KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Rajesh Kumar and Rijwan and recovered 3 kg of opium from their possession in Khanna in Ludhiana district.
20-Jul-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized three packets of contraband, weighing over 3 kg heroin, in Abohar sector near the Indo-Pak border in Fazilka district.
20-Jul-2020
Punjab Police arrested an Army soldier and three others for their involvement in illegal arms and drug smuggling. Earlier a racket was busted last week in which a Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers and three others were nabbed by the Jalandhar (Rural) police. Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said Ramandeep Singh, who is a soldier, was apprehended from Bareilly in UP, on the basis of disclosures made by BSF Constable Sumit Kumar. He said three aides of Ramandeep, including Taranjot Singh alias Tanna, Jagjit Singh alias Laddi and Satinder Singh alias Kala would be brought on production warrants. Around Rs 10 lakh has been recovered from Kala thus taking the total amount seized to Rs 42.30 lakh.
20-Jul-2020
The Sikh community across India have rejected the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sponsored propaganda of Referendum 2020. On the first day of the registration for Referendum 2020 projected by a US-based Khalistani radical outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) not a single member of the Sikh community turned out to register for the same. Earlier, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of SFJ had claimed that it would start the registration process in New Delhi on July 19, 2020, after holding an Ardaas at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib but the Sikhs in New Delhi outrightly rejected it and no such Ardaas happened. However, a frustrated SFJ issued fake and morphed pictures of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib showing the images of Khalistani radicals.
20-Jul-2020
According to the latest Border Security Force (BSF)’s statistics, there has been a three-fold increase in the recovery of heroin by the BSF along the Punjab border this year (2020) as compared to the corresponding period last year. It also shows that around 328 kg of heroin, apparently smuggled from Pakistan, has been seized till July 19 this year. Last year, the figure was around 100kg for the same period.
19-Jul-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 64.33 kg of heroin from the Ravi river that flows along the India-Pakistan international border in Gurdaspur district. According to BSF, the contraband was found in 60 packets concealed in long fabric cloth tubes and tied to a bunch of water hyacinth floating in the river. The consignment was "pushed" into the river from Pakistan to the Indian side and BSF troops deployed at the border outpost in Nangli, near Dera Baba Nanak, spotted it in the wee hours. Though, the troops noticed some suspicious movement in the river, the smugglers managed to flee taking advantage of the darkness.
19-Jul-2020
After Indian authorities blocked a Russian portal used by pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) to propagate its anti-India agenda, the banned group launched a Canadian portal to register ‘Referendum 2020’ votes to demand Khalistan. A major security alert was sounded in New Delhi by agencies as the group this time targeted the national capital for voter registration regarding ‘Referendum 2020’ unlike its previous attempt to pick Punjab for its illegal agenda. The group took the step after India on July 4 blocked the Russian website www.punjabfree.ru, which was used by SFJ for online voter registration for ‘Referendum 2020’ in Punjab. Sources said that the SFJ launched Canadian portal ‘DelhiBanayGaKhalistan.ca’ from Canada to register ‘Referendum 2020’ votes in Delhi.
18-Jul-2020
A recent video of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun reveals that on the behest of Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), planning is being done on a war footing to spread panic in Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. The video has been caught by the investigating agencies, in which Delhi has been threatened to make another Khalistan. It is being told that at the behest of Pakistan, the work of spreading the wrong message is being done in India. After this video of terrorist Gurpatwant Singh surfaced, the Delhi Police has also been alerted along with Indian intelligence and investigation agencies.
18-Jul-2020
The family members of the Kashmiri Sikh youth, Mohinder Pal Singh, who was recently arrested by Delhi police in connection with Khalistani terrorism, refuted the claim of Delhi police and alleged he is being “framed” in a “fabricated case”. The family is claiming that he was targeted solely for serving langar to the anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. He was arrested by the Delhi police for alleged links with militant outfit Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) on June 15.
18-Jul-2020
India thanked the Afghanistan Government for the safe return of kidnapped Sikh Nidan Singh Sachdeva and decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement. There are about 1,000 Sikh and Hindus left in Afghanistan and the sense of insecurity was heightened after their massacre at Gurudwara Guru Har Rai in Kabul in May this year.
