KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
01-Jan-2014
Narcotic smuggling has increased across the India-Pakistan frontier with the BSF recorded its highest seizure of drugs in recent years, netting over 322 kilograms of heroin in 2013 that would be worth over INR 16.10 billion in the international market.
21-Dec-2013
Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal-led Government ordered the release of militant Lal Singh from the Nabha jail in Patiala District on a 45-day parole, a day after ex-CM Caption Amarinder Singh and the family of late Punjab CM Beant Singh endorsed fasting radical Gurbaksh Singh Khalsa's demand for freeing six Sikh prisoners lodged in various jails across the state. Lal Singh arrested under TADA in Gujarat in 1992 and convicted for transportation of weapons from Pakistan to India, was serving a life-imprisonment sentence for 21 years. He was transferred to Nabha Jail in 1997 as he and his family members had their permanent home in Punjab.
19-Dec-2013
A 39-year-old Indian-American, Balwinder Singh alias Jhajj alias Happy alias Possi, who received asylum in the US, was arrested by the FBI on charges of providing material support to Sikh separatist groups BKI and KZF planning militant attacks in India.
07-Dec-2013
An investigation by Punjab Police into the case of Dev Behl alleged drug cartel kingpin revealed that he was once an associate of Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees and was involved in gold smuggling racket being operated by them in the 1980s.
01-Oct-2013
Police arrested an ISI agent, Harjinder Singh, an ex-serviceman, near Havelian village in Amritsar District. Police seized two Pakistani SIM cards from his possession and a diary containing information on sensitive installations. They also arrested three cross-border smugglers, Harwant Singh, Gurdev Singh, and Gurdit Singh, along with Harjinder from the same location. Police also seized a pistol and six .32 bore cartridges, 250g opium and a 0.5kg intoxicant powder from their possession.
15-Sep-2013
Punjab Police busted a sleeper cell of banned terror outfit KLF that had several Shiv Sena leaders on its radar, arresting three militants, identified as Sukhjinder Singh, Narinder Pal and Surinder Singh in Gurdaspur District. An AK-47 rifle with a magazine and 20 cartridges, one 0.38 bore US-made revolver with 5 cartridges and a Brazil-made 0.45 bore Taurus pistol with three cartridges were recovered from them.
12-Sep-2013
BSF foiled an attempt of armed Pakistani smugglers to smuggle arms, ammunition, and heroin in India from IB with Pakistan in Ferozepur Sector of Ferozepur District, Punjab. When challenged by BSF, Pakistani smugglers fired at BSF party that was retaliated and the smugglers flee leaving behind arms, ammunition, and heroin. BSF recovered 13kg of heroin valued INR 650 million in the international market, one pistol super gold 30 bores, two plastic grenades marked ARGES SPL HG 14/97, two pistol magazines and 50 rounds.
05-Sep-2013
At least 10 top Sikh militants, holed up in Pakistan for many years, are under pressure from Pakistan’s intelligence agencies to revive Sikh militancy in India, Indian intelligence sources claimed. "Pakistan is so desperate to reactivate the militant leaders that it has told them to either create turmoil in India - or quit Pakistani territory for good," said an unnamed senior security official. Security officials say the list of 10 names have been shared with several Police forces, including those in Delhi and Punjab.
29-Aug-2013
According to Delhi Police, arrested LeT operative Abdul Karim Tunda had planted a bomb in Amritsar (Punjab) in 2009 on the direction of BKI operatives.
26-Aug-2013
After the confession of arrested LeT operative, Abdul Karim Tunda about BKI planning terror strikes in India, Punjab police is set to place an order for 3,350 AK-47 assault rifles. "However, we felt that the requirement is not for the sophisticated weapons anymore but for the power that simply shoots the target dead with sheer raw power…We have now gone back to the original plan of 1990s when there only AK-47s" an official said.
21-Aug-2013
Punjab Police questioned LeT operative Abdul Karim Tunda over his links with top leaders of Sikh separatist outfit BKI and his role on December 31, 2009 case relating to recovery of 10kg of RDX in Amritsar. Police also said Tunda had met top BKI militants Ratandeep and Wadhwa Singh Babbar on several occasions and his network was constantly used to carry out BKI operations.
