KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
23-May-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 1 kg heroin which was concealed in a 1.5 litre plastic bottle from Ferozepur sector in Ferozepur district.
22-May-2020
The Barnala police recovered 8.2 kg heroin from Bareke border out post (BOP) across the fence near the Pakistan border in Ferozepur district. The police with support from Border Security Force (BSF) also recovered 15 live cartridges appeared to be manufactured in Pakistan. The consignment was put in various packets which has been recovered on a specific tip off provided by a woman already arrested with a small quantity of heroine few days ago.
22-May-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) thwarted a fresh attempt of the Pakistani smugglers to push drugs and ammunition in to the Indian Territory and seized 1.9 kg heroin, 280-gram opium besides arms and ammunition including one pistol of 9mm calibre, one magazine and five live cartridges near the border at Ferozepur sector of Ferozepur district.
21-May-2020
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the special court in Mohali that the alleged kingpin in the 532 kg heroin haul case, Ranjeet Singh Rana alias Cheeta, had hatched a ‘larger conspiracy’ with ramifications for the country’s national security. Further, the court sent Rana and his brother, Gagandeep Singh alias Gagan, to police remand till May 29. Rana, who has links with Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and was involved in terror funding, had smuggled heroin and other drugs from Pakistan concealed in rock salt consignments through the integrated check-post (ICP) at the Attari border, 30 km from Amritsar.
21-May-2020
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal stated that gold and other sacred valuables belonging to the Sikh shrines ‘are a collective treasure of the Sikh community’. “There is no question of any individual or organisation even contemplating in the direction of donating even the smallest part of this treasure for any cause,” he said in a statement, referring to the controversy surrounding DSGMC chief Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s ‘inadvertent suggestion’ with regard to a proposal for donations of gold by shrines of various religious communities as a help in the fight against Covid-19.
21-May-2020
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) arrested two persons, identified as Rinku Singh and Harbhej Singh and recovered 252 kg poppy husk and 4 kg opium from them during the search of their truck at a naka on the Badrukhan-Ubhawal road in Sangrur district.
20-May-2020
Convicted Al Qaeda terrorist Mohammed Ibrahim Zubair, found guilty of raising funds for the terrorist organisation in the United States, has been deported to India after completing his sentence. Mohammad Ibrahim Zubair, who hailed from Hyderabad, is one among the 165 people who arrived at Amritsar airport on May 20 after being deported from the United States due to unprecedented health crisis.
19-May-2020
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) demanded an independent inquiry into the ‘drug trade’ across Punjab during the past two months of curfew.
18-May-2020
During the interrogation of the arrested Ranjit Singh Rana alias Cheeta, the kingpin in the 532-kg heroin seizure case, and his aides by the police, it was revealed that they had transferred Rs 6 crore drug money to the terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) during the past five years. According to officials, Cheeta and his accomplices had been in direct link with Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for the smuggling of heroin from across the border, and for transferring the drug money to the terror outfit. They said the gang members had cleared five drug consignments through Attari-Wagah border before the seizure of 532-kg heroin. The officials said the police have also identified around 10 more members of the gang which will be nabbed soon. Some of them are from Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Jalandhar districts, they added. Cheeta was arrested on May 9 by Punjab Police from Begi village in Sirsa district of Haryana with his brother Gagandeep Singh alias Bhola.
18-May-2020
Former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini appeared before the Special Investigation Teams (SIT) in a case registered against him and other policemen regarding the abduction and disappearance of Balwant Singh Multani at Mataur police station. Earlier, he was summoned by the SIT after a Mohali court on May 11 granted him anticipatory bail.
18-May-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered four packets of containing 1.980 kg of heroin from Amritsar sector in Amritsar district. According to BSF, the vigilant troops of the BSF heard some loud noises of miscreants near the post and challenged them following which, the miscreants fled towards Pakistan Territory. During search of the area, four packets heroin were recovered.
16-May-2020
Security Force arrested an absconding drug-peddler, identified as Hapreet Singh alias Sonu Baba and confiscated 280 gm of heroin from him at a checkpoint on the Jhabal road in Amritsar district. He was wanted in connection with seizure of 1 kg heroin on March 18, 2020.
16-May-2020
Punjab Police arrested two persons along with around 20,000 narcotic pills near Mandir village in Moga district.