17-Jul-2020
The Bombay high court issued a legal notice to Twitter India, as it failed to submit its reply to a petition which had alleged that the social networking platform was deliberately promoting tweets from pro-Khalistani and secessionist groups. The notice is in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed two weeks back. The Chief Justice of the Bombay high court, in a previous order on June 5, directed Twitter India to file its response within three weeks. The response is still pending.
17-Jul-2020
According to reports, Belgium-based Ranjit Singh Nita of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is recording audio to seek support for “registration” for secessionist “Referendum 2020” from July 19 and these audio records are sent to various people, including journalists in India. In a 1.2-minute audio call having the country code 0032 (Belgium’s ISD code), the caller introduces himself as Nita, resident of Jammu and Kashmir and “mukh sewadar” of KZF, instigating people to register themselves to participate in the campaign.
16-Jul-2020
Members of the Sikh community held a protest near the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi against Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for backing pro-Khalistan activities and the ‘Khalistan Referendum 2020’. Sikh activists from the Jag Assara Guru Ott, led by Sardar Manjit Singh GK and various Sikh welfare organisations stage a demonstration near the Pakistan High Commission. There were around 50 to 60 Sikh protestors who tried to march towards the Pakistan High Commission from Teen Murti. However, they were stopped near Chanakyapuri police station, police said.
16-Jul-2020
The banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) asked Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) to facilitate the registration of Sikh voters at two city-based Gurudwaras for a referendum in November on the secession of Punjab from India. A large number of Sikhs in Delhi and many journalists have been receiving calls from US-based numbers playing a prerecorded message of SFJ’s legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun giving the details of the voter registration process and urging them to make “Referendum 2020” successful.
16-Jul-2020
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) passed a resolution saying it had nothing to do with “Referendum 2020” and it “opposed” the propaganda. The resolution read, “SFJ on social media has given the impression that DSGMC is supporting Referendum 2020, which is objectionable. We are a religious body and have nothing to do with it.”
16-Jul-2020
Indian World Forum (IWF), an organisation working to promote art, culture and commerce among the country’s diaspora, sent a complaint to Delhi Police commissioner SN Shrivastava against a 44-second video appeal by Pannun to hold a voter registration camp at the two Gurudwaras on July 19. IWF secretary general Puneet Singh Chandhok said, “Pannun has appealed to all Indians, in particular the Sikhs, to overthrow the Indian administration in Delhi and liberate the state of Punjab from Indian occupation by virtue of promoting Khalistan and Referendum 2020 and holding voter registration camps on July 19 at Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Bangla Sahib.”
15-Jul-2020
Police arrested two persons, identified as Sukhwinder Singhand Ranjit Singh for allegedly peddling drugs from Pakistan, and recovered 500 gm of heroin from them on the Fazilka-Ferozepur highway in Fazilka district. The accused had also confessed that they were in touch with Pakistani smugglers, and had brought the consignment from Pakistan through a river route in Ferozepur.
15-Jul-2020
The newly elected acting president of Haryana Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC), Sant Baba Baljit Singh Daduwal lambasted Pakistan for carrying out genocide of Sikh youth in Punjab and Haryana by smuggling drugs and narcotics into India through the international border. Daduwal said that his priority will now be to protect the precious lives of the Sikh and other youth in the states bordering Pakistan by spreading awareness about drug abuse.
14-Jul-2020
Punjab Police busted a gang of international arms smugglers with the arrest of two gangsters, identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gora and Germanjeet Singh from Bhogpur in Jalandhar district. Police seized a .455 bore pistol, two 9 mm pistols with four live cartridges, one pump action 12 bore rifle, one .32 bore revolver, one .30 bore pistol and live cartridges, Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said, adding that the Hyundai Verna car they were travelling in was also impounded.
14-Jul-2020
The Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said that the BJP led Indian government was using every tactic of eradicating minorities from the Indian sub-continent just like what Mughals did long ago. Giani Harpreet Singh said that the Mughals did everything to eradicate minorities from the Indian sub-continent but now those minorities are in majority here.