14-Aug-2013
KLF militant Devinderpal Singh Bhullar’s plea seeking a review of its verdict refusing to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment on the ground of delay in deciding his mercy plea by the government has been dismissed by the Supreme Court. A bench headed by Justice GS Singhvi refused to review its April 12, 2013, verdict by which it had rejected his plea for commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment. Bhullar was convicted and awarded death penalty for triggering a bomb blast here in September 1993, killing nine people and injuring 25, including then Youth Congress president MS Bitta. The Supreme Court had on March 26, 2002, dismissed Bhullar's appeal against the death sentence awarded by a trial court in August 2001 and endorsed by the Delhi High Court in 2002. He had filed a review petition which was also rejected on December 17, 2002. Bhullar had then moved a curative petition which too had been rejected by the apex court on March 12, 2003. Bhullar, meanwhile, had filed a mercy petition before the President on January 14, 2003. The President, after a lapse of over eight years, dismissed his mercy plea on May 25, 2011. Citing his delay, he had again moved to the Supreme Court for commutation of the death sentence but his plea was rejected.
19-Jul-2013
The Supreme Court sought a response from the CBI on a petition moved by Babbar Khalsa militant Jagtar Singh Hawara, the mastermind in the killing of Punjab CM Beant Singh on August 31, 1995, challenging his conviction and life imprisonment. A bench comprising justices B.S. Chauhan and S.A. Bobde issued a notice to the agency on the appeal filed by Hawara against the October 12, 2010 judgment of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The High Court had commuted the death penalty of Hawara and sentenced him to life imprisonment till death. However, the CBI on December 5, 2011, had moved the apex court seeking the death penalty for him saying the offense falls under the category of 'rarest of rare' cases.
27-Jun-2013
An Indian national, identified as Satpal Singh alias Raghvir Singh believed to be part of BKI has been deported to India from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Singh was arrested on January 4, 2013. Special Task Force (Operations and Counter-Terrorism) Director Comm Datuk Mohamad Fuzi Harun said that they believe he is part of a Sikh militant group called BKI. He had been supplying the group with fake travel documents and using our country as a transit point for the group's activities.
11-Jun-2013
The Punjab government is set to rope in the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to conduct a comprehensive study on the prevalent drug menace in the state. UNODC in a tie-up with the Punjab health department that will carry out the comprehensive study. Discussions also centred on the role of Pakistan's ISI in cross-border smuggling. With almost every drug seizure, recovered FICN and arms as well. Since FICN is the domain of ISI only, the agency could likely be behind the cross-border smuggling. Procuring a quantity of 300 kilograms of heroin from Afghanistan at a total cost of Rs 3 crore is not a big deal for the ISI. Pakistani agency's motive could be an attempt to destabilize the nation.
05-Jun-2013
UMHA Sushil Kumar Shinde said that Pakistan's external intelligence agency, ISI, is trying to revive militancy in Punjab.
26-May-2013
Sikh organization Dal Khalsa has sent a 'memo' to the EU for intervention on the issue and to save KLF militant Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, who was awarded death sentence for killing nine persons and injuring 17 others in Delhi in a bomb attack on September 11, 1993.
21-May-2013
Some radical Sikh leaders led by Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) President Simranjit Singh Mann raised the Khalistan demand at a meeting. Mann stated that he still supports the Khalistan movement and the Sikh community abroad also favours it.
15-May-2013
Daljit Singh alias Jitu, a militant of KZF was extradited from Malasia to the Punjab Police through IB. A lookout notice was there against Daljit at all airports in the country. He was produced in Hoshiarpur court following his extradition and now is in police remand. He was wanted by the State Police in a case of arms and ammunition recovery on March 21. Daljit is the nephew of Punjab militant BalwinderPossi, who is wanted by the State Police and is presently in the US.
15-Apr-2013
BSF recovered FICN worth INR 487,000 along with 18 kg heroin valued around INR 900 million in the international market from Tarn Taran District.
