KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
25-Jul-2025
Gunjit Singh Bakshi, National Secretary General of Sikh Brotherhood International, has urged countries like the United States and Canada to take decisive action against Khalistani elements operating from their territories. His statement comes in the wake of recent US raids on Khalistani hideouts, resulting in multiple arrests linked to the banned terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and affiliated gangster networks. Bakshi asserted that such enforcement actions would not only dismantle pro-Khalistan networks but also weaken Pakistan’s broader terror infrastructure. His remarks reflect growing support within India’s Sikh community for international collaboration to counter extremism and violence.
23-Jul-2025
According to a report by Khalsa Vox, the July 11 raids in Stockton, California, conducted by United States (US) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the local Sheriff’s Department, exposed a disturbing nexus between pro-Khalistan extremist (PKE) networks and organised criminal activity. The arrests of Gurtaj Singh, Sarabjit Singh, and U.S.-based gangster Pavittar Preet Singh—linked to the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ)—resulted in the seizure of illegal firearms, narcotics, and evidence of intimidation targeting Sikh community members. The suspects now face charges including kidnapping, gang-related crimes, and terrorism-linked offences.
21-Jul-2025
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, announced via video a ‘Khalistan Freedom Rally’ outside the Indian Embassy in Washington DC in the United States (US) on August 15. In the message, he threatened to burn the Indian tricolour and declared plans to hold a Khalistan referendum in Washington DC on August 17.
17-Jul-2025
The recent arrest of gangster and drug trafficker Opinder Singh Sian by the United States (US) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has exposed a growing nexus between Chinese drug cartels, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and pro-Khalistan networks. Sian was found trafficking fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into the US, revealing a deepening collaboration between Khalistani elements, Pakistani intelligence, Chinese chemical suppliers, and Latin American drug cartels.
16-Jul-2025
A recent sting operation conducted by the United States (US) Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) at Vancouver Port in Canada led to the arrest of Opinder Singh Sian, an Indo-Canadian gangster and leader of the Brothers Keepers gang. According to a DEA affidavit, Sian played a central role in a global narcotics network involving the Sinaloa cartel, Chinese Triads, Hezbollah, and the Kinahan crime family. He also served as a key intermediary for Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), facilitating the flow of synthetic drugs from Chinese suppliers to Latin American cartels. Additionally, 40 Indo-Canadians allegedly supporting this network’s extremist operations in Punjab, Delhi, and Kashmir were identified. Sian is scheduled to appear before a US court on July 21.
14-Jul-2025
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, announced a Sikh prayer ceremony to honour United States (US) President Donald Trump’s survival of an assassination attempt, to be held on August 17 in Washington, DC. Framing the event as a tribute to “ballot over bullet,” Pannun drew parallels between Trump’s defiance and SFJ’s Khalistan Referendum campaign.
13-Jul-2025
On July 13, 35-year-old Sikh Gurpreet Singh was shot by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers after he brandished a 27-inch machete at vehicles, pedestrians, and police in Los Angeles, United States (US). He was transported to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries on July 17.
12-Jul-2025
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on July 12 arrested eight Khalistani terrorists, identified as Dilpreet Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Vishal, Pavittar Singh Batala, Gurtaj Singh, Manpreet Randhawa and Sarabjit Singh, and seized 5 handguns (including a fully-automatic Glock), one assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and over USD 15,000 in cash from their possession, in San Joaquin County in California in the United States (US). Among those arrested was Pavittar Singh Batala, wanted in India by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his links to Khalistani terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
08-Jul-2025
According to sources, Khalistani terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia—linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)—is likely to be extradited to India from the United States (US) in the coming weeks. He was arrested on April 17 in Sacramento, California, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and is currently being held at a detention centre. Sources further indicate that Indian law enforcement agencies have been informed that the extradition request is under active consideration, following close coordination between Indian and US authorities.