16-May-2020
Ludhiana City Police arrested one person, Sukhwinder Singh alias Sonu along with .315 bore country made pistol, 10-gram heroin and two bullets from Ladhowal in Ludhiana district. According to police, the accused was injured in police firing after he allegedly jumped at least six checkpoints.
14-May-2020
The Security Forces (SFs), in a joint operation, recovered 7.70 kg heroin worth of Rs 39 crore from near border outpost DT Mall along the Indo-Pakistan border in Ferozepur district.
14-May-2020
The chief of Special Task Force (STF), Harpreet Singh Sidhu said that strictness in Punjab has forced the drug peddlers to change the smuggling routes. He said 180 foreign nationals had been arrested in 147 cases registered over three years. Of them, 61 were arrested in 2017, 81 in 2018, 37 in 2019 and one this year. He said the arrests indicated that Delhi had become a major centre from where foreign nationals had been supplying drugs to Punjab. He said since the inception of STF in April 2017, law enforcement agencies had recovered 1,376 kg of heroin, 1,515 kg of opium, 1,24,728 kg of poppy husk, 6,053 kg of ganja and 2,74,33,119 pills/capsules along with crores of rupees of drug money. He stated that the recovery of 464 kg of heroin in 2019 was the highest as compared to the last five years. The STF chief also said owing to enhanced vigil, the smugglers exploited new sea, air and land routes many of which were under the garb of legal trade and commerce.
14-May-2020
According to report, the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) is plotting to revive terrorism in Punjab by sitting in Lahore on the behest of Pakistan’s intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The report said that the slain Khalistani leader Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD, had made Ranjit Singh Cheetah a hyperlink between terrorist organizations in Kashmir and sleeper cells in Punjab. Happy PhD was killed by unidentified assailants within the final week of January on the behest of the ISI after establishing a nexus between the militant organizations of Kashmir and the sleepers of Punjab, the report said. According to sources, the ISI killed Happy PhD due to the battle between the sleeper cells of Punjab and the connection established between terrorist organizations of Kashmir. The drug cash from smuggling heroin from Pakistan used to achieve the terrorist organizations of Kashmir by means of Ranjit Singh Cheetah. The Hizbul Mujahideen militants had been in touch with the cheetah. From time to time, Cheetah used to make use of sleeper cells to ship drug cash to Hizbul terrorists.
13-May-2020
The district police arrested one woman, identified as Balbir Kaur along with 55 grams of heroin from Ferozepur district which was for the earlier consignment smuggled from Pakistan.
13-May-2020
According to the TV channel Zee News, it’s editor-in-chief Sudhir Chaudhary received a threat call from a Khalistan separatist from UAE. The report said the Khalistani during his call stressed on their referendum 2020 campaign by saying that they will establish Khalistan soon. The caller also said, “Punjab does not belong to someone’s father. And the Referendum will anyway happen. No one can stop Khalistan to establish.”
12-May-2020
Police busted a major narco-gangster module with the arrest of three persons, allegedly linked to the Attari drug haul, identified as Gurpreet Singh, Sarabjit Singh and Sukhdev Singh from Tarn Taran district on May 12. Police also recovered weapons including a 12 bore double barrel rifle, three .32 bore pistols, a 12-bore pistol and a .315 bore pistol, along with two rounds of .315 bore and two rounds of .32 bore cartridges from them. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta, it was revealed during the interrogation that Gurpreet Singh has been in touch with many noted arms and drug dealers and gangsters. He was in touch with Shubham, a Batala-based gangster, and supplied weapons to his associates in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur areas. Besides, he was also in contact with the key accused of the 532 kg heroin Attari drug haul case. The gang was actively involved in supply of weapons in Harike, Patti and Bhikhiwind areas of Tarn Taran, near Indo-Pak border.
12-May-2020
The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that ever since the imposing of curfew on March 22, 15.802 kg heroin had been recovered in the border district Tarn Taran. Further, the district police had been rigorously pursuing cases of freezing and forfeiture of illegally acquired properties of major drug smugglers, under provisions of NDPS Act. The DGP said properties of 12 drug smugglers worth around Rs 6.22 crore had been frozen by the district police since the imposition of curfew in the state. Besides, 11 new cases of freezing of property, worth around Rs 17.42 crore, had been recently prepared and sent to the competent authority, while seven new cases worth around Rs 5 crore would be sent during this week.