15-Apr-2013
Two operatives of BKI had transferred money amounting to INR 22 million to the kin of Balwant Singh Rajoana for the revival of terrorism in Punjab. Pakistan based BKI leaders Wadhwa Singh and Jagtar Singh Tara are trying to revive terrorism in Punjab and wage war against the Government of India. A UK based BKI operative, Balbir Singh Bains had sent INR 10.1 million through Western Union to Rajoana’s sister Kamaldeep Kaur between March 21 and April 3, 2012, according to NIA. INR 5.4 million was transferred into Kaur's ICICI Bank account (number 151501500897) between December 17, 2011, and March 31, 2012. There was another remittance to Rajoana's sister between September 2012 and April 2013, bringing the total to INR 22 million.
12-Apr-2013
Supreme Court declined to commute the death sentence of KLF militant Devender Pal Singh Bhullar, found guilty of killing nine and injuring 17 others in Delhi in a bomb attack on September 11, 1993.
09-Apr-2013
Punjab Government Secretary (Home) Samir Kumar stated before the Supreme Court that the Security environment in Punjab continues to be problematic while justifying the deployment of a large number of state Police personnel for VVIP security. In view of the security environment in Punjab, as brought out, and prevailing high degree of threat to VIPs and dignitaries from various militant outfits like HM, JeM, LeT, BKI, KCF, KZF, KTF, and other militant and fundamentalist outfits, suitable security arrangements are imperative to secure the lives of targeted dignitaries and individuals based in the border state of Punjab, the state claimed before the SC.
07-Apr-2013
An un-named senior official of MHA stated, "Operatives based in the UK, Germany and North America, who are members of the BKI and its front organisations, are transferring huge amounts of monetary resources to BKI sleeper cells in Punjab and other places". Besides the ISI of Pakistan, it has close ties with the terror network of Dawood Ibrahim.
22-Mar-2013
Two persons, including an alleged militant of Bhindranwale Tigers Force (BTF) Kulbir Singh Assandh, were arrested by Punjab Police from near Sirhind of Fatehgarh Sahib District in connection with the Zirakpur drug haul case (February, 2013). "Both had been involved in smuggling of drugs for last many years. They were mainly working and supplying drugs to arrested NRI Anup Singh Kahlon, dismissed DSP Jagdish Bhola, Sukha Gakhal and Raja Kandhola," said Fatehgarh Sahib Senior Superintendant of Police (SSP) Hardial Singh Mann.
21-Mar-2013
Punjab Police arrested three people including the mother (Salinder Kaur) and sister (Kulwinder Kaur) of US-based KZF militant Balwinder Singh Possi and recovered arms and ammunition from the house in Possi village of Hoshiarpur District. The third arrested person, Ranjit Singh Rana, is from NurpurJattan village in the same District. All the three arrested persons were charged under various sections of the Arms Act and the UAPA. One 7.65mm automatic pistol, one 0.9mm US-made pistol, one.30 bore Mauser, one .32 bore revolver, three magazines, and 89 cartridges were recovered from the house of Possi's mother and sister. Two country made pistols were also recovered from the accused.
16-Mar-2013
Police busted a racket in Mohali and arrested 5 persons involved in FICN and narcotics. FICN worth INR 94,000 was seized and interrogation of the gang revealed that the FICN and narcotics were routed through Nepal and Uttar Pradesh.
12-Mar-2013
The Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh revealed in Lok Sabha that banned terrorist outfits like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) are trying to revive Sikh militancy. He commented, "There are reports that some organisations like BKI in the UK are striving to revive Sikh militancy”. He added, "A close watch is maintained on the activities of various groups known to have been engaged in trying to foment terrorist activities in Punjab”.
07-Mar-2013
Punjab police recovered arms and ammunition including two German MP5 guns, one .32 bore revolver and 200 live cartridges from Tarn Taran District, based on information provided by BKI militant Narain Singh Chaura. This is the first instance of the recovery of German guns from a militant in India.
