill, who is originally from Ludhiana but currently resides in Canada, has been accused in various cases by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including targeted killing, extortion for terror funding, attempted murder, inciting communal unrest, and inciting fear among the people of Punjab. This marks the fifth individual to be designated as a terrorist in the past week, all of whom are based in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. According to UMHA, Gill is closely connected to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and is involved in running terror modules on behalf of Nijjar. Gill has been involved in crimes such as murder, extortion, and targeted killings, as well as terror financing and the large-scale smuggling of drugs and weapons across borders. As a result, the Central Government has added Gill as a terrorist under section 35 of the UAPA. This will make Gill the 53rd individual to be designated as a terrorist under the Act. | |||||||||
| 07-Jan-2023 | The Punjab Police in the morning launched massive raids on suspected hideouts of persons linked with Gangster turned Terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla. According to Police, searches were planned after the questioning of several persons in the recently busted modules backed by Arsh Dalla. During the search operation, as many as 192 Police parties searched the premises of at least 232 persons linked with Dalla. Dalla is a notorious gangster turned terrorist involved in various criminal activities in Punjab and abroad and is a most wanted criminal by the Punjab Police. He is a Category-A gangster turned terrorist and is a Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative, which is a banned terrorist organisation. In 2020, after committing the murder of one of his associate, Sukkha Lamme, he escaped to Canada. | |||||||||
| 06-Dec-2022 | Punjab Police on December 6 neutralized an extortion racket run by Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operatives Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala and Hardeep Singh Nijjar, and arrested four gang members identified as Balwinder Singh, Gurjant Singh, Gurlal Singh and Kamardeep Singh from Moga District. Three live cartridges, one 30-bore pistol, one magazine along with INR 300,000 was recovered from them. | |||||||||
| 24-Sep-2022 | The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on September 24, filed a supplementary ‘challan’ in the designated court at Mohali District of Punjab in the case of the targeted killing of a Hindu priest by terrorists in Phillaur Tehsil (revenue unit) in Jalandhar District in January 2021. The NIA has in its charge sheet named one Gagandeep Singh alias Gaggu resident of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, who is a member of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) led by Canada-based Hardeep Nijjar. Gaggu, on the instructions of Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh, an associate of Nijjar, extended help to other assailants in executing the plan for the targeted killing. Gaggu was the supplier of arms and ammunition to the gang members who were charge-sheeted in July 2022. | |||||||||
| 08-Apr-2022 | Police arrested a person, identified as Gurpreet alias Gopi, who reportedly supplied weapons, including AK-47, to associates of banned Khalistani terrorist groups, from Sonipat in Sonipat district of Haryana. Earlier, on February 19, the CIA unit of the district police had arrested four persons along with weapons. The probe revealed that the accused were involved in “contract killings” in Punjab on the directions of the banned terrorist group handlers — Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). They had relations with terrorists through the social media platforms. Gopi had supplied the weapons to them at Ambala. The court sent Gopi on four-day police remand. | |||||||||
| 20-Feb-2022 | According to reports, with the arrest of four youths on February 19, the Sonepat police claimed to have busted a gang which was involved in ‘contract killings’ in Punjab on the directions of banned terrorist group handlers of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF). Sources said that prima facie, it was revealed that the accused were in contact with the banned terrorist groups for the past three or four months and they were searching for youths who have criminal records in Haryana but not in Punjab. They were preparing such criminals for contract killings in Punjab on the directions of their handlers in Canada and Australia. The CIA unit of the district police also recovered an AK-47 rifle, 49 rounds of cartridges of AK-47, three foreign-made automated pistols and cartridges from the possession of the accused. Besides, teams of Punjab Police and the National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with other intelligence agencies, arrived at Sonepat to interrogate the accused. | |||||||||
