KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-Oct-2025
On October 19, Punjab Police, on day 232 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 58 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 67 drug smugglers and seized 561 grams of heroin, 1.1 kg of opium, 1229 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 6360 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
19-Oct-2025
Rajasthan Police on October 19 arrested a shooter linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Sanjay Jat, and seized a cache of weapons, including a foreign-made pistol from Italy, seven country-made pistols, three rifles, a pakira, five live rifle cartridges, and nine pistol cartridges, in Rajasthan. The accused, who reportedly worked directly for the Bishnoi gang, had been involved in several high-profile crimes, and a reward of INR 25,000 had been announced for his arrest.
19-Oct-2025
Punjab Police on October 19 arrested five persons, including a juvenile, for their involvement in extortion and illegal arms smuggling, identified as Gurwinder Singh alias Palli alias Raja, Jashanpreet Singh alias Tori, Amritpal Singh alias Amrit, and Jaswinder Singh alias Ashu and seized three pistols, two magazines, and five cartridges from their possession near the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Amritsar district. Initial investigations revealed that four of the arrested individuals were new to criminal activity, and all were below the age of 24. They were reportedly coerced into participating in gang operations under threats of violent repercussions, including shootings at their homes or business establishments, if they refused to comply.
19-Oct-2025
Amritsar Police on October 19 arrested a key operative of a cross-border drug trafficking syndicate, identified as Rajpal Singh, and seized 5.025 kg of heroin in the Chheharta Sahib area of Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused was using the Dera Baba Nanak sector to retrieve heroin consignments clandestinely dropped across the International Border using drones.
18-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 18 seized 602 grams of heroin from an agricultural field near Tindiwala village in Ferozepur district.
18-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 18 seized 3.675 kg of ICE from a farmland near Bhaini Rajputan village in Amritsar district.
18-Oct-2025
On October 18, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized a pistol wrapped in yellow adhesive tape from a field near Roranwala Khurd village in Amritsar district.
18-Oct-2025
On October 18, Punjab Police, on day 231 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 43 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 59 drug smugglers and seized 717 grams of heroin, 557 grams of opium, 320 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 44,680 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
18-Oct-2025
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal, addressing a Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) seminar in New Delhi on October 18, urged Sikhs worldwide to “recognize, expose, and defeat the deep-rooted conspiracy to seize control of Sikh religious institutions and render the Khalsa Panth leaderless.” Warning of “nefarious attempts” to weaken Panthic bodies, he alleged that powerful forces were backing “opportunistic traitors” to capture the Akal Takht Sahib, SGPC, and SAD, aiming to dilute and destroy the Khalsa Panth’s distinct identity.
18-Oct-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) declined to quash a criminal defamation complaint filed by Akhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ) spokesperson Rajinder Pal Singh against former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. The court observed that Badal’s remark describing the AKJ as “a political front of the terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)” was not mere political rhetoric but prima facie defamatory, and directed that the trial before the Chandigarh court proceed “uninfluenced by its observations.”
17-Oct-2025
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC), Amritsar, in coordination with a central agency, on October 17 arrested five members of an international smuggling module, identified as Shivam Arora, Gurpreet Singh, Anmoldeep Singh, Abhishek Singh and Kulmit Singh and seized four 9mm Glock pistols, ammunition and 2 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were operating under the directions of a Dubai-based smuggler who was in contact with Pakistani handlers.
17-Oct-2025
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in coordination with the Amritsar Rural Police, on October 17 arrested a key associate of foreign-based gangster Harpreet Singh alias Happy Jatt and the Bambiha gang, identified as Jasvir Singh alias Lalla and seized a foreign-made .30 caliber pistol along with eight live cartridges following a brief encounter at Wadala Bhittewad village in Amritsar district.
17-Oct-2025
Amritsar Rural Police on October 17 arrested one person, identified as Shamsher Singh alias Shera and seized 700 grams of heroin from Gharinda village in Amritsar district.