26-Feb-2013
A BKI militant Narain Singh Chaura who was on run since May 2010 was arrested from village Jalalabad of Tarn Taran district. Chaura was wanted in at least two dozen cases related to militancy. Two of his accomplices Sukhwant Singh and Sukhdev Singh also got arrested from different places in Amritsar District and weapons recovered based on his inputs. The recoveries included an AK-56 assault rifle with 20 rounds, a.30 pistol with 50 rounds, five hand grenades and other ammunition from Kurali village in Mohali District.
25-Feb-2013
In connection with September 7, 2011, Delhi High Court Blast a three-member NIA team conducted several raids at undisclosed locations in Jalandhar of Jalandhar District for three days till February 24. The team, landed in Jalandhar on February 21, following leads on militants of banned militant group BKI hiding in the District. Sources in Punjab Police said that attempts are being made by Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT to reignite terrorism in Punjab and carry out bomb explosions with the help of Sikh militants based abroad. "The Babbar Khalsa top leadership, including ‘chief’ Wadhwa Singh and its cadres are active in Pakistan and a few European countries. They are actively cooperating with ISI and LeT.
10-Feb-2013
So far the BSF has recovered over 30kg of heroin from the international border belt in Punjab this year.
06-Feb-2013
Additional Sessions Judge Sanjeev Berry sentenced BKI militant Balwant Singh Rajoana, convicted for the assassination of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, to 10-year rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of INR 10,000 in a case of recovery of explosives.
22-Jan-2013
Four KLF militants, identified as KLF chief Baba Bakshish Singh, Jasbir Singh alias Jassa, Harhant Singh alias DC and Pargat Singh were produced in a Patiala court in connection with the recovery of a bomb near Nabha LPG bottling plant in Patiala district in January 2010. Jassa and DC were arrested by Nabha Police on February 22, 2010, while trying to target vital installations in Punjab. Pargat Singh was arrested on May 2010 while staying in a paying guest accommodation in Sant Nagar (Jalandhar District) on a fake name and identity. The fourth accused, Bakhshish, was arrested from near Amritsar (Amritsar District) on May 29, 2010, and 2.3 kilograms RDX, a detonator, 30 bore pistol, and 28 cartridges were recovered from his possession.
21-Jan-2013
Amritsar District police arrested one person, Gurdev Singh along with FICN with a face value of INR 3, 00,000 and heroin worth INR 25 million in the Chheharta area. Gurdev was involved in cross border smuggling of heroin and FICN.
17-Jan-2013
In an official meeting between India and US delegations on the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, India has formally asked US Justice Department for the extradition of BKI militant Balwinder Singh Possi. He was wanted in twin blasts at interstate roadways bus stand Jalandhar, Punjab on April 24, 2006. Punjab Police is also planning to file for the extradition of another BKI militant Gurnam Singh alias Neka from the US. Neka is wanted for the two blasts which were carried out on April 24 and 28, 2006, in which three persons were killed. Punjab Police is also investigating the involvement of a third BKI militant Gursharan Singh Cheema in the blasts. Both the accused fled to the US in 2006 shortly after the blasts.
13-Jan-2013
Smuggler Bhupinder Singh was arrested by BSF from the Dera Nanak Sector of Gurdaspur District and recovered one country made Pakistani pistol, two magazines, 15 rounds of ammunition, along with 15 kg heroin valued around INR 750 million in the international market.
08-Jan-2013
BSF troopers recovered 11 kilograms of heroin along with FICN with a face value of INR 1.2 million near Border Outpost Khalra in Amarkot sector of Ferozepur District.
31-Dec-2012
The ISI is using smugglers in Punjab. Pakistan is relying on narcotics smugglers to push FICNs into India. A charge sheet was filed in a special court in Mohali District, against three narcotics smugglers Dilbagh Singh, Bikramjit Singh, and Gurpratap Singh. The accused admitted to having brought FICN consignment earlier also, and apart from FICN they also brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan into India.