| 19-Feb-2022 | Four persons who are allegedly associated with Khalistani terrorist groups, identified as Sunil, Jatin, Sagar and Surendra, were arrested with a cache of illegal weapons in Sonipat in Sonipat district of Haryana on February 19. An automatic AK-47, four foreign pistols, one country made pistol, and 56 cartridges were recovered from their possession. Sonipat Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Sharma said that primary probe revealed that the illegal weapons had been provided by Khalistani terrorists, who had deposited lakhs in the accused’s bank accounts as well. “The accused were connected to the main leaders of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) through social media,” SP said. The arrested accused also admitted to killing one Avtar Singh in Udhampur Kalan village of Punjab on the behest of Khalistani leaders, Sharma added. | |||||||||
| 22-Jan-2022 | The Special Task Force (STF) arrested four persons for allegedly harbouring Sukhpreet Singh, the key accused of the terror attacks that took place in Punjab in November from Udham Singh Nagar district of Uttarakhand. The four accused were identified as Shamsher Singh (26), Harpreet Singh (24), Gurpal Singh (24), and Ajmer Singh (30). The STF has also recovered a 0.32 bore pistol and a hatchback car from their possession. Senior Superintendent of Police, Udham Singh Nagar, Barinderjit Singh said, “The four accused were arrested after Punjab police shared intelligence that prime accused Sukhpreet was hiding in the district and being helped by the operatives of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), an outlawed militant group. An STF team raided several suspected hideouts in Pantnagar town of the district and managed to nab the four accused. Sukhpreet, however, is still at large.” | |||||||||
| 07-Jan-2022 | Three accomplices of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, an aide of KTF’s Canada-based chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, were arrested with two hand-grenades and two pistols from Chogawan village in Moga district on January 7. The arrested persons were identified as as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, Varinder Singh alias Vinda and Baljeet Singh. According to police, they had planned to attack a church in Moga to disturb the law-and-order situation. A .9mm pistol, a magazine and six cartridges were recovered from Gurpreet Singh, while a .9mm pistol, two magazines and 12 cartridges were found with Varinder Singh and two hand-grenades were recovered from Baljeet Singh. “During interrogation, they said that they were in regular touch with Arsh Dala, who provided them the grenades to throw at a religious place. He had also given them money for this task,” Moga Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Charanjeet Singh Sohal said. | |||||||||
| 06-Oct-2021 | A team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) reached a village in Meerut District of Uttar Pradesh in search of two suspects of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), who it suspected supplied illegal arms to an extortion racket which was busted in Moga District of Punjab in May 2021. The gang was allegedly being run by Khalistan separatists settled abroad. The anti-terror federal probe agency returned after handing over notice to their families which asked the two suspects to appear at their office in Chandigarh on October 8 for questioning. | |||||||||
| 01-Oct-2021 | Four aides of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, were arrested with three sophisticated weapons, 14 live cartridges, and 300 grams of heroin, from Mehna Police Station area in Moga District on October 1. The arrestees have been identified as Amandeep Singh alias Machher, Jaswinder Singh alias Jassu, Balraj Singh, and Arun Sarwan. Moga District Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Dhruman H Nimbale said they arrested Amandeep with a Beretta M9 pistol, four live cartridges and 300gm of heroin. | |||||||||
| 01-Oct-2021 | The Police claimed to have foiled a plan to kill Dera Sacha Sauda follower Shakti Singh, who is an accused in three Bargari sacrilege cases of 2015, with the arrest of a person, identified as Bhola Singh alias Khalsa, allegedly carrying two weapons in Faridkot District. Shakti Singh is believed to be on the target list of banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Bhola, of Jeon Wala village in Faridkot District, is facing as many as five criminal cases, including murder and extortion. | |||||||||