12-May-2020
The Kapurthala police said that pro-Khalistan groups are giving unnecessary twist to the death of a kabaddi player on social media to disturb peace in the state. Police, in the press conference, said “Some miscreants on social media are trying to politicise the matter. We convey our deep concern on the false rumours and request the public not to follow such fake news. Those spreading these rumours should refrain from the same.” The statement has come after hardliners from banned organizations, including Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), have been circulating posts against the police citing the incident as a deliberate act of terror by Punjab Police to ‘target Sikhs’. Earlier, the SFJ, in one of its social media posts said, “A Sikh has been killed by police as he exposed the ASI for selling drugs. Punjab Police are selling drugs to the people of Punjab and according to reports, 76% of youth is addicted to drugs. Punjab police are killing the youth with drugs. This is not acceptable. We want Khalistan.”
10-May-2020
According to the sources, the arrested notorious cross-border drug smuggler Ranjit Singh alias Cheeta had confessed to have made properties worth Rs 5 crore from the illegal drug trade. Police are now trying to identify his properties and taking further steps to attaching the same. During interrogation, Cheeta claimed that he got just 75 kg heroin smuggled from Attari-Wagah land route before the seizure of 532-kg consignment. However, police sources said that as per their information, he had smuggled around four such consignments earlier. Cheeta was living in Sirsa (Haryana) using the fake name of Gora for the past eight months. Earlier, he spent days in religious shrines by changing names when he went into hiding after the country’s biggest seizure of heroin (532 kg) at the Attari border in June 2019.
09-May-2020
Punjab Police in a joint operation arrested drug smuggler Ranjit Singh Rana alias Cheeta, who was wanted in connection with a 532-kg heroin haul from Attari last year, his brother Gagandeep alias Gagan and a relative Gurmeet Singh from Sirsa district in Haryana. The arrested persons were running a narco-terror network linked to the slain Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) ‘commander’ Rias Naikoo. Police recovered 1.2 kg poppy husk from Gurmeet's possession. Ranjit, who is wanted in 10 criminal cases, was one of the key links in the network engaged in smuggling of drugs and illegal weapons from across the border. Ranjit Singh and Gagan were handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Punjab Police, while Gurmeet, a resident of Vaidwala village, was arrested by the Sirsa police.
09-May-2020
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Amarinder Singh warned Pakistan against its ‘persistent attempts’ to spread narco-terrorism in India, asserting that the police force was ‘keeping a close watch’ on anti-national activities across the border even during a crisis. After the arrest of notorious narco-terrorist Ranjit Singh alias Cheeta who acted as a conduit for Pakistan-based terror groups by the NIA, the CM said, "Our eyes are open to what Pakistan is doing." Assuring people that no matter how much the force has been busy with Covid duties, the Punjab CM said, the police was keeping a watch on the borders.
09-May-2020
According to reports, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has directed Khalistani terror groups which are active in Pakistan in smuggle weapons and drugs into Indian Punjab and extend help to the terror groups active in Kashmir. The National Investigation Agency (NIA)’s recent investigation revealed that Pakistan based terrorist organizations are using narcotic trade to generate funds for terror activities in India. The NIA said that Pakistani entities are smuggling narcotics into the Indian territory by hiding it in sacks of rock salt which is imported from Pakistan. This is done through an elaborate network of importers, customs house agents, transporters and the operation is financed through illegal international hawala channels. The NIA investigation also established that the proceeds of narcotic trade are transferred to Kashmir valley through couriers and hawala channel for terrorist purposes.
09-May-2020
The Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and other Sikh outfits condemned Sikh Gurudwara Judicial Commission chairperson Satnam Singh Kler to appear as counsel for former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini. However, after the criticism from the Sikh community, Kler later withdrew from the case.
08-May-2020
The former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini who was booked in connection with a 29-year-old abduction case, moved a trial court seeking an anticipatory bail. A court in Mohali has issued a notice to Punjab Police, asking them to submit the complete records in the abduction case, and listed the matter for next hearing on May 9.
08-May-2020
The Dal Khalsa’s spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh has written a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in which he has urged him to arrest and prosecute former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini. He has said that mere registering FIR against Sumedh Saini means nothing.
