KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-Jan-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF), along with the anti-drug smuggling team, on January 19 seized 1.118 kg of heroin in the Kahangarh border outpost area of Amritsar district. The contraband packet was dropped by a drone.
19-Jan-2026
Police on January 19 arrested two criminals, identified as Harsimran alias Mand and Avanjot Singh Bhandal and seized two .32-bore pistols after an encounter on Rampur Road, Doraha, in Ludhiana district. One accused was injured in the leg during the shootout and is undergoing treatment at a hospital, while the other was taken into custody.
19-Jan-2026
On January 19, Punjab Police, on day 324 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 57 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 80 drug smugglers and seized 7 kg of heroin, 828 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 5420 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
19-Jan-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency on January 19 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Jasveer and seized 4.479 kg of heroin following an operation near Gillan village in Ferozepur district.
19-Jan-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency on January 19 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Prabhsimran Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin at Makhu in Ferozepur district.
19-Jan-2026
Widespread protests erupted in Patiala and nearby areas after the arrest of farm leaders and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) activists in Amritsar and Sangrur in Punjab. Over 30 leaders and workers were detained, including Sarwan Singh Pandher, Dilbagh Singh Harigarh, and Jaswinder Singh Longowal. The arrests were made on January 17 in Amritsar and January 18 in Sangrur.
18-Jan-2026
Intelligence agencies have issued an alert ahead of Republic Day, warning that Khalistani and Bangladesh-based terror outfits may target New Delhi and other cities. Sources said Punjab-based gangsters are increasingly being used as foot soldiers by foreign-based Khalistani handlers, with criminal networks active across Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.
18-Jan-2026
On January 18, Punjab Police, on day 323 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 97 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 122 drug smugglers and seized 440 grams of heroin, 340 grams of opium, 3 kg of poppy husk, 1781 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 8106 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
18-Jan-2026
The Ludhiana Commissionerate Police on January 18 said they dismantled a major illegal arms and extortion syndicate linked to gangster Goldy Brar after a four-week operation, arresting 10 operatives and seizing 12 sophisticated firearms in Ludhiana district. In the first phase, eight accused were arrested and seven weapons recovered, including two Austria-made 9mm Glock pistols with magazines and live ammunition on December 12, 2025. In a follow-up operation, in January 2026, two more operatives, Jatin Mattu Makda and Mukul, were arrested and five additional firearms seized. Police said the arrests foiled an extortion plot against a prominent Gurgaon-based businessman, whose residence had already been surveyed and was about to be attacked.
18-Jan-2026
Police on January 18 arrested two men in connection with the January 16 murder of Kesar Dhami, identified as Chandra Shekhar and Jaspal Singh and seized two .32-bore pistols, three live cartridges, and three empty shells after an encounter at Adampur in Jalandhar district.
17-Jan-2026
Karan Pathak alias Karan Defaulter, the main shooter accused in the December 15, 2025 murder of kabaddi promoter and player Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria, was killed in a police encounter near Kharar in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district on January 17. Police said Pathak complained of chest pain while in custody and was taken to a hospital, from where he escaped. Six to seven hours later, he was traced and, during the ensuing encounter, allegedly opened fire at police, who retaliated, killing him. His handcuffs were missing, suggesting he may have procured a .30-bore weapon while on the run. Pathak was also linked to the killing of gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria’s mother.
17-Jan-2026
On January 17, Punjab Police, on day 322 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 200 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 227 drug smugglers and seized 745 grams of heroin, 1.2 kg of opium, 550 grams of ganja, 4,935 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 8,750 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
17-Jan-2026
Punjab Police on January 17 foiled a potential terror attack seizing a cache of weapons including three AK-47 rifles, five magazines, two pistols of Turkish and Chinese make, two additional magazines, and 98 bullets, in the Narot Jaimal Singh area of Pathankot district. Police said the arms were allegedly sent from Pakistan by Khalistani terrorist Harvinder Singh alias Rinda of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) under ISI instructions to destabilize Punjab, and were meant for a major attack through his associates.
16-Jan-2026
Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on January 16 arrested a Lawrence Bishnoi gang member, identified as Pardeep Sharma, in connection with an extortion case involving a INR 4 crore demand from a Rajasthan-based businessman, in Uttam Nagar, southwest Delhi. A wanted shooter, Sharma is linked to multiple cases in Rajasthan, including extortion, firing incidents, and illegal arms supply.
16-Jan-2026
On January 16, Punjab Police, on day 321 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 54 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 71 drug smugglers and seized 1.3 kg of heroin, 500 grams of opium, 208 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 16,510 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
16-Jan-2026
Amritsar rural police on January 16 arrested three members of a drug smuggling gang, identified as Ajul Arora, Dilprit Kaur, and Pratham Sharma and seized 4.863 kg of heroin, four pistols, two rifles, and 84 live cartridges in Amritsar district.