| 23-Sep-2021 | Punjab Police busted a militant module backed by Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) with the arrest of its three militants from Bhagwanpur village in the Bhikhiwind area in Tarn Taran District of Punjab on September 23. The Police also recovered two boxes packed in foam (which appeared to be Tiffin Bombs), two hand grenades (86P) and three 9mm pistols from their possession. This is the 6th Tiffin bomb recovered from the border State of Punjab in one and a half months. Those arrested have been identified as Kanwarpal Singh, Kulwinder Singh and Kamalpreet Singh - all residents of Moga. Kanwarpal disclosed that he had returned from Canada two weeks back. | |||||||||
| 20-Jun-2021 | Police arrested notorious gangster, Hardeep Singh alias Suraj Raunta, an accomplice of Canada-based Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, and recovered three weapons, including a.315 bore pistol, a .32 bore pistol and a .32 bore revolver, along with live cartridges from his possession from Moga district. According to police, following inputs from three persons arrested by the Samalsar police, the police arrested Raunta. | |||||||||
| 03-Jun-2021 | According to officials, the banned terror organization, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) planned to kill Dera Sacha Sauda follower Shakti Singh, who is an accused in three cases registered in connection with the Bargari sacrilege. However, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the 2015 sacrilege cases arrested him along with other accused before the KTF operatives could execute their plan, officials said. The two KTF operatives, who allegedly killed a Dera follower in Bathinda last year, were arrested by Moga police on May 22. It was revealed during the interrogation of four KTF operatives arrested by Moga police in connection with a murder case. | |||||||||
| 01-Jun-2021 | Punjab Police arrested a suspected Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative, who they believe was one of the main shooters involved in the murder of a follower of the Dera Sacha Sauda and the attempted murder of a priest, identified as Kamaljeet Sharma along with four .315 bore pistols with 10 live cartridges from near village Nathuwala Jadid in Moga District. Earlier, Police arrested two of his associates Lovepreet Singh and Ram Singh from Moga on May 22. Police claim the trio had been found acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who has been notified as a ‘designated terrorist’ under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the central government. | |||||||||
| 26-May-2021 | Moga Police booked three operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) for killing gangster Sukha Lamme in June 2020. The accused were identified as Arshdeep Singh, Lovepreet Singh and Kamaljeet Singh of Dala village of Moga. Lovepreet and Kamaljeet were arrested on May 22 for their involvement in several heinous crimes in the past. Arshdeep, who is living abroad, is yet to be arrested. | |||||||||
| 22-May-2021 | Punjab Police arrested two operatives of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), identified as Lovepreet Singh alias Ravi and Ram Singh alias Sonu from the rear side of Senior Secondary School near railway crossing Mehna in Moga district on May 22. The duo allegedly involved in several heinous crimes in the last one year, including the murder of a sect follower and firing on a priest. They were acting on the directions of KTF’s Canada-based chief, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose name incidentally figured in the list of Khalistani operatives that was handed over by Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during the latter’s visit to India in 2018. With their arrest, police also foiled a plan to kill another sect follower, who they were targeting to take revenge in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib sacrilege cases. Three 0.32 bore pistols with 38 live cartridges and one 0.315 bore pistol with 10 live cartridges, along with two magazines, were also recovered from the suspects. The DGP Dinkar Gupta disclosed that “Besides, Nijjar, three of their other KTF’s co-conspirators, identified as Arshdip, Ramandip and Charanjit alias Rinku Bihla, are hiding out in Surrey (BC) Canada, while one, Kamaljeet Sharma alias Kamal, is still absconding.” He said while Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh and Ramandeep Singh alias Raman Judge went to Canada legally in 2019 and 2017 respectively, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku Bihla had gone there illegally in around 2013-14. The DGP also said investigations were in progress to unravel further links of the accused and trace other previous crimes in which they might have been involved. | |||||||||
