KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
13-Apr-2026
On April 13, the 83rd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 475 raids, arrested 223 persons. Preventive action was taken against 78 individuals, while 81 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
13-Apr-2026
On April 13, Punjab Police, on day 408 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 97 drug smugglers, and seized 8.3 kg of heroin, 5528 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 9300 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
13-Apr-2026
Punjab Police on April 13 arrested six individuals and recovered two pistols from them in connection with the March 30 grenade attack on Bhindi Saida police station in Amritsar district. The arrests followed a joint operation by Amritsar Rural and Faridkot police. In the first incident, Baljit Singh and Prabh Singh were arrested along with two pistols from Faridkot in an intelligence-based operation and the remaining four, Rajbir Singh, Sukhpreet Singh, Ajaydeep Singh alias Ajay alias Gazni, and Sahib Singh alias Saba were arrested from Amritsar. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations point to an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed module operating under a Pakistan-based handler. The accused were allegedly radicalized and lured with financial incentives to target police establishments. On the night of the attack, they retrieved hand grenades, conducted reconnaissance of the police station, and then carried out the assault.
13-Apr-2026
Police on April 13 arrested a woman, Swaran Kaur and recovered two Glock pistols (9 mm), six magazines, and 23 live rounds from her possession, in Ferozepur district. According to police, Gurwinder Singh—lodged in Ferozepur Central Jail—had instructed his mother to collect the weapons from their home and deliver them to a contact on the Ismail Khan–Dullewala link road. Acting on this input, police intercepted and arrested her, seizing the arms and ammunition.
13-Apr-2026
According to reports, the six accused arrested in the March 30 grenade attack on Bhindi Saida police station were promised INR 4 lakh by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)--backed handlers but received only a small amount before being arrested. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in regular contact with a Pakistan-based handler directing terror activities. The module members were allegedly radicalized and motivated to target police establishments. Baljit Singh and Prabh Singh retrieved two hand grenades from a hideout near Gharinda in Amritsar district on the intervening night of March 29–30. They, along with Rajbir Singh, then rode a motorcycle to within 1–2 kilometers of the police station and executed the attack.
12-Apr-2026
According to official sources, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized 331 kg of heroin along the Punjab border with Pakistan in the first quarter of the year, marking a sharp rise compared to 414 kg in 2025 and 283 kg in 2024. A total of 47 drones have also been recovered so far, against 272 in 2025. Seizures of synthetic drugs have increased as well, with 5.5 kg of ICE and 10.5 kg of opium recovered in multiple operations. Arms recoveries have also risen, with 58 weapons, 654 rounds, 93 magazines, and a grenade seized, indicating sustained efforts to fuel illegal activities and terror modules. In 2025, 201 weapons were recovered, up from 36 in 2024. Additionally, 110 Indian smugglers and 34 suspects have been arrested this year. Five Pakistani intruders and one Egyptian national were apprehended, while three Pakistani intruders were killed during border operations.
12-Apr-2026
On April 12, the 82nd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 522 raids, arrested 225 persons and recovered two weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 78 individuals, while 89 persons were verified and released after questioning. Nine proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
12-Apr-2026
On April 12, Punjab Police, on day 407 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 91 drug smugglers, and seized 7.2 kg of heroin, 256 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2020 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
12-Apr-2026
Police on April 12 arrested a man, identified as Tarun Kumar alias Navi and recovered 7 grams of heroin from his possession during a routine patrol near the old Civil Hospital in Phagwara, Kapurthala district.
11-Apr-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of Moga Police on April 11 arrested two proclaimed offenders, identified as Akashdeep Singh alias Nikku and Jaswinder Singh alias Liaqat and recovered five pistols, four magazines, and 10 cartridges, in Moga district. Akashdeep faces 11 FIRs, including multiple cases under the NDPS Act and Arms Act, while Jaswinder has five FIRs registered against him.
11-Apr-2026
Batala Police on April 11 arrested three operatives of a cross-border drug and illegal arms smuggling network, including Nishan Singh, Ravipal Singh, and a juvenile, and recovered 6.5 kg of heroin, a .30-calibre pistol with six cartridges, and INR 1 lakh in drug money, in Gurdaspur district. The operation followed an investigation into an extortion-linked firing incident on March 30 under the Civil Lines police station in Batala, in which two accused—Vansh and Sukhchain—were earlier arrested, leading to the seizure of two .30-bore pistols.