14-Jul-2020
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided the residence of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) militant Paramjit Singh Pamma and interrogated his parents at Phase 3B2 in Mohali in SAS Nagar district. According to sources, Pamma, who is currently working in close association with Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, has been abroad for a long time. The NIA team searched the entire house and also seized the passbooks of bank accounts in which Pamma was depositing money. They also inquired about Pamma’s remittances and other foreign funds and noted the details of the fixed deposit (FD) accounts of the elderly couple. Pamma’s parents, Amrik Singh and Ratan Kaur, said the search went on from around 10.30 am till 4 pm.
14-Jul-2020
Haryana Police in Ambala registered a case against an unknown person for issuing a death threat to Anti-Terrorist Front India president Viresh Shandilya. According to police, the FIR was registered on the complaint of Shandilya, who alleged that he received a death threat over the phone. In his complaint, Shandilya said he had received a phone call on Sunday (July 12) night with the caller threatened him for speaking against pro-Khalistan sympathisers. Shandilya alleged that the caller said he will be eliminated like former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated way back in 1995.
13-Jul-2020
Punjab Police busted a Pakistan-sponsored drugs and illegal arms smuggling racket, by arresting four persons including the kingpin, a Border Security Force (BSF) constable posted in Kashmir. Arrested persons were identified as constable Sumit Kumar, Simarjit Singh, Manpreet Singh and Amanpreet Singh and police recovered foreign-made weapons, 80 live cartridges etched with Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) markings and various other weapons along with Rs 32.30 lakh drug money from them. During the preliminary interrogation, the accused have confessed to being in touch with Pakistani terrorist Shah Musa who sponsored the module.
13-Jul-2020
Police arrested an absconding drug peddler, identified as Gurbejh Singh along with 1 kg heroin and Rs 46, 000 drug money in Sultanpur Lodhi town of Kapurthala district. The accused was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by a court in two cases of drug peddling registered against him.
13-Jul-2020
Jaspreet Singh (18), who was booked under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) by the Punjab Police recently, returned after 16 days in custody late on July 13 night. This after Punjab Police told a Patiala court that they have found no evidence against the youth during investigation. Earlier he was arrested on June 30 along with two others as suspected to be part of a Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF) module.
12-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Rinkal Kumar and Krishna Kumar after recovering 47 kg of ganja from their possession on Ludhiana-Delhi highway in Ludhiana district.
12-Jul-2020
Haryana Police registered a second FIR against the leader of the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, on charges of sedition and secessionism. The FIR was registered at Kurukshetra on the complaint of a state police official. The complainant has alleged that Pannun has been blaming the Haryana government and its people for being inimical to the interests of Sikhs and Punjabis. Haryana police spokesperson said that they have got all websites allegedly created by Pannun and launched in the past one week blocked.
12-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drug peddlers, identified as Varinder Singh and Rajinder Singh and recovered 50 gm heroin from them at Beas in Amritsar district.
12-Jul-2020
Anti-Terrorist Front India president Viresh Shandilya on July 12, 2020, received death threat over the phone. Shandilya received a phone call in the night with the caller threatened him for speaking against pro-Khalistan sympathisers. Shandilya alleged that the caller said he will be eliminated like former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated way back in 1995. He said, ““I have been speaking against pro-Khalistani elements. I have been raising my voice against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the banned pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice and the secessionist campaign he has started from the foreign soil.”
11-Jul-2020
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in an audio message claimed to organise an event related to the secessionist movement ‘Referendum 2020’ at Gurudwara Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra in Haryana on July 11. It prompted Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dhirendra Khadgata and Superintendent of Police (SP) Astha Modi to contact the management of the Shiromani Gurdwara Management Committee (SGPC)-run Gurudwara. Later, Gurudwara Patshahi Chhevin manager Amrinder Singh said that “Gurdwara Patshahi Chhevin in Kurukshetra is managed by SGPC. We have no link with SFJ. After consulting with higher officials of SGPC, we released a video message refuting the claims made in the audio message.” DC Khadgata said that, “These audio messages are being circulated with a motive to spread hatred.”
11-Jul-2020
Jalandhar Police (Rural) arrested one person, identified as Pawan Kumar and recovered 500 grams of heroin at a check point near Shahkot in Jalandhar district.