| 20-Nov-2020 | Two unidentified persons shot dead a prominent dera follower, Manohar Lal, who is a member of 25 members committee of Dera Sacha Sauda and is father of Jatinderbir Singh Jimmy, who is an accused in a sacrilege incident, near the bus stand at Bhagta Bhaika in Bathinda in Bathinda District. Bathinda SSP Bhupinderjit Singh Virk said that police teams have started a probe and are working on all angles, so far, the identity of the accused is not ascertained but hope that soon police would arrest the accused. | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 01-Jul-2020 | Government of India declared nine individuals, including pro-Khalistani leader and the key member of banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UAPA]. Pannun, who organized the Khalistan 2020 referendum, has been seen actively running a campaign against India and motivating Sikh youngsters in his home state of Punjab to join militancy. The others who have been designated by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) as individual terrorists under the UAPA include Paramjit Singh (Babbar Khalsa International), Hardeep Singh Nijjar (Khalistan Tiger Force), Gurmit Singh Bagga (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Wadhawa Singh Babbar (Babbar Khalsa International), Lakhbir Singh (International Sikh Youth Federation), Ranjeet Singh (Khalistan Zindabad Force), Paramjit Singh (Khalistan Commando Force), Bhupinder Singh Bhinda (Khalistan Zindabad Force). Following an amendment in the UAPA recently, the UMHA declared a total of 13 persons as individual terrorists till date. In an official statement the U said, “These individuals are involved in various acts of terrorism from across the border and from foreign soil. They have been relentless in their nefarious efforts of destabilising the country, by trying to revive militancy in Punjab through their anti-national activities and through their support to and involvement in the Khalistan Movement.” | |||||||||
| 31-Mar-2019 | Punjab Police stated that a militant cell (consisting Harvinder Singh, Sultan Singh, Karamjeet Singh, Lovepreet Singh, and Gurpreet Singh) was busted in an unspecified location in the state in which 32 bore pistol along with a magazine and four live rounds and 15 letter pads of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) were recovered from the arrestees. The accused were planning to kill Hindu leaders and members of Dera Sacha Sauda. They were planning to arrange weapons training in Jammu and Kashmir and were in touch with Khalistani militants including Jagtar Singh Hawara of BKI who is in jail, Ranjit Singh Pakhoke, active member of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), residing in Germany. | |||||||||
| 24-Apr-2018 | Two months after the ‘controversial’ trip of the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to India, the Canadian authorities acted on the list of alleged ‘terrorists’ given by the Punjab’s CM Captain Amarinder Singh and arrested Hardeep Singh Nijjar—resident of Surrey, Canada last week. Hardeep Singh Nijjar was an accused of three terror cases—2010 bomb explosion in Patiala, 2015 alleged involvement in killing Hindu leaders, and 2016 alleged for conspiracy and financial support to Mandeep Dhaliwal for killing of Hindu leaders in Ludhiana. All three cases are registered in Punjab. In 2015, a Look-Out-Circular (LOC) was issued against Nijjar and in 2016 a Red Corner Notice (RCN) was issued and finally executed in April 2018. The alleged list handed-over by Punjab CM consists of nine people, most of them alleged for their links to International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Reportedly, Nijjar is accused of grooming a module of KTF consisting of five members in 2014. In 2009, he was also accused of murdering Rulda Singh, the then-head of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (RSS), an affiliate of the Hindutva ideology organisation— Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). | |||||||||
| 21-Feb-2018 | During their official meeting, the Punjab’s CM Captain Amarinder Singh handed-over a list to Canada’s Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau, with details of active handlers, based in Canada, of Khalistani militants operating in Punjab. Most of the operatives in the list belongs to the banned outfit—International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). The details about operatives included their last visit to India, how the funding for firearms managed and how these groups received terror funding from Pakistan. Out of the nine, the list included five most-wanted operatives namely, Gurjeet Singh Cheema, Gurpreet Singh, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Gurjinder Singh Pannu, and Malkeet Singh alias ‘Fauji’. | |||||||||