17-Oct-2025
On October 17, Punjab Police, on day 230 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 57 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 59 drug smugglers and seized 2.1 kg of heroin, 1598 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3.17 lakhs drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
17-Oct-2025
Police on October 17 arrested a man, identified as Jaspinder Singh and seized 170 grams of opium in Kapurthala district.
16-Oct-2025
According to official sources, arms smuggling from Pakistan through the Punjab border has surged fivefold, with 362 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, grenades, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), seized so far in 2025, compared to just 81 in 2024. Over 50 individuals have been arrested, some caught while collecting drone-dropped consignments, while others were intended recipients tasked with carrying out terror strikes. A security expert attributed this sharp rise to the precision strikes carried out by India during Operation Sindoor on terror hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. For the first time in three years, three AK-47 rifles were recovered, marking a resurgence in the infiltration of sophisticated weaponry. The last such recovery occurred in October 2022, when six AK-47s were seized. Investigations indicate that gangsters and terrorists based in countries such as the United States (US) and Canada are supplying arms to operatives of terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) while also fueling organized crime networks.
16-Oct-2025
On October 16, Punjab Police, on day 229 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 82 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 95 drug smugglers and seized 3.4 kg of heroin, 7.5 kg of poppy husk, 878 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 9210 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
15-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 15 seized 2.2 kg of heroin from Daoke village in Amritsar district.
15-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 15 seized a damaged assembled hexacopter from the border village of Rajatal in Amritsar district.
15-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 15 seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone with a packet consisting of 536 grams of heroin from Kakkar border village in Amritsar district.
15-Oct-2025
The Amritsar Rural Police on October 15 seized three hand grenades, an improvised explosive device (IED), RDX detonators, batteries, wires, and headphones—packed inside a plastic bag—from an agricultural field in Tedi village, Ajnala, in Amritsar district. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Amritsar (Rural) Maninder Singh stated that preliminary investigations suggest the explosives were likely smuggled from across the border and were intended to disrupt peace during the festive season.
15-Oct-2025
Moga Police on October 15 arrested a man, identified as Navjot Singh alias Naval and seized three country-made .32 bore pistols with magazines and two live cartridges, along with one country-made .30 bore pistol with a magazine and one live cartridge, from his kit bag on the link road from Moga–Bagha Purana to Tarewala village in Moga district.
15-Oct-2025
Moga Police on October 15 arrested one person, identified as Mandaldeep Singh and seized one country-made .30 bore pistol with a magazine from his possession in Saidoke village, Moga district.
15-Oct-2025
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) team of Moga Police on October 15 arrested an arms smuggler identified as Sukhdeep Singh alias Bobby and seized two country-made .30 bore pistols with three magazines and one country-made .32 bore pistol with a magazine from his possession on the link road between Mehna and Dala villages in Moga district.
15-Oct-2025
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on October 15 busted a cross-border arms and narcotics smuggling module with the arrest of three operatives, identified as Rajan alias Sagar, Surinder Singh alias Pali, and Jagjit Singh, and seized four 9mm Glock pistols, six .30-bore pistols, and 500 grams of opium from their possession in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the arrested accused were part of an inter-district smuggling gang and were connected to a Pakistan-based handler.
15-Oct-2025
On October 15, Punjab Police, on day 228 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 61 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 75 drug smugglers and seized 296 grams of heroin, 497 grams of opium, 13 kg of poppy husk, 1164 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3120 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
14-Oct-2025
Punjab Police on October 14 arrested three persons, identified as Gurwinder Singh alias Ginder, Vipan Kumar alias Manish, and Chamkor Singh and seized one AK-47 rifle with 60 live cartridges, three 9mm Glock pistols with seven magazines, and 50 live cartridges in Gurdaspur district. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that the consignment had been drone-dropped near the Indo-Pak border in the Kalanaur area in Gurdaspur, in mid-September 2025 and later retrieved by the accused. He added that investigations are ongoing to identify the smugglers and trace both forward and backward linkages to dismantle the entire network.