10-Apr-2026
According to report, five police personnel have been booked for allegedly facilitating the release of an impounded passport of Batala-born international drug lord Shehnaz Singh alias Shawn Bhinder by issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) and preparing a biased report, in Tarn Taran district. Bhinder, wanted by the United States (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), managed to flee the country after the suspension of his passport was revoked, raising allegations of police collusion. A native of Mandiala village, he was arrested in March 2025 during the state’s anti-drug drive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ after returning to India following an FBI crackdown. His passport had been impounded by the Regional Passport Office in Amritsar on police request. After securing bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in October 2025, he applied for revocation of the suspension, which was cleared by Tarn Taran CIA in charge Prabhjeet Singh, who has since been suspended.
10-Apr-2026
Officials claimed on April 10 that Delhi Police Special Cell unearthed an ISI-backed espionage module and arrested 11 operatives linked to the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The accused were installing CCTV cameras at multiple locations to monitor sensitive sites, including Army-linked establishments, with cameras found at nine locations nationwide. In the first operation, six accused—three each from Punjab and Delhi—were arrested, and three PX5 pistols, one country-made firearm, and 24 cartridges were seized. Police also recovered nine solar-powered CCTV cameras installed near sensitive defence establishments, with live feeds transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers via mobile applications. Investigations revealed the module was funded through UPI transactions, partly sourced from illegal arms smuggling. In a second operation, based on Military Intelligence inputs, five more accused from Punjab were arrested for espionage activities. They conducted reconnaissance of Army and paramilitary installations, shared photos and videos with handlers in Pakistan, and assisted in setting up surveillance networks. Police said the module was part of a larger nexus involving Pakistan-based handlers, gangsters, and terror operatives.
10-Apr-2026
Deported from the UAE, Amritpal Singh Mehron—alleged mastermind in the murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi—was brought to Bathinda and produced before a local court on April 10, which remanded him to five-day police custody. Head of the self-styled radical outfit “Qaum De Rakhe” and a resident of Mehron village in Moga district, he was taken into custody by Bathinda Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
10-Apr-2026
On April 10, the Punjab Government announced cash rewards for 28 proclaimed offenders involved in extortion, targeted killings, and cross-border smuggling of arms and drugs under the “Gangster-Free Punjab” campaign. The rewards range from INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh, with full-page newspaper advertisements issued to seek public assistance. Officials said these fugitive gangsters are linked to hundreds of cases across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Delhi, and continue to operate from abroad, including the United States (US), Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Brazil, and Pakistan. Among those with the highest reward are Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, based in Canada, and Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, allegedly operating from Pakistan.
10-Apr-2026
On April 10, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), extradited fugitive Sahil Chauhan from Bangkok, Thailand. He arrived at Delhi International Airport, where he was taken into custody by a Haryana Police team. Chauhan is wanted in multiple cases involving murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, and illegal arms use. He is a key member of the Bhuppi Rana gang operating across Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.
09-Apr-2026
Between April 9 and April 17, Phagwara Police conducted targeted search operations in identified drug-affected areas, arresting eight individuals and recovering 47 grams of heroin and 70 intoxicant tablets in Phagwara, Kapurthala district. Eight separate cases have been registered, and all accused have been sent to judicial custody.
09-Apr-2026
The Madhya Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 9 arrested Pradip Shukla, a key operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in Morena district. Carrying a INR 20,000 reward, Shukla is suspected to be among the masterminds behind extortion threats issued to businessmen in the name of overseas handler Harry Boxer. Active across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, he played a crucial role in coordinating the extortion network. He is currently in SIT custody, and his interrogation is expected to reveal further details about the gang’s operations, including links to overseas operatives and associates such as Ritik Boxer lodged in other states. Originally from Agra district in Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is accused in over 12 cases, including murder, attempted murder, and extortion.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, the 79th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 567 raids, arrested 252 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 80 individuals, while 72 persons were verified and released after questioning. 10 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, Punjab Police, on day 404 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 129 drug smugglers, and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 40,507 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 27,299 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two operatives of an ISI-sponsored Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module, Akash Masih and Jablaun and recovered five hand grenades, two detonators, a push-to-talk (PTT) timer with coder and decoder, a 9V battery, around 1 kg of IED material packed with nails, and a Baofeng walkie-talkie with cable and trigger mechanism were recovered from their possession, in Gurdaspur district. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the seizure indicated preparations for high-impact terror attacks aimed at disturbing peace and security in the state.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Anit and Harpreet Singh alias Lavi and recovered 106 grams of heroin, INR 1.17 lakh in drug money, a mobile phone, and a motorcycle, near a canal bridge on the Sarawa link road in Faridkot district.