| 29-May-2016 | Intelligence agencies in India have reportedly sent an alert to the Canada government about pro-Khalistan terrorists planning attacks in Punjab. Canadian Sikh Hardeep Nijjar is said to have taken over as the 'operational head' of KTF and formed a module of Sikh youths to carry out the strikes. Making a reference to the recent Pathankot attack, the report which has been submitted to the MEA to seek Nijjar's extradition said he was to arrange weapons from Pakistan but due to high alert on the border in the wake of Pathankot incident (January 2, 2016), it could not materialise. The disclosures were made in the report after an alleged KTF operative Mandeep Singh, was arrested in Ludhiana (Punjab) two weeks ago, following his phone calls to Pakistan-based terror outfit DKI 'chief' Gajinder Singh and Nijjar. The report added that Nijjar has been imparting arms training to his group in Canada after the arrest of former KTF 'chief' Jagtar Tara in Thailand by Interpol and was detained by Thai authorities when he was flying back from Lahore to Vancouver via Bangkok in 2015. | |||||||||
| 22-Dec-2015 | Sikh For Justice (SFJ) who was under the radar of Intelligence agencies for aiding militants and funding of terror and the UK and Canada government would be contacted to act against the outfit. Now the Sikh for Justice raising funds to prevent the deportation of BKI militant Paramjeet Singh Pamma who is also associated with KTF and arrested in from a hotel in Portugal last week. Paramjeet was reportedly based in England on 'political asylum' since 1994-95. Paramjeet was reportedly the main fundraiser for BKI. Around INR 25, 00,000 has been raised from gurudwaras in France and the UK over the past few days, apparently to help Paramjeet engage a formidable legal defense to contest his deportation. Avtar Singh of Sikhs for Justice, a New-York based Sikh rights outfit, arrived in Paris from Canada on December 20, 2015, a couple of days after Paramjeet--wanted for 2010 twin bomb blasts in Patiala and Ambala and murder of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat leader Rulda Singh in 2009, was arrested by the Portugal Police. | |||||||||
| 20-Nov-2015 | Supreme Court (SC) directions issued to send the file of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) self-styled commander Jagtar Singh Tara to Chandigarh Session Court to begin the trial of the accused on November 20. Tara is charged in the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh (August 31, 1995). Tara was arrested from a person’s house that was sheltering him at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI agency in Thailand in January. | |||||||||
| 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. | |||||||||
| 19-May-2015 | Jagtar Singh Tara head of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) who was involved in the killing of Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh in 1995 disclosed that LeT trains and assist Khalistan militant. KTF is also assisted by LeT. KTF claimed responsibility and LeT was involved in October 12, 2011 Ambala (Haryana) RDX recovery inside an Indica car that meant to carry out a major blast in New Delhi on Diwali 2011. According to the interrogation report, Tara had held three meetings with LeT militant Asdullah Maulvi between 2012 and 2014 to deliver consignments of arms and RDX into Punjab. Maulvi is currently in Sialkot, Pakistan and is directly controlled by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The report also said that Tara had told LeT that he did not have enough foot soldiers in Punjab to carry out attacks. LeT had then offered to send both 'hardware' as well as fidayeen attackers. According to Tara as many as six LeT men were backing KTF. | |||||||||
| 23-Apr-2015 | India has raised the concern of pro-Khalistan extremist groups with their Canadian counterparts about Pro Khalistanis active in Canada at the behest of Pakistan’s ISI. About a month before Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s Canada visit, a joint working group on counter-terrorism comprising security officials of both the countries held a meeting on March 19. Several issues, including those related to threat assessment, extremism, and foreign fighters, were taken up. India raised the issue of Pakistan’s ISI using some Canada-based pro-Khalistan groups and individuals for anti-India activities. Intelligence agencies have identified a Canadian national with Indian roots, an alleged associate of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief Jagtar Singh Tara who was recently arrested in Thailand and deported to India. | |||||||||