14-Oct-2025
The Amritsar Rural Police on October 14 arrested a man identified as Amarbir Singh and seized six pistols (.30 bore), 91 live cartridges of .30 bore, 20 live cartridges of 9mm, and 11 magazines from his possession in Amritsar district.
14-Oct-2025
On October 14, Punjab Police, on day 227 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 55 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 76 drug smugglers and seized 3 kg of heroin, 506 grams of opium, 44 kg of poppy husk, 406 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1500 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
14-Oct-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on October 14 directed district police chiefs to maintain maximum visibility and alertness across the state ahead of Diwali, with special focus on active and strategic checkpoints. He said, “Pakistan has been waging a proxy war by pushing narco-terrorism into Punjab. In recent days, it has attempted to create disturbances by smuggling drugs and weapons, but Punjab Police have been actively foiling these designs.” Yadav added that Pakistan has been using drones and other means for smuggling, and that anti-drone systems deployed by the state government are effectively countering this threat.
14-Oct-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on October 14 reviewed the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ and stated that since March 1, the Punjab Police have registered 21,707 First Information Reports (FIRs) and arrested 32,903 drug smugglers, including 2,533 suppliers. During this period, the police have also recovered 1,446 kg of heroin, 475 kg of opium, 25,000 kg of poppy husk, 35 kg of charas (hashish), 511 kg of ganja (marijuana), 12 kg of ICE, 3.6 kg of cocaine, 39.29 lakh intoxicant tablets, and INR 13.39 crore in drug money.
14-Oct-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on October 14 revealed that since September 2024, Punjab Police have busted 26 terror modules and arrested 90 individuals, seizing a large cache of arms, explosives, ammunition, hand grenades, and RDX — delivering a major blow to terror networks. He added that 203 foreign handlers linked to terror or organized crime networks have been identified, and the process to issue Red Corner and Blue Corner Notices against them, in coordination with central agencies, has been initiated to bring them to justice in India.
14-Oct-2025
Amritsar Police Commissioner, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar on October 14 reported significant progress in the city’s war against drugs campaign, with 1,138 First Information Reports (FIRs) registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and 2,133 drug smugglers arrested since January 1, 2025. During this period, over 250 kg of heroin, 29 kg of opium, and 325 kg of narcotic powder were seized. Authorities also recovered drug money worth INR 2.88 crore and 96 vehicles used in the NDPS trade.
14-Oct-2025
A BSF spokesperson on October 14 announced that the BSF Punjab Frontier achieved a historic milestone by recovering 200 Pakistani drones in 2025. As of October 13, BSF troops had intercepted and seized 200 drones, 287 kg of heroin, 13 kg of ICE (methamphetamine) drug, 174 weapons, 12 hand grenades, and over 10 kg of high explosives. The operations also resulted in the neutralisation of three Pakistani intruders and the arrest of 203 Indian smugglers and 16 Pakistani nationals involved in cross-border crimes. The spokesperson said the evolving drone threat from across the border remains a major security challenge but added that through advanced surveillance, intelligence-driven operations, and the dedication of BSF troops, every aerial intrusion attempt was tracked, intercepted, and neutralised with precision. In 2024, the BSF Punjab Frontier recovered 294 drones, marking a sharp rise from 107 drones intercepted in 2023.
14-Oct-2025
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has frozen assets worth over INR 25.5 crore of two accused, Dr Jatinder Malhotra and Dr Arti Malhotra, under Section 68F(2) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985. The action follows a financial probe by NCB’s Amritsar Zonal Unit into a case linked to the seizure of 34,372 tramadol tablets from a local pharmaceutical network earlier this year. The accused are alleged to have acquired the assets using proceeds from illegal psychotropic drug trade.