31-Dec-2012
Police arrested five persons for pasting anti-national posters at many places in Bhikhi and Budhlada towns of Mansa District. Issued by a group named Maut de Parwane (lovers of death), the posters called upon people to "follow Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as, presently, minorities are not safe in India." The posters also exhorted pliable targets to take to arms. Separate cases of waging war against the nation and spreading communal hatred have been registered against them.
11-Dec-2012
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, R.P.N. Singh, told the Lok Sabha that LeT, IM, BKI, and KTF are interested in carrying out militant attacks in India but there are no inputs about the Taliban. He further said, "The central intelligence agencies have no specific inputs indicating (a) threat from the Taliban." He added that intelligence inputs show that the four groups, including LeT, have "abiding interest" in carrying out militant violence in India. Some people abroad are sending money to "certain intermediaries" in Punjab to revive terrorism in the State.
27-Nov-2012
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh replied to a question in Lok Sabha that various militant groups including LeT, IM, JeM, HuM, Al-Umma, Al Badr, HuJI, HM, BKI, KZF, and KTF are engaged in militant activities in the country and as per available information militants in India are often supported by their parent outfits based abroad particularly in Pakistan.
25-Oct-2012
The State Special Operation Cell (Counter Intelligence unit) of Amritsar Police arrested two cross-border smugglers, identified as Jassa Singh and Harpal Singh, and recovered five kilograms of heroin worth INR 250 million in the international market and INR 0.225 million FICN. The duo was indulged in cross-border smuggling of heroin and FICN and was delivering them to different destinations like Amritsar and Delhi.
24-Oct-2012
A person named Rajbir Singh Yadav is arrested by Ludhiana Police and he is believed to be the mastermind behind a gang involved in extortion and circulating FICN printed in Pakistan. The gang had smuggled some INR 40.5 million FICN through their Pakistan-based contacts identified as Shahid and Qasim. Rajbir is on the wanted list of Nepal Police while several criminal cases have also been registered against him in Kolkata, Bhopal, and Punjab.
11-Oct-2012
The BSF seized an assault magazine with 18 rounds of ammunition along with nine kilograms heroin valued around INR 45 crore, a mobile phone and two SIM of Pakistan's Zong mobile network near Rajatal village in Amritsar District. BSF stated that Pakistan based smugglers had used PVC pipe to smuggle heroin and ammunition from across the border fence. The smugglers also left behind a small quantity of opium. BSF mentioned that when they challenged, three Pak smugglers. They started spraying bullets on troops, who retaliated and opened fire. This made the smugglers flee back.
11-Oct-2012
The Government has decided to provide security to Brigadier (Retired) Israr Rahim Khan, involved in Operation Blue Star.
08-Oct-2012
BSF recovered 2-kilogram heroin near India- Pakistan International Border (IB) in Khalra or Tarn Taran District.
08-Oct-2012
A goods train arrived in Amritsar of Punjab from Pakistan contained 105 kg heroin valued at INR 5.25 billion in the International market and 500 cartridges of Magnum 397 bore revolver valued around INR 200,000 lakh concealed in cement bags were seized.
08-Oct-2012
BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab, confirmed by the NIA sources. BKI’s Leaders Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were making efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. Both Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were believed to be in Pakistan recently, are also learnt to have made some trips to Germany, where too the BKI is said to have a large network of sympathisers, in order to raise funds for the organisation. Intelligence officials have told the NIA that in Pakistan Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh had regular meetings with top ISI officials, who have pledged full support to them.
05-Oct-2012
An attack in London, on Lieutenant General K.S. Brar, who commanded Operation Blue Star, has prompted the NIA to take a closer look at the pro-Khalistan activism and fund-raising by radical Sikh organizations supposedly working for the welfare of incarcerated Sikh militants, as well as cyber sites openly promoting the Khalistan cause. At least two such organizations, the Sikh Organization for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW) and Punjabi e-paper 'Rozana Spokesman' have come under NIA, which is probing cases involving "active" remnants of Sikh militant groups such as BKI. The NIA suspects a possible attempt by certain foreign-based pro-Khalistan leaders and Pakistan's ISI to revive militancy in Punjab and is probing possible sources of terror financing for the project.