| 23-Feb-2015 | Bathinda Court (Punjab) extended KTF chief Jagtar Singh Tara's Police remand by another two days. Previously, Tara was produced in court on February 9 and was sent to four-day police remand. Police also produced one Amarjit Singh of Dusarna village in Mohali District and accused him of having links with Tara. Arrested on February 12, Amarjit was also sent in two-day police remand. Tara is accused of making way for Bathinda-based Ramandeep Singh alias Sunny in getting arms training in Bangkok. Bathinda Police on November 9, 2014, had arrested Ramandeep and claimed that he was a member of the terror organization KTF headed by Jagtar Singh Tara. Police had recovered explosive material, a revolver and 5 letterheads of BKI. Bathinda District attorney Iqbaljit Singh Kingra said, "During interrogation, Ramandeep confessed that he had gone to Thailand to get arms training on Tara's insistence and had met him in Thailand." Kingra said that Ramandeep also told that Tara had got militant training at Pakistan and encouraged him to toe the same path. | |||||||||
| 05-Feb-2015 | Pakistan's ISI trained Khalistan militants from the UK in Thailand last year (2014) to launch strikes in India, according to senior officials of Punjab Police who along with sleuths of central security agencies interrogated two such militants arrested recently in Thailand. The security agencies in Thailand arrested KLF 'chief' Harminder Singh alias Mintoo, in November 2014, and KTF 'chief' Jagtar Singh Tara, one of the alleged assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, on January 5, 2015. A Lahore posted Lieutenant colonel-rank Army officer of the ISI, identified as "Chaudhary" by Indian spy agencies, was the handler of Mintoo and Tara. He shifted Mintoo and Tara separately from Pakistan to Thailand last year (2014) to "develop sleeper cells in India". Top ranking Punjab Police sources said that this ISI officer later held a camp from July 5 to 13, 2014 at Mea Sot (a town in Thailand bordering Myanmar) in which "five UK-based Khalistan militants" were trained in assembling and handling of explosives made from locally available material. IG counter-intelligence Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav said, "Necessary follow-up actions (regarding ISI training UK-based Khalistan militants in Thailand) are being taken." Based on the interrogation reports of the two arrested men that the State Police and central agencies are collating, it has emerged that Gursharanvir Singh (living in Coventry of England) and Birmingham resident Piyara Singh Gill, also wanted by Punjab Police in August 2009 killing on Rulda Singh, President of RSS wing Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, were among the five UK-based Khalistan militants who attended the training camp in Thailand. Reports said that the central agencies have already approached UK authorities for their extradition. | |||||||||
| 23-Jan-2015 | The Police will take recently extradited KTF militant Jagtar Singh Tara to Nepal border after his disclosure that he had hidden the large quantity of Research Department Explosive (RDX) and other ammunition in a village near Indo-Nepal border. Police said Tara had disclosed that he had hidden a consignment of around 4kg RDX, detonators and other ammunition in a village in Rudrapur District of Uttarakhand, which is located near Indo-Nepal border. However, the court had extended Tara's remand only for three days, during which the Patiala Police will take Tara to Indo-Nepal border to recover the ammunition. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand resident Devi Singh, the fourth accused involved in the sensational 2004 Burail Jailbreak, who escaped along with three assassins of former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, is currently living in Pakistan and has converted to Sikhism. This was confirmed by KTF militant Jagtar Singh Tara, who was nabbed by Indian security agencies from Thailand recently, revealed a senior Police officer associated with the probe. Significantly, Indian security agencies had the information that Devi didn't move out of Pakistan since he sneaked into that country after the escape from Burail jail by digging a 104-feet tunnel. Three of the four accused in the jailbreak, have already been arrested by Punjab Police, and Devi is still on the run. | |||||||||
| 19-Jan-2015 | Jagtar Singh Tara, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) chief and mastermind behind former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh’s assassination, was extradited to India within a mere two days of his arrest as he did not contest the plea moved by New Delhi in Thailand court. Sources in the Punjab Police said Tara himself requested for extradition, a process that usually took years. The extradition, however, does not bar India from giving him the death penalty if any court finds him guilty of committing a crime under rarest of rare cases. Tara was arrested on January 5 and the Thailand court ordered his extradition on January 7. He was flown to India on January 15 after the completion of various formalities. Sources said Tara had told investigators that he along with his Pakistan-based associates wanted to carry out killings in Punjab and that they had even shortlisted some leaders. Tara is learned to have stayed in Ganganagar, Kurali and Fatehgarh Sahib for a few months before escaping to Pakistan through Nepal and Thailand. Police officials said he was giving some conflicting replies about his whereabouts after he escaped from the Burail Jail in January 2014. However, Police said that his claims were being verified. | |||||||||