05-Jul-2025
Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused in the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun assassination plot, recently claimed—through documents submitted by his New York-based attorney Nola Heller—that he was not informed of his legal rights at the time of his arrest, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, in the United States (US) The defence has filed a motion to suppress certain statements and evidence, including phone data and interactions with Czech and US officials following his detention in Prague on June 30, 2023. Gupta, who was extradited to the US in June 2024, has also sought the dismissal of a money laundering conspiracy charge carrying a potential 20-year sentence.
03-Jul-2025
The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) recently responded to a complaint filed by the Fremont Gurdwara Sahib, which urged the United States (US) Department of Justice to investigate HAF as a potential unregistered foreign agent of India. In its statement, HAF strongly denied the allegations, describing them as factually incorrect, legally baseless, and rooted in bias. It also accused the gurdwara of having links to pro-Khalistan interests. The Foundation emphasized that it is a US-based non-profit organization, not directed or funded by any foreign government, and warned that such accusations pose a threat to civil society and diaspora engagement.
02-Jul-2025
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel on July 2 in Washington, D.C., and expressed appreciation for the strong cooperation between India and the United States in combating organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism. As part of his official visit to the U.S. at the invitation of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Dr. Jaishankar also held discussions with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
01-Jul-2025
On July 1, ISKCON revealed that its Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, United States (US), had been targeted in a series of shooting incidents throughout June 2025, with 20 to 30 bullets fired at the premises over multiple nights. The gunfire, which occurred during nighttime hours while devotees and staff were inside, caused significant structural damage, including to the temple’s intricately hand-carved arches. Thousands of dollars in damage were reported, and the incidents are being investigated as suspected hate crimes. The Consulate General of India in San Francisco strongly condemned the attacks and urged local authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice, expressing full support for the Hindu community.
11-Jun-2025
On June 11, former Pentagon official and senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Michael Rubin, strongly criticised former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for amplifying what he described as exaggerated claims about Hardeep Singh Nijjar and the Khalistan movement, during an interview with ANI. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategic diplomacy and urged the Canadian government to take firm action against Khalistani extremism.
10-Jun-2025
A spokesperson for the Fremont Gurdwara Sahib wrote to United States (US) Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging an investigation into the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), alleging that it operates as a foreign agent for the Indian government. The Gurdwara claims that the Foundation has facilitated meetings between US Congress members and Indian officials, and has publicly supported the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) policies. The HAF has denied the allegations, calling them part of a smear campaign orchestrated by supporters of the Khalistan movement.
06-Jun-2025
An Indian parliamentary delegation led by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was surrounded and heckled by pro-Khalistan protesters outside the National Press Building in Washington, D.C. in the United States (US), on June 6. The protesters, waving Khalistan flags and chanting separatist slogans, blocked the delegation’s path, forcing them to seek police assistance for a safe exit.
04-Jun-2025
On June 4, Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta, accused by the United States (US) Department of Justice of conspiring to assassinate Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, withdrew a self-filed motion to dismiss the indictment against him in the Southern District Court of New York. The motion, initially submitted on May 22, 2025, invoked his right to self-representation. After its withdrawal by court-appointed attorneys, Gupta’s legal team filed a new motion on June 23, seeking dismissal of the money laundering charge and suppression of certain evidence. His trial is now expected to begin in November 2025.
03-Jun-2025
On June 3, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that 49-year-old Indian-American Bhushan Athale was sentenced to 26 months in prison by the Camden Federal Court in Camden, New Jersey, for making violent, hate-filled threats against employees of a Sikh non-profit organization. A resident of Dallas, Athale pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime and to transmitting interstate threats targeting individuals based on their religion. He had a documented history of making inflammatory, religion-based remarks, including expressions of hatred toward Sikhs and Muslims. In addition to his prison sentence, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release and prohibited from contacting his victims.
01-Jun-2025
On June 1, Dr. Swaiman Singh, who played a vital role during the 2020–21 farmers’ protest at the Delhi borders, was heckled by pro-Khalistan individuals at the New York Sikh Cultural Society Gurdwara in New York City, New York, United States.
29-May-2025
According to United States (US) federal records filed in April 2025, the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), led by designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has resumed professional lobbying efforts in Washington, DC. The group has hired The Livingston Group to target top US government institutions, marking its third documented lobbying attempt.