KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
16-Mar-2026
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on March 16 criticized the Union Government, alleging that gangster Lawrence Bishnoi was being given “VIP treatment” in Sabarmati Jail in Gujarat. Mann claimed that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) had directed that Bishnoi cannot be questioned by state investigating agencies outside the Gujarat jail, indicating that the Centre was prioritising his safety. He also referred to remarks by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on gangsters during his recent visit to Punjab, questioning the alleged preferential treatment being extended to Bishnoi.
16-Mar-2026
On March 16, the 55th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 363 raids, arrested 172 persons and recovered three weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 77 individuals, while 72 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
16-Mar-2026
On March 16, Punjab Police, on day 380 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 91 drug smugglers, and seized 706 grams of heroin, 364 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1.37 lakhs drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
16-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 16 arrested a man, identified as Raman Kumar and seized 4.30 grams of heroin from his possession, in Kapurthala district.
16-Mar-2026
Three government schools in Moga district received emails on March 16 threatening to blow up the buildings. The emails targeted schools in Godhewala, Ugoke, and Jhandiana. Upon receiving the threats, school authorities alerted the police and the Education Department. The incident led to the immediate evacuation of students and the cancellation of a scheduled examination.
16-Mar-2026
The Anti-Narcotics Cell of Navi Mumbai Police arrested three men from Punjab, Baljit Singh Savinder Singh alias Monu, Gurupratap Singh Sharanjit Singh alias Gopi, and Karamjit Singh Nindar Singh, and seized high-grade heroin, an Austria-made Glock pistol, live cartridges, and a trailer truck, during the operation, in a targeted operation in the Chakan MIDC–Nigoje village area of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Pune district in Maharashtra. Investigators believe the case may be linked to a cross-border narcotics supply chain that uses drones to smuggle drugs into India before routing them into Maharashtra.
16-Mar-2026
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted bail to an accused in a case related to propagating the “Khalistan Referendum 2020,” observing that over seven years of pre-trial incarceration was excessive. The court directed the accused to surrender any weapons, firearms, and ammunition within 15 days of release. It further held that continued detention at the pre-trial stage would amount to “grave injustice,” noting that the accused had already spent more than seven years in custody while the trial remained ongoing.
16-Mar-2026
According to reports, some schools in Jalandhar district, including Apeejay School and Delhi Public School (DPS), received a threatening email warning of bomb blasts at multiple locations on April 14, prompting authorities to place the administration on high alert. The email, sent in the name of a group calling itself “Punjab Ul Khalistan,” mentioned specific timings for alleged explosions, including schools in Jalandhar at 1:11 pm, the Punjab Legislative Assembly at 2:11 pm, and Delhi-bound trains at 9:11 pm. It also named Bhagwant Mann as one of the prime targets.
15-Mar-2026
On March 15, the 54th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 529 raids, arrested 196 persons and recovered four weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 70 individuals, while 107 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
15-Mar-2026
On March 15, Punjab Police, on day 379 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 80 drug smugglers, and seized 9 kg of heroin, 700 grams of opium, 5 kg of poppy husk, 2457 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 10,400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
15-Mar-2026
The Punjab Police’s Amritsar Commissionerate on March 15 arrested two arms smugglers, identified as Karan Singh and Gurpreet Singh and seized two TISAS pistols, magazines, and 20 live cartridges from their possession, in Amritsar district.
15-Mar-2026
The Punjab Police’s Amritsar Commissionerate on March 15 arrested an arms supplier, Makhandeen and seized a TISAS pistol, one 9 mm pistol, two .30 bore pistols, and 40 live cartridges from his possession, in Amritsar district.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 arrested two persons, identified Rakesh and Chamkor Singh and seized 1 kg of heroin from their possession, in Amritsar district.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 arrested one person, identified as Jasbir Singh and seized 2.5 kg of heroin from his possession, in Amritsar district.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 said that four persons have been arrested in connection with the daylight murder of Harvinder Singh alias Happy, the sarpanch (village head) of Patto Hira Singh village in Moga district on March 6. The suspects were apprehended in Leh, Ladakh, where they had allegedly fled to evade arrest. They were subsequently flown to Chandigarh and brought to Moga on the evening of March 14. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dalveer Singh said the assailants allegedly used a rented SUV to carry out the crime before abandoning it and escaping in another vehicle. According to officials, the investigation indicates that the murder was driven by personal enmity rather than gang-related activity.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 arrested a person, identified as Satpal Singh alias Goga, and seized 7.61 grams of heroin from his possession near the Dargah Nogajja Pir Road area in Nurmahal in Jalandhar district.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 arrested a person, identified as Harmukh Singh alias Laddu, and recovered 18 intoxicating tablets from his possession near Sandhawal in Jalandhar district.