| 07-Nov-2014 | The central investigation agencies are not only looking into alleged KTF militant Ramandeep Singh Goldy's role in Patiala and Ambala bomb blasts in 2010 and the killing of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat chief Rulda Singh in 2009 but also whether he was in touch with former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's assassin Jagtar Singh Tara during his stay in Thailand and Malaysia. | |||||||||
| 06-Nov-2014 | Top KTF militant, Ramandeep Singh alias Goldy wanted for April 20, 2010, Patiala blast and the murder of Rulda Singh, head of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat on July 28, 2009, was arrested by Punjab Police in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) after he was deported by Malaysian authorities. | |||||||||
| 05-Jun-2014 | A note of IB revealed how ISI coroneted banned KTF 'chief' Jagtar Singh Tara as the new 'chief' of the global Khalistan movement to "renew aggression". The note, dated September 30, 2013, said that ISI has announced a parting of ways with KTF and another banned militant outfit BKI. The IB note also revealed that Tara has made his new residence at a place near the revered Sikh shrine Nankana Sahib. | |||||||||
| 04-Jun-2014 | Agencies have received fresh inputs about Jagtar Singh Tara of KTF and Lakhvir Singh Rode of ISYF coming together to smuggle in explosives from across the border and provide logistics to target BJP leaders. The agencies have also received fresh information about two groups of 10-15 militants belonging to the KCF planning attacks on PM Narendra Modi and other top leaders of the RSS and BJP. A meeting to target Modi was held recently in Islamabad which was attended by Dr. Khalid Rashid and Mohammad Ghalib from the UK, Azmat Khan from JKLF and Wadhwa Singh of BKI. | |||||||||
| 04-Feb-2014 | A joint note prepared by UMHA and Punjab Police has revealed that over 30 Khalistani militants are staying in the UK. The note, dated September 30, 2013, said that Jagtar Singh Tara, whose terror group KTF had claimed responsibility for RDX explosives recovered from a car in Ambala in October 2011, that was meant to target 1984 riot-tainted Sajjan Kumar, is the new face of Sikh extremists. "There has been a cleavage and parting of ways between BKI chief Wadhwa Singh and Jagtar Singh Tara, who is heading KTF. In the UK and also in countries like Germany, the BKI sympathizers and supporters have started gravitating towards Tara at the cost of Wadhwa Singh," the note added. The note points out those Khalistan sympathizers, with the support of ISI, are frequently visiting Pakistan to meet Tara, who has based himself near Nankana Sahib Gurdwara and BKI chief Wadhwa Singh is now losing his sway in Europe and the UK. | |||||||||
| 30-Sep-2012 | British national Jaswant Singh Ajad, actively working for banned militant organizations BKI, KZF, and KTF was arrested from the Focal Point area of Jalandhar District. An Italian made 9 mm pistol and two magazines having 15 rounds were recovered from him. He has a strong relationship with the banned militant organization BKI led by Wadhwa Singh Babbar, KZF led by Ranjit Singh Neeta, KTF led by Jagtar Singh and Parpinder Singh of Scotland and others. Ajad was financing the militant modules to reunite them, he was also managing the sleeper cells of militants by providing them money, networking, and hideouts. A case under sections 120-B, 121, 121-A IPC, 25 Arms Act 10, 13, 17, 18-B, 20, 38, 39, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 has been registered against him. | |||||||||
| 31-Oct-2011 | Banned terror outfit KTF claimed responsibility for the huge haul of explosives recovered from an abandoned car in Ambala in Haryana on October 12 and stated that their motive was to eliminate senior Congress leader Sajjan Kumar to avenge the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. | |||||||||
| 13-Mar-2011 | Khalistani militant Jagtar Singh Tara, who was involved in the assassination of former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh, is reportedly planning to launch his outfit, Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) breaking away from the parent outfit BKI. |