16-Jan-2026
Security agencies have heightened vigilance ahead of the 77th Republic Day, with updated posters of high-profile “wanted” terrorists displayed at Delhi metro stations and markets in New Delhi. Topping the list is Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, chief of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), reflecting the serious threat posed by his transnational terror–gangster network. A former local gangster, Dala took over the outfit after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in June 2023. Though currently based in Canada and recently linked to a shootout there, Indian agencies are intensifying efforts to dismantle his network to prevent any disruption during national celebrations.
16-Jan-2026
Panic gripped the Fazilka Deputy Commissioner’s office in Fazilka district on the morning of January 16 after it received an email threatening a bomb blast, which was later found to be a hoax.
16-Jan-2026
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann on January 16, during a meeting with British Columbia Premier David Eby in Chandigarh, emphasized strengthening trade relations with Canada, particularly with British Columbia. He said Canada has long been a strong partner for India and Punjab and expressed hope to further deepen trade and investment ties.
16-Jan-2026
According to intelligence inputs, Pakistan-based actors, led by Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), are planning to flood Punjab with drugs, arms, and ammunition to revive the Khalistan agenda, with surplus contraband routed to Jammu and Kashmir. Officials say the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is under pressure from Canada-based Khalistani elements as their plans in Punjab have failed due to effective policing and lack of local support. With youth rejecting the separatist ideology, BKI is now attempting to use drug money to recruit them.
16-Jan-2026
Singer Pratik Bachan alias B Praak has reportedly received an extortion threat of INR 10 crore from a suspected member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Punjabi singer Dilnoor lodged a complaint with the Mohali Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), stating that a caller identifying himself as Arju Bishnoi demanded the ransom and warned of serious consequences within a week if the money was not paid.
15-Jan-2026
Police on January 15 said they arrested three accused, including two shooters, from Howrah railway station in Kolkata, West Bengal, in connection with the December 15, 2025, Balachauria murder case, taking the total arrests to nine. Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria was shot dead during a kabaddi tournament in Sector 79, Sohana, on December 15, 2025. Police said the murder was carried out on the directions of foreign-based gangsters Balwinder Singh alias Donny Bal and Amarjit Singh alias Khabba, and that Balachauria had earlier survived two attacks at different locations.
15-Jan-2026
A hardware store owner and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, Balvinder Singh Satkartar, was shot dead when three unidentified bike-borne assailants opened fire at his hardware store in Miani village of Hoshiarpur district on January 15. Satkartar was killed on the spot, while Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Matiyana village, sustained a gunshot wound to his shoulder and was injured. Police said seven bullet shells were recovered from the spot, and efforts are underway to identify the assailants.
15-Jan-2026
On January 15, Punjab Police, on day 320 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 58 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 84 drug smugglers and seized 40.1 kg of heroin, 609 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2060 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
15-Jan-2026
Counter Intelligence on January 15 busted an inter-state narcotics smuggling racket by arresting four operatives, identified as Narinder Singh, Suraj, Jacob Masih, and Ajay Kumar and seizing 40 kg of heroin, near DPS School in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed the consignment was collected on the instructions of a habitual offender and was meant for further distribution across Punjab.
15-Jan-2026
Police on January 15 arrested a man, identified as Dimple and seized 4 grams of heroin near the Musapur railway crossing on Musapur Road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
15-Jan-2026
Police on January 15 arrested a person, identified as Jasveer Singh and seized 6 grams of heroin from him in Ladhana Jhikka, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
15-Jan-2026
Police on January 15 arrested a youth, identified as Gurpreet alias Gopi and seized 36 intoxicating tablets from him on the Mukandpur link road in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district.
15-Jan-2026
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on January 15 arrested the mother and wife of notorious drug smuggler Sandeep Singh alias Seepa, identified as Rano and Harpreet Kaur and recovered 2 kg of heroin, INR 47.50 lakh in drug money, 100 grams of gold, and 500 grams of silver, in Ludhiana district. Preliminary investigations revealed the gold and silver were purchased using drug proceeds. Earlier, on November 22, 2025, ANTF had arrested Sandeep Singh with 50.14 kg of heroin in Fazilka district; so far, a total of about 52 kg of heroin and ₹68 lakh in drug proceeds have been recovered in the case.
14-Jan-2026
On January 14, Punjab Police, on day 319 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 74 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 98 drug smugglers and seized 5.4 kg of heroin, 510 grams of opium, 110 kg of poppy husk, 724 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 4580 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
14-Jan-2026
A notorious shooter linked to the Prabh Dasuwal gang and wanted in connection with the January 4 killing of former AAP sarpanch Jarmal Singh, Sukhraj Singh alias Gunga, was killed in a police encounter during a recovery operation in the Vallah area of Amritsar district on January 14. According to the police, Gunga was in custody when two unidentified men on a motorcycle allegedly opened fire from behind in an attempt to free him. At least six rounds were fired, one of which punctured a police vehicle’s tyre, triggering a gunfight. Amid the chaos, Gunga allegedly tried to snatch the 9 mm service pistol of ASI Harjinder Singh, in-charge of Police Post Vijay Nagar. During the ensuing scuffle, three rounds were fired—one hit the vehicle window, while two struck Gunga.