09-Apr-2026
Phillaur Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Virinder Prakash and Kuldeep Kumar and recovered 200 grams of heroin during a patrol operation in the Phillaur area of Jalandhar district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested one person, identified as Simran Kaur, and seized 9.48 grams of heroin along with 53 intoxicating tablets from her in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Armanjot Singh alias Arman and Manjeet Singh alias Kaka and seized 10 grams of heroin and a motorcycle from them in Bhulath village in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested one person, identified as Balwinder Singh alias Kala and seized 50 grams of heroin in Subhanpur village in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested a youth, identified as Tushar Sharma alias Maddy and seized 3 grams of heroin in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested a person, identified as Sawanpreet Singh and recovered 25 intoxicating tablets from his possession in Subhanpur in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police sources confirmed on April 9 that Amritpal Singh Mehron, the alleged mastermind in the June 2025 murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, has been taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is being deported to Punjab. A Bathinda Police team, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)-rank officer, secured his custody from UAE authorities. He boarded a flight and was expected to arrive in India past midnight on April 9. Mehron had been detained by Sharjah Police in January 2026 during a visa-related inquiry, with deportation formalities taking time to complete.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, three prominent private schools in Moga city received bomb threat emails claiming explosives had been planted on their premises, in Moga district. Authorities immediately evacuated students and staff, but no suspicious items were found during the search.
08-Apr-2026
Jind Police on April 8 arrested six operatives linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang in an attempted extortion case and paraded them in a market in Jind district, Haryana. The accused had allegedly demanded INR 2 crore from a trader, Anoop of Titoli village in Rohtak district, and threatened to kill his family if the demand was not met. An FIR in the case was registered on March 25.
08-Apr-2026
Customs officials recovered 964 grams of cannabis hidden in four sweet boxes from a passenger arriving from Bangkok at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar district.
08-Apr-2026
On April 8, the 78th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 400 raids, arrested 192 persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 109 individuals, while 41 persons were verified and released after questioning. Six proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
08-Apr-2026
On April 8, Punjab Police, on day 403 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 115 drug smugglers, and seized 841 grams of heroin, 860 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 25,550 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
08-Apr-2026
Amritsar City Police Commissionerate on April 8 dismantled a cross-border illegal arms smuggling module, arresting three persons and a juvenile, and recovering seven advanced pistols, 12 cartridges, and a motorcycle in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in direct contact with Pakistan-based handlers through social media platforms. The handlers allegedly facilitated arms smuggling via the Attari border, with consignments dropped at pre-designated locations and later retrieved for local distribution.
07-Apr-2026
The Police Operation Cell of Chandigarh on April 7 arrested two active associates of the Lucky Patial gang, identified as Deepak Kumar alias Deepu and Sahil and recovered two country-made pistols and three live cartridges, in Sector 26, Chandigarh. The accused were recently involved in the murder of property dealer Chamanpreet Singh alias Chinni.
07-Apr-2026
Kapurthala Police on April 7 busted a Pakistan-backed narcotics smuggling module, arresting four operatives, Balwinder Singh, Sumanpreet Kaur, Harpal Singh, and Jaskaranbir Singh and recovering 16.8 kg of heroin, in Phagwara, Kapurthala district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the operation was orchestrated by Pakistan- and Dubai-based handlers. The consignment was sourced from the Amritsar border area and was intended for delivery in Chandigarh.