08-May-2020
Police arrested two more persons linked to the alleged drug-terror nexus, identified as Ranjit Singh and Jaswant Singh in Kalanaur in Gurdaspur district on May 8. Earlier, Police arrested two accomplices of Hizbul Muzahideen (HM) operative Hilal Ahmad Wagay on May 6. Wagay was an associate of HM commander Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo, who was gunned down in south Kashmir.
08-May-2020
Police busted an inter-state drug smugglers gang with the arrest of two persons, identified as Lakhvir Singh and Angrej Singh and recovered 18 kg opium from them at Bidhipur in Jalandhar district.
07-May-2020
The Special Task Forces (STFs) of Ludhiana and Jalandhar police arrested a dera head and his three followers after recovering 290 gm heroin from their possession in Jagraon in Ludhiana district. STF officials said that a homeguard jawan, who was deployed in Ludhiana, used to supply drugs to the self-styled godman and the dera head of Rishi Ashram Nirmal Kutiya in Jagraon, identified as Bhagwan Singh Baba and his followers, Shani, Gaurav Kumar and Dharminder Singh.
07-May-2020
The Dal Khalsa spokesperson Kanwar Pal Singh stated that “Sins of notorious cop SS Saini have come to haunt him after a long period. He has been booked in the abduction and subsequent murder case of Balwant Singh Multani. Multani was a friend of Prof Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar. Not only Multani, Saini killed Prof Bhullar’s father and uncle too after abducting and torturing them”. While welcoming the booking of Saini by the Punjab government, the Dal Khalsa said that people of Punjab wish to see former DGP Sumedh Singh Saini behind bars.
07-May-2020
Punjab police arrested seven persons including the most wanted gangster Baljinder Singh alias Billa, who allegedly had links with slain Pakistan-based Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) chief Harmeet Singh Happy and Germany-based Bagga of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) from Kapurthala area in Kapurthala district. Billa, who was wanted in more than 18 cases including that of murder, arms smuggling and drug peddling. Besides Billa, the six arrested are Sukhjinder Singh, Mohit Sharma, Lovepreet Singh, Mangal Singh, Maninderjeet Singh and Lovepreet Singh alias Lovely. Police also recovered consignment of weapons included two 30 bore drum machine guns, three pistols (marked SIG Sauer made in Germany), two Glock pistols (made in Austria), two 30 bore pistols, one 32 bore pistol, one .315 bore rifle, 341 live cartridges and two drum magazines and 14 pistol magazines from their possession. Rs 3 lakh in cash and one hundred Australian dollars were also recovered from them. The Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta said that “one of the biggest caches of highly sophisticated weapons seized from a criminal gang”. He said the SIG Sauer pistols are in fact being used by members of the US Secret Service, which protects the highest elected leaders of the United States, especially the President of the United States. The DGP also said preliminary investigations suggested that most of the weapons recovered from Billa were smuggled from Pakistan in different consignments. Police were also investigating the role of militants in the supply chain of illegal weapons. Billa during preliminary investigations revealed that he was in contact with various Pakistan-based weapons and drugs smugglers and had already received many consignments of weapons and drugs from them, mostly in the Ferozepur area.
06-May-2020
Police arrested a couple along with 20 gm of heroin and drug money of Rs Five lakh from Phillaur in Jalandhar district.
06-May-2020
The Punjab police registered a case against its former Director General of Police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini along with eight other accused for kidnapping of Balwant Singh Multani, son of then IAS officer, in 1991. The Mataur police station in Mohali on May 6 registered an FIR against Saini who was then Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Chandigarh and other eight accused in the case. The case has been registered under Sections 364 (kidnapping or abduction in order to murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence), 344 (wrongful confinement), 330 (voluntarily causing hurt to exhort confession), 219 (public servant in judicial proceeding corruptly making report contrary to law), and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. The Chandigarh police had picked up Balwant after an attack on then SSP Saini in Chandigarh in which four cops in his security detail had died. The Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) terrorist Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar was the mastermind of the RDX attack to blow up SSP Saini’s car on August 29, 1991.