14-Oct-2025
The Delhi High Court on October 14 granted 10 days’ interim bail to Naresh Sehrawat, a life convict in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, following the death of his mother. The case concerns the murder of Avtar Singh and Hardev Singh on November 1, 1984, shortly after former Prime Minister (PM) Indira Gandhi’s assassination. Sehrawat and Yashpal Singh were convicted by the Patiala House Court on November 14, 2018.
14-Oct-2025
Panthic organizations on October 14 observed “Lahnat Diwas” (Curse Day) marking the 10th anniversary of the 2015 sacrilege and subsequent police firing at Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in Faridkot district, which left two people dead and several others injured. They called it “Curse Day” to condemn successive state governments for failing to deliver justice even after a decade.
14-Oct-2025
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand on October 14, in Mumbai, Maharashtra, told Canadian reporters during a conference call that Canada is taking a step-by-step approach to normalizing relations with India, initially focusing on ending New Delhi’s interference in Canadian affairs, followed by a longer-term goal of freer trade. Anand said she was firm in her meetings with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and senior Indian officials, emphasizing the importance of respecting Canada’s sovereignty and refraining from violent and illegal activities.
14-Oct-2025
A Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) delegation led by its president, Harjinder Singh Dhami, on October 14 met death-row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana, sentenced for the 1995 assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh, inside Patiala Central Jail. According to sources, the meeting focused on various issues related to Rajoana and his pending mercy petition with the Central government.
13-Oct-2025
The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on October 13 approved the deployment of six specially trained sniffer dogs across six major central jails in the state as part of the ‘War Against Drugs’ campaign to curb drug trafficking and other criminal activities within prisons.
13-Oct-2025
Former Union Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, speaking at the Khushwant Singh Literature Festival in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, on October 13, blamed senior Army officers for the failure of Operation Bluestar, citing inept planning and poor execution. He praised former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for signing key accords that helped restore peace in insurgency-affected states but noted that the Punjab Accord failed due to Harchand Singh Longowal’s insistence on a problematic deadline.
13-Oct-2025
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on October 13 declared, “We want Hindustan, not Khalistan,” reaffirming the Congress Party’s commitment to a united India. He added that it is for the people to decide the kind of leadership they want — those working among them or those operating from abroad.
13-Oct-2025
India and Canada have agreed on a series of measures during Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand’s visit, where she met Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A joint statement on October 13 from Anand and Jaishankar outlined several specific steps the two countries plan to take “to restore stability in the relationship.” The statement also emphasized “mutual respect for shared democratic values, the rule of law, and a commitment to upholding the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
13-Oct-2025
On October 13, Punjab Police, on day 226 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 63 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 79 drug smugglers and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, 674 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 7850 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
13-Oct-2025
Amritsar city remains on high alert amid repeated recoveries of weapons and narcotics smuggled from Pakistan during the festive season. Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said all officials have been directed to stay on the ground and personally oversee security. Authorities are monitoring history-sheeters and recently released criminals to prevent any disruption. Over 4,000 police personnel, supported by a Border Security Force (BSF) company, have been deployed across the city.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized a packet containing approximately 566 grams of heroin from the rooftop of a house in Daoke village, Amritsar district.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized a DJI Mavic 4 Pro drone along with a packet containing 560 grams of heroin from Naushera Dhalla village in Amritsar district.
13-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 13 seized two AK-47 rifles with two magazines, one pistol with a magazine, and 10 live rounds from Mehdipur village in Tarn Taran district. The arms and ammunition were found concealed in a field near the India-Pakistan border, likely intended to be retrieved later by Indian handlers associated with Pakistan-based terror outfits.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 seized 1 kg of heroin and a drone from the fields of Cheema Kalan village in Tarn Taran district.
12-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 12 neutralized and seized a DJI Mavic 4 PRO drone carrying 1.144 kg of heroin from a farming field near Havelian village in Tarn Taran district.