11-Jul-2020
Police arrested a woman, identified as Saroj Rani and recovered 25 kg puppy husk from her at a check point near village Atti near Goraya in Jalandhar district.
11-Jul-2020
Police arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Kuldip Singh and Ranjit Singh and recovered 130 intoxicant tablets and eight bottles of intoxicant syrups from them in Jalandhar district.
11-Jul-2020
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) dismissed the bail plea of an accused in the 2019 Tarn Taran blast. The accused, Malkiat Singh, had sought bail on health grounds, stating that he was suffering from various ailments for the last few years. However, dismissing the plea, the HC observed the trial court order establishes that the appellant was in constant touch with the co-accused and was an active member of the pro-Khalistan terrorist group and further, he collected the bomb from his co-accused and kept it in his possession.
10-Jul-2020
The monthly magazine of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has stated in its recent editorial that the increase in suppression of Sikhs in the country will lead to intensification of demand for independent territory among them. Written by its editor Satwinder Singh Phoolpur, the editorial appeared in the July 2020 edition of the magazine titled Gurmat Parkash. It raises the issue of confiscation of farmland of scores of Sikh farmers living in Uttar Pardesh by Yogi Adityanath-led state government.
10-Jul-2020
The monthly magazine of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has stated in its recent editorial that the increase in suppression of Sikhs in the country will lead to intensification of demand for independent territory among them. Written by its editor Satwinder Singh Phoolpur, the editorial appeared in the July 2020 edition of the magazine titled Gurmat Parkash. It raises the issue of confiscation of farmland of scores of Sikh farmers living in Uttar Pardesh by Yogi Adityanath-led state government.
09-Jul-2020
Punjab Police questioned Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member Karnail Singh Panjoli for his Facebook post related to Sikh For Justice (SFJ). He said that “I had written nothing wrong in the post. I had objected to the Indian government declaring Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a terrorist. He hasn’t committed any terror activity. If he wants to hold Referendum peacefully then he should be allowed because it would clear his doubts about Punjab and Sikhs.” He also added that “Sikhs will not accept anyone like Pannun — who is clean-shaven and doesn’t even wear turban — as their leader. But he can’t be declared terrorist for using democratic means to pursue his agenda. It would have worked better if the government of India hadn’t taken notice of Pannu because then very few people would know of him.”
09-Jul-2020
The Khalsa League constituted a panel of lawyers to look after the legal proceedings of the cases of recently arrested Sikh youths by the Punjab police. Khalsa League’s head Amrik Singh Ballowal said that a panel of lawyers has been constituted under the leadership of Advocate Abhishek Gill. “This panel will follow up the legal proceedings of all the Sikh youths arrested by the Punjab police using provisions of draconian laws like UAPA,” he added.
09-Jul-2020
Controversial Hindu leader Sudhir Suri was booked by the rural police for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Sikh community. Complainant Balbir Singh Muchhal, a resident of Muchhal village, stated to the police that Suri along with Hardeep Sharma had used derogatory remarks against people belonging to the Sikh community.
08-Jul-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested two sisters, identified as Kiran and Suman along with 1.2 kilograms of heroin in Ludhiana in Ludhiana district. A preliminary investigation revealed that both of their husbands are currently lodged in a jail for offenses committed under narcotics act.
07-Jul-2020
The Punjab and Haryana High Court High Court dismissed the bail plea of an accused, identified as Makit Singh alias Sher Singh alias Shera in the Tarn Taran blast case in which two persons died last year. The case was probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which found that Shera was “in contact” with other accused persons; was an active member of a pro Khalistan group and conspired with the co-accused to carry out the terror attack.
07-Jul-2020
Akal Takht acting Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said that Sikhs were being harassed for minor offences such as sharing posts on social media while the ones who were accused of bomb blasts have reached parliament. He said, “It seems that the Sikhs are being eliminated from India gradually just like what was done to the followers of Buddhism. For the last few days, Sikh youths have been tortured and harassed mentally in police stations. When asked about the reason behind, the cops said their mobile phones are being examined. They say these persons have shared posts on the social media.”