07-Apr-2026
The Delhi Police Crime Branch on April 7 arrested Aditya Mishra, a key arms supplier linked to the Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu gang and recovered two pistols, a blank gun, and three live cartridges were recovered from his possession, near Pochanpur village on Urban Extension Road-II in Dwarka, New Delhi.
06-Apr-2026
Amritsar Commissionerate Police on April 6 busted a drug trafficking module, arresting two persons, Atish Suman and Sawinder Singh alias Sundri and recovering 4.13 kg of heroin in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were in direct contact with Europe-based handlers and jailed operatives, and were involved in supplying and distributing heroin across the Majha and Doaba regions.
06-Apr-2026
Panic gripped the Ferozepur district courts complex on April 6 morning after an email claimed a bomb had been planted on the premises. Authorities evacuated the complex as a precaution, but no suspicious object was found during the search. The threat email was sent to the court’s official ID.
06-Apr-2026
On April 6, several private and government schools in Amritsar district received threat emails mentioning “Khalistan,” targeting three private schools, one government school, and some government offices. Police teams, along with bomb squads, were deployed to inspect the locations, but no suspicious objects were found.
05-Apr-2026
Security was heightened at the Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL) thermal power plant in Banawala village, Mansa district, after suspicious drone-like objects were spotted overhead on the night of April 5. Police said the unidentified movements triggered immediate action, and a search operation was conducted in and around the premises, but nothing objectionable was found.
05-Apr-2026
According to reports, the recent recovery of 10 sophisticated firearms—nearly supplied to gangsters for targeted killings in Punjab—has highlighted Bihar’s emergence as a hub of illegal weapons manufacturing. A senior IPS officer noted that the illegal arms industry, which earlier operated in Uttar Pradesh and later shifted to Madhya Pradesh, is now increasingly rooted in Bihar. He added that its proximity to the Nepal border enables easy escape routes and sustains a steady supply chain. Police officials also flagged the high quality of the recovered .32 bore pistols, each capable of firing multiple rounds with low chances of misfire, making them particularly lethal in targeted attacks.
05-Apr-2026
On April 5, the 75th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 527 raids, arrested 241 persons and recovered nine weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 108 individuals, while 84 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
05-Apr-2026
On April 5, Punjab Police, on day 400 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 120 drug smugglers, and seized 1.6 kg of heroin, 164 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 8890 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
05-Apr-2026
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Chandigarh Police and with assistance from the Haryana Police STF, on April 5 arrested the two main accused—Gurtej Singh and Amanpreet Singh—from Rewari, Haryana, in connection with the April 1 grenade attack outside the BJP office in Sector 37, Chandigarh. With this, all seven accused in the case are now in custody, marking the dismantling of the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed terror module within 48 hours of the initial arrests. Investigations revealed that the handlers—Baljot Singh alias Jot, based in Portugal, and Harjeet Singh Laadi, based in Germany—had promised the accused INR 2 lakh to carry out the attack.
05-Apr-2026
Commissionerate Police Amritsar on April 5 busted an organized drug trafficking module, arresting two persons, identified as Atish Suman and Sawinder Singh,and recovering 4.130 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar district.
05-Apr-2026
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Police on April 5 arrested an accused, identified as Bikramjit Singh alias Vicky in connection with a grenade smuggling case in Punjab, in Deesa, Banaskantha district in Gujarat. He is suspected to be linked to a Pakistani gangster working for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Acting on inputs from Punjab Police, the ATS and Banaskantha Police nabbed him while he was working as a labourer at a roadside restaurant under a false identity. Investigations indicate he played a key role in plotting attacks on police stations and other security units on the instructions of his handlers.
05-Apr-2026
Shimla Police on April 5 stated that Rubal Chauhan, a Rohru resident arrested in connection with the April 1 grenade attack outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Sector 37, Chandigarh, had no local links to the conspiracy. A native of Thana village in Rohru subdivision, Himachal Pradesh, Chauhan, along with other accused, had collected a consignment of arms and grenades from a village in SBS Nagar on March 28. Police said the accused had no local links in the Rohru area, as he rarely visited his ancestral village and had been studying in Chandigarh for some time.
05-Apr-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered a 548-grams heroin packet near Naushera Dhala village in Tarn Taran district. The contraband is suspected to have been dropped by a drone from the Pakistan side.