15-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 15 arrested a person, identified as Amrik Singh alias Amrika, and seized 15 intoxicating tablets from his possession near the railway bridge at Kotli Gajran village in Jalandhar district.
14-Mar-2026
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Hanumangarh Police on March 14 arrested Vishal Kumar alias ‘Bhaiya’, an accused wanted under the Arms Act and the Amritsar-based main arms procurer for the Bambiha gang, from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan. Vishal, a native of Amritsar, is reportedly involved in around 30 criminal cases, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, assault, and violations of the Arms Act.
14-Mar-2026
On March 14, the 53th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 581 raids, arrested 186 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 82 individuals, while 73 persons were verified and released after questioning. Two proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
14-Mar-2026
On March 14, Punjab Police, on day 378 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 92 drug smugglers, and seized 526 grams of heroin, 515 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 9540 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
14-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 14 arrested a suspect, identified as Dharam Singh alias Dharma, and seized one 7.65 mm country-made pistol from his possession near Fattivindi village in Kapurthala district.
14-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 14 arrested three persons, identified as Aksar alias Akshay, Jatinder alias Kalu, and Vishal and seized 750 intoxicant pills from their possession near Sheetla Mandir Road in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
14-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 14 arrested a youth, identified as Lovpreet Singh alias Luv, and seized 10 grams of heroin from his possession during a patrol operation near Bilga in Jalandhar district.
13-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 13 arrested two persons, identified as Amarjeet Singh alias Rohit and Gursewak Singh and seized one AK-47 assault rifle, two magazines, 36 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, three Glock pistols, four magazines, and four cartridges from their possession, in Amritsar district. Police said the weapon consignment was dropped by a Pakistani drone near the Muhawa border village in the Attari sub-division. According to investigators, the weapons were intended to be delivered in Gurdaspur district to target senior police officials in the aftermath of the state government and Punjab Police’s flagship anti-gangster programme, “Gangster te Vaar.” The module was reportedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with the accused allegedly in contact with two foreign-based handlers.
13-Mar-2026
On March 13, the 52nd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 587 raids, arrested 241 persons and recovered 11 weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 103 individuals, while 102 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
13-Mar-2026
On March 13, Punjab Police, on day 377 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 64 drug smugglers, and seized 13 kg of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium and 443 intoxicant tablets/capsules from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
13-Mar-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint search operation with Punjab Police on March 13, recovered 12.8 kg of heroin from agricultural fields near the Pachharian border outpost in Ferozepur district.
12-Mar-2026
The Punjab Police Special Task Force (STF), on the intervening night of March 12–13, arrested three individuals, identified as Prem, Karandeep, and Deepak, and recovered 388 grams of heroin from their possession in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
12-Mar-2026
On March 12, the 51st day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 505 raids, arrested 219 persons and recovered seven weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 80 individuals, while 115 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
12-Mar-2026
On March 12, Punjab Police, on day 376 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 83 drug smugglers, and seized 330 grams of heroin, 25 kg of poppy husk, 514 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 5800 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
12-Mar-2026
The Punjab Police, in coordination with central agencies, on March 12 arrested fugitive Bhuvnesh Chopra alias Ashish after securing his deportation from a Central Asian country, upon arrival at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi. Bhuvnesh had fled abroad to evade arrest in multiple serious cases, including a triple murder and several narcotics trafficking offences. Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said a Red Corner Notice and a Look-Out Circular had been issued to track and restrict his international movements. Sustained coordination with international agencies eventually helped trace his location in the Central Asian country, leading to his deportation. A key role in the operation was played by the Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell (OFTEC), recently constituted under the Internal Security wing.
12-Mar-2026
Chandigarh Police have filed an “untraced” report in a case registered against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, head of the banned separatist organisation Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), for allegedly threatening to kill judges through a suicide bomber. Police had registered the case in 2022 under Section 506 of the IPC after Pannun allegedly threatened to target judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Supreme Court of India. After more than four years of investigation, the police submitted an untraced report before a Chandigarh District Court, which has now accepted the report.