14-Jan-2026
Police on January 14 arrested one person, identified as Vinod Sharma alias Vicky, and seized 6 grams of heroin from his possession near Mehali Gate in Phagwara, Kapurthala district.
14-Jan-2026
Police on January 14 arrested a woman, identified as Babi, and seized 6 grams of heroin from her possession in Sunder Nagar, Kapurthala district.
14-Jan-2026
Police on January 14 busted a four-member gang involved in cross-border arms smuggling and arrested one of its members, identified as Laras Masih and seized two foreign-made pistols, one magazine, and 11 live rounds from his possession in Jarmastpur village, Tarn Taran district. Police said the accused smuggled weapons from Pakistan and supplied them to gangsters and other criminals to carry out crimes, after which the weapons were taken back.
14-Jan-2026
Ferozepur Police on January 14 busted a cross-border drug smuggling module, arrested two accused, and recovered 4.013 kg of heroin in Ferozepur district. A preliminary investigation revealed that the recovered consignment had been smuggled from Pakistan.
14-Jan-2026
Three prominent schools in Amritsar were closed on January 14 after receiving bomb threat emails, prompting precautionary security measures. The emails, sent to school managements, claimed the premises would be blown up and reportedly mentioned a terrorist organisation, raising serious concerns.
14-Jan-2026
On January 14, the Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) urged people to elect its leader and jailed Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh as Punjab’s Chief Minister in the upcoming Assembly elections during a conference in Sri Muktsar Sahib district. Held on the occasion of Maghi Mela, the conference saw several Panthic leaders attack the current government and raise long-standing religious and social grievances.
14-Jan-2026
The North District Anti-Narcotics Team of Delhi Police on January 14 arrested two sharpshooters, including a minor, linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Deepak and a juvenile accomplice, and seized two pistols, live cartridges, and a scooter, after an encounter with police at Hiranaki Mod in outer Delhi, New Delhi.
14-Jan-2026
Barnala Police on January 14 arrested two gangsters, identified as Akram Khan alias Akku and Pardeep Singh alias Deepu and seized a pistol following an exchange of fire on Raikot Road in Barnala district. The accused allegedly opened fire at the police team, with a bullet striking a police vehicle. Police retaliated in self-defence, during which Akram Khan sustained a gunshot injury.
13-Jan-2026
On January 13, Punjab Police, on day 318 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 50 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 68 drug smugglers and seized 2.7 kg of heroin, 977 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 32,650 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
13-Jan-2026
Police on January 13 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as and recovered 101 grams of heroin from his car, in Beas village in Jalandhar district.
13-Jan-2026
Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) on January 13 arrested one drug peddler, identified as Raj Singh alias Raju and recovered 2.30 kilograms of heroin from him in Ferozepur district.
13-Jan-2026
Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) on January 13 seized 5.56 kilograms of heroin, which was airdropped with the help of a drone, in Ferozepur district.
13-Jan-2026
The Supreme Court (SC) on January 13 deferred by two weeks the hearing on a plea filed by Jagtar Singh Hawara, a convict in the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, seeking his transfer from Tihar Jail, New Delhi, to a prison in Punjab. Hawara, a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist, is serving a life sentence in the case.
12-Jan-2026
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on January 12 arrested two shooters and an accomplice involved in the murder of kabaddi promoter Kanwar Digvijay Singh alias Rana Balachauria, identified as Karan Pathak alias Karan Defaulter, Tarandeep Singh, and Akashdeep, in Howrah, West Bengal. The accused were arrested following an intelligence-led operation spanning Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Sikkim. As of now, five accused have been arrested in connection with the case.
12-Jan-2026
On January 12, Punjab Police, on day 317 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 49 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 69 drug smugglers and seized 3.3 kg of heroin, 385 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1.10 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
12-Jan-2026
Police on January 12 arrested two men, who were allegedly recruited by foreign-based gangsters through social media for an extortion and murder attempt, identified as Davinder Singh and Anuj Kumar and seized two pistols—a .30 bore and a .32 bore— from them, following an encounter in Patiala district. The duo is alleged to have opened fire at the residence of Darshan Singh in Gaddo-Majra, Rajpura, on December 13, 2025 on the instructions of gangster Goldy Dhillon, during which an elderly person sustained a bullet injury.
12-Jan-2026
Ludhiana Police on January 12 arrested three members of the Rohit Godara gang, identified as Sumit Kumar, Sanju, and Sumit alias Altron alias Tunda, and seized two .32-bore pistols with magazines and four live cartridges, following an encounter in the Haibowal area of Ludhiana district. During the exchange of fire, multiple rounds were fired from both sides, and two of the accused sustained injuries.
12-Jan-2026
Police on January 12 arrested a person, identified as Mukesh Kumar, and seized 6 grams of heroin from his possession in Khachar Kalan, Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district.
12-Jan-2026
Police on January 12 arrested a person, identified as Ajay Kumar, and seized 6 grams of heroin from his possession in Bhoot village, Shaheed Bhagat Singh (SBS) Nagar district.