06-May-2020
Punjab police arrested two accomplices of slain Hizbul Muzahideen (HM) commander Riyaz Ahmed Naikoo’s close associate, Hilal Ahmed Wagay from Amritsar. The arrested persons were identified as Bikram Singh and Maninder Singh, both from Amritsar. Police seized 1 kg heroin along with Rs 32 lakh in Indian currency from their possession, unveiling the Pakistan-sponsored conspiracy to smuggle narcotics and weapons into the state, the DGP Dinkar Gupta said. The interrogation of the two accused further revealed that both Bikram and Maninder, along with their cousins Ranjit Singh, Iqbal Singh and Sarwan Singh, dealt in drugs and weapons smuggled from across the border.
05-May-2020
The notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria tested positive for Covid-19 in Batala in Gurdaspur district, where he was in police custody in connection with high-profile murder case of the Dhilwan Akali sarpanch.
04-May-2020
The Special Task Force (STF) of Ludhiana police arrested two persons, Amit Sharma and his relative, Rajan Kumar along with 1.6kg heroin, 150gm smack and drug money of Rs 17.5 lakh in Chuharpur Road in Ludhiana district. According to police, Amit’s wife, who is also involved in drug peddling, is at large.
03-May-2020
Police arrested four persons for allegedly committing sacrilege of Gurbani Pothis (scriptures) and Gutkas (Gurbani Handy Book) in Mohalla Guru Nanak Pura locality in Amritsar. The desecrated Gurbani scriptures were found in the garbage collected by a municipal corporation vehicle.
02-May-2020
The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) slammed the Punjab government for vilifying the Sikh pilgrims returned from Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib by holding them responsible for the rise in coronavirus cases in Punjab. DSGMC president Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh needs to tighten the reins of his cabinet ministers who are openly vilifying the Sikh pilgrims. He has said that it seems like a big conspiracy is working behind vilification of Sikh pilgrims because their sudden positive testing in Punjab is fishy in itself.
01-May-2020
The Akal Takht demanded a high-level probe as over 150 Takht Sri Hazur Sahib pilgrims were found infected by Covid-19 on their return to Punjab. Officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said, “Each of the pilgrims at Hazur Sahib underwent medical tests thrice and none was found to be infected. How could so many of them on their return contract the infection? I suspect that like the Tablighi Jamaat (Muslim sect), the Sikhs too are being defamed under a conspiracy. A probe should be held as I doubt the authenticity of ‘tests’ being conducted in Punjab.”
01-May-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) recovered 6.7 kg heroin which was kept hidden in a field across the barbed fence at the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar. Police earlier, arrested one person, Karam Singh alias Golu who was roped in to clear the consignment, at his residence. The heroin was kept hidden in a tractor’s drawbar.
01-May-2020
The Punjab Police’s Special Task Force (STF) recovered 2 kg heroin from the possession of two drug smugglers at Chak Misri Khan village in Amritsar district. The accused were arrested in the night after an encounter in which one of the accused received a bullet injury.
30-Apr-2020
The Supreme Court sought Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s response on a plea of former Congress councilor Balwan Khokhar, serving life term in a 1984 anti-Sikh riot case, seeking grant of either interim bail or parole for eight weeks in view of Covid-19 pandemic. Khokhar along with former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar are serving life imprisonment in Tihar jail in the case after the Delhi High Court convicted them on December 17, 2018.
28-Apr-2020
Police arrested three inter-state drug suppliers, identified as Harjot Singh Jot, Jatinder Singh and Balkar Singh and recovered 18 kg opium from their possession at Takhran village near Samrala in Ludhiana district.
27-Apr-2020
Police arrested a woman along with 11gm heroin in Bagrian village in Sangrur district on April 27. After arrest, the woman was taken to Ludhiana jail on April 28 where she was found positive for Covid-19 on April 30.
27-Apr-2020
Two policemen, identified as assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Manjeet Singh and constable Gagandeep Singh were dismissed from service after the recovery of drugs and liquor from them. The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mandeep Singh Sidhu said that 15 kg of poppy husk, 250 gm smack and 5 gm heroin and 30 bottles of country-made liquor were recovered from the ASI’s house. The accused had reportedly been letting off peddlers after taking money and drugs from them.
26-Apr-2020
Punjab Police arrested a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Hilal Ahmed Wagay and recovered Indian currency worth Rs 29 lakh from him at Amritsar.
26-Apr-2020
The Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead a suspected Pakistani intruder while he was trying to cross the International Border (IB) along Amritsar sector in Amritsar.