12-Mar-2026
The Supreme Court (SC) on March 12 granted bail to accused Pawan Bishnoi and Jagtar Singh in the 2022 murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. The Bench allowed their petitions challenging the August 1, 2025 order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had rejected their bail pleas. Moosewala was shot dead by assailants on May 29, 2022 in Mansa district.
12-Mar-2026
The Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissed the regular bail plea of Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan alias Jarmanjit Singh, an accused in the 532 kg heroin haul from Attari on the India–Pakistan border in June 2019. The Bench cited the “serious nature and gravity” of the offences and Gagandeep Singh’s chequered criminal history as the primary reasons for denying bail.
12-Mar-2026
The National Stock Exchange of India office in Kurla, on March 12 received a threatening email warning of a missile and bomb attack on key locations in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The email, allegedly sent from [email protected], claimed that “Mumbai will echo Khalistan” and warned of blasts at multiple locations, including the stock exchange, banks, courts, the Vidhan Bhavan, and metro facilities.
11-Mar-2026
On March 11, the 50th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 550 raids, arrested 207 persons and recovered two weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 95 individuals, while 103 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
11-Mar-2026
On March 11, Punjab Police, on day 375 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 96 drug smugglers, and seized 1.8 kg of heroin, 1244 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 5970 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
11-Mar-2026
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on March 11 arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) sarpanch (village head) Parminder Singh alias Pamma in connection with a drug-related case from Kalsian village in Tarn Taran district.
10-Mar-2026
On March 10, the 49th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 537 raids, arrested 151 persons and recovered two weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 75 individuals, while 111 persons were verified and released after questioning. Four proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
10-Mar-2026
On March 10, Punjab Police, on day 374 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 73 drug smugglers, and seized 5.1 kg of heroin, 5387 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 11,040 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
10-Mar-2026
Around 10 city schools and some journalists received bomb threat emails in Ludhiana district on March 10. While anti-sabotage teams conducted checks at the institutions, the schools were not evacuated.
09-Mar-2026
Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence unit on March 9 arrested a man and seized 9 kg of heroin from his possession in Amritsar district. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that preliminary investigations revealed the accused was in contact with a Pakistan-based smuggler and was acting on instructions from handlers across the border to distribute the contraband in Punjab.
09-Mar-2026
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on March 9, speaking in Patiala, expressed concern over the law-and-order situation in Punjab, describing it as “challenging.” He observed that the state’s law and order had become a weak link, noting that “almost every day, gunshots are being fired and murders are taking place.”
09-Mar-2026
The demand for the release of Khadur Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) and president of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Amritpal Singh, gained momentum during a panthic conference held at Majitha in Amritsar district on March 9. Several speakers called for Amritpal Singh’s immediate release and urged the government to allow the utilisation of the MP Local Area Development funds for his constituency.
09-Mar-2026
The demand for the release of Khadur Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) and president of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Amritpal Singh, gained momentum during a panthic conference held at Majitha in Amritsar district on March 9. Several speakers called for Amritpal Singh’s immediate release and urged the government to allow the utilisation of the MP Local Area Development funds for his constituency.
09-Mar-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on March 9 shot dead a Pakistani intruder who allegedly attempted to cross the International Border in the Khemkaran sector of Tarn Taran district. The intruder was reportedly trying to secretly enter Indian territory when BSF personnel opened fire. During a search of the body, officials recovered some medicines from his possession. After completing preliminary procedures, the BSF handed over the body to the police for further action.
08-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 8 arrested Kulwinder Singh Kinda, a close relative of prime accused Mohabbat Randhawa, in connection with the January 10 Baddowal luxury car showroom firing, from Tharike village in Amritsar district. The arrest brings police closer to Randhawa, whose name, along with that of gangster Pawan Shaukeen, appeared on a slip demanding INR 2 crore in extortion that was left by the miscreants who opened fire at the showroom.
08-Mar-2026
A District and Sessions Court in Sri Muktsar Sahib district has granted bail to Preetpal Kaur, mother of fugitive gangster Goldy Brar, in a case related to an alleged INR 50-lakh extortion demand. She was released after furnishing a bond of INR 60,000. Preetpal Kaur and her husband, Shamsher Singh, residents of Muktsar town, were arrested from Amritsar on January 26. While Preetpal has secured bail, Shamsher Singh remains in judicial custody.
08-Mar-2026
An email bomb threat warned that the Secretariat building in Chandigarh would be targeted with a drone or car bomb attack during the ongoing Assembly session on the afternoon of March 8. The message referenced Punjab’s political leadership and international issues, and invoked the name of a group calling itself the “Khalistan National Army.”