07-Jul-2020
Pro-Khalistan outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), the organisation continues to reach out to Indians, particularly opinion-makers like journalists and lawyers, with pre-recorded, international calls to push its secessionist agenda and propagate its notorious Sikh Referendum 2020 campaign. Many journalists in Delhi have lately been receiving pesky calls originating mostly from numbers in the US, seeking their support for SFJ's Khalistan cause and Referendum 2020, under which popular vote is being solicited in support of Punjab’s secession from India. The messages that are played out every time you accept the international call - that may show Michigan or Georgia or any other location in the US as the point of origin of the call - contain anti-India statements and invoke radical Sikh feelings to push their 'Khalistan' agenda.
07-Jul-2020
More than a year after upping the ante against the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Rajya Sabha MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa is set to announce a new political outfit. According to sources, the party is likely to be named ‘Shiromani Panthik Dal’.
06-Jul-2020
Security Forces recovered 7.14 kg heroin worth Rs 35 crore near BOP Dona Telu Mall in Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district. A pistol, two magazines, 10 live rounds and two Pakistani SIM cards were also seized from the fields of accused, identified Bittu, who allegedly has links with the Pakistan-based smugglers. However, he was not arrested.
06-Jul-2020
The district anti-narcotic cell arrested three persons, Amrik Singh, his wife Harpal Kaur, and Sarbjit Singh and seized 1.4 kg of heroin from them at Joliyan village in Sangrur district.
06-Jul-2020
Political parties in Punjab demanded stern action of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) against Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). Sunil Jakhar, president, PPCC, said, “Intelligence reports had indicated that the SFJ was backed by Pakistan-based ISI. He said terrorism has to be fought jointly.” SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said, “Referendum 2020 was just a drama by those who hate India.” Ashwani Kumar, president of the BJP’s state unit, said, “Pannu is irrelevant not only in Punjab, but also in Canada”. Leader of Opposition Harpal Cheema said, “The state government failed to curb the SFJ’s activity. The government should have approached the TRAI and got the calls blocked that urged people to respond.”
05-Jul-2020
The Government of India blocked 40 websites of pro-Khalistan group, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) and foiled its campaign of registering supporters for its cause. The websites were blocked on the recommendation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA). "Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), an unlawful organisation under the UAPA,1967, launched a campaign for registering supporters for its cause. On recommendation of MHA, MEITY has issued orders under Sec. 69 A of the I.T. Act, 2000, for blocking 40 websites of SFJ," a UMHA spokesperson said. The SFJ was registering supporters for 'Referendum 2020' to demand Khalistan, which seeks a separate homeland for the Sikhs. It had launched its voter registration in Punjab through a Russian portal. The SFJ chose July 4 to launch the campaign in memory of Sikhs killed during the 1955 attack at Darbar Sahib.
05-Jul-2020
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed against Twitter India Pvt. Ltd. and others by petitioner, Gopal Jhaveri before the Bombay High Court with the prayer to direct the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to take action against Twitter under various penal provisions of the law. According to the petition, Twitter accepted blood money to promote Khalistan supporting tweets and is still promoting it knowingly. It is a well-known fact that the Khalistan is a banned terror organisation even though they have blindly supported terror organisations to promote anti national agenda and therefore the authorized representative and all the persons involved in this activity shall be punished by Indian judiciary to set an example to those who are still having a goal to divide India and actively supporting banned terror organisations. The Chief Justice of Bombay High Court in his order dated June 5 directed Twitter and their advocate to file their reply within three weeks, the reply is still pending.
05-Jul-2020
Bholath MLA and former Leader of Opposition Sukhpal Singh Khaira came out in support of Joginder Singh Gujjar alias Goga, days after he was booked and arrested by the Punjab Police on charges of sedition and waging war against India. In a letter to Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh, Khaira said, “The truth is that this man living in Italy for the past 18 years is 65 years of age, illiterate and a heart patient with no criminal record throughout his life. The village panchayat, elders and his family have approached me for justice and have vehemently vouched for his innocence”. Earlier Punjab Police on July 2 had booked Gujjar, whom it said is a prominent and active member of the banned Sikh for Justice (SFJ) in a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).