KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
23-May-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 23 arrested a key associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi syndicate, identified as Rahul Sarkar, in New Delhi. Sarkar allegedly managed a fake passport racket that enabled gang members to flee India and evade law enforcement. He was reportedly responsible for forging travel documents used by several fugitives, including Sachin Thapan Bishnoi, accused in the Sidhu Moose Wala murder case.
23-May-2025
Ludhiana police on May 23 conducted early morning raids, arresting five smugglers, identified as Jatinder Kumar, Ajay alias Sunny, Deepak, Beet, and Mohammad Sabir, and seized 77 grams of heroin, 70 Alprazolam tablets, 450 Snospas tablets, and empty strips of Pregabalin and Brufen in Ludhiana district.
22-May-2025
Amritsar rural police on May 22 busted a cross-border drug cartel, arresting three smugglers, identified as Daljit Singh alias Bhola, Pawanpreet Singh alias Monu, and Karanjit Singh alias Karan,and seizing 3 kg of heroin along with two 9mm Glock pistols near Mode village in Amritsar district.
22-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 22 arrested an unidentified drug peddler and seized one country-made pistol, in Gendu Kilcha village in Ferozepur district.
22-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 22 recovered a drone from Hazara Singh Wala village in Ferozepur district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic-3 Classic model.
22-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 22 recovered a drone from Kilche village in Ferozepur district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic-3 Classic model.
22-May-2025
Punjab Police on May 22 demolished illegal properties belonging to two drug smugglers, identified as Jagpreet alias Jagga and Satnam, which had been constructed on Panchayat land in Dharar village, Amritsar district, Punjab
22-May-2025
On May 22, Punjab Police, on day 82 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 79 First Information Reports (FIRs), arrested 101 drug smugglers and recovered 15.9 kg of heroin, 102 kg of poppy husk and INR 25.52 lakhs drug money from their possession, across Punjab.
22-May-2025
Ferozepur Police on May 22 busted a drug smuggling module, and arrested three operatives, identified as Karan Kumar alias Ghanni, Rohit Bhatti, and Aakashdeep alias Aakash, and seized 12.07 kg of heroin and INR 25.12 lakhs in drug and hawala money, in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district. Preliminary investigations suggest cross-border links with Pakistan-based operatives using drones for narcotics delivery.
22-May-2025
Amritsar Police on May 22 arrested three individuals—Kanwalpreet Singh, Gurbhej Singh alias Bheja, and Wasan Singh—and seized one revolver and a stolen car following a brief encounter in Amritsar district. Police stated that the trio, wanted in multiple criminal cases across several districts, had snatched the vehicle during a citywide blackout triggered by Operation Sindoor and cross-border attacks.
22-May-2025
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Bikaner, Rajasthan, on May 22, warned Pakistan against fostering terrorism, stating that it would be forced to "beg for every penny" if such actions continued. He revealed that Pakistan had attempted to target the Nal Air Force Station, but India’s armed forces thwarted the attack and launched a decisive counter-strike, destroying Pakistan’s Rahim Yar Khan air base during Operation Sindoor.
22-May-2025
Mohali Police, on May 22 arrested one of the accused behind firing outside the residence of music producer Pinky Dhaliwal on May 15, identified as Ankit Rana, and seized the stolen motorcycle used in the crime, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Rana is linked to the Kala Rana gang, and was tracked down with the help of CCTV footage and human intelligence.
21-May-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on May 21, arrested an associate of two Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF)-linked terror operatives involved in a grenade attack on a temple, identified as Bhagwant Singh alias Manna Bhatti, in Akalgarh village in Amritsar district. According to the NIA, Bhagwant had concealed the grenade used in the attack and received terror funds in his bank account.
21-May-2025
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh, while speaking during an anti-drug campaign in Rohti Basta Singh village in Patiala district on May 21, criticised the Central Government for its handling of cross-border drug smuggling. He questioned its failure to intercept Pakistan-origin drones despite possessing the technological capability to counter similar threats.
21-May-2025
Police on May 21 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Hardeep Singh and Abhishek, and seized 181 kg of poppy husk from their possession, in Kiratpur Sahib in Rupnagar district.
21-May-2025
Police on May 21 arrested one drug smuggler, identified as Babandeep Singh and seized 240 psychotropic drug pills from his possession, in Ramgarh Manda village in Rupnagar district.
21-May-2025
Police on May 21 demolished houses of eight unidentified drug peddlers who had illegally encroached on government land, in Rohti Channa village in Nabha in Patiala district.
21-May-2025
Police, on May 21, demolished the houses of one drug smuggler, identified as Surjit Singh alias Tota in Toti village in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district in Punjab. According to Police, Surjit Singh and his family have a long history in drug trafficking, with 18 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act registered against them.
21-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 21 recovered a drone near Palha Megha village in Ferozepur district in Punjab. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
21-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 21 recovered a drone near Gendu Kilcha village in Ferozepur district in Punjab. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
21-May-2025
Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Rekha Gupta, on May 21, flagged off the Khalsa Tiranga Yatra from Talkatora Stadium to celebrate the valour of the Indian armed forces. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from Sikh youth, who rode with the national flag and raised patriotic slogans across Delhi.
21-May-2025
Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of Kapurthala on May 21 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Tarshbir Singh, and seized 130 grams of heroin and INR 70 in cash from his possession, in Lakhkan Kalan village in Kapurthala district.
21-May-2025
Sri Akal Takht Sahib, the supreme temporal seat of the Sikhs, on May 21 lifted the five-year-old ban on preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale after he appeared before the five Jathedars and sought forgiveness for the alleged misinterpretation of Gurbani, in Amritsar.
21-May-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a statement on May 21, accused India of orchestrating the recent suicide attack on a school bus in Balochistan. He also blamed the Indian intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), labelling the incident as an example of “state-sponsored terrorism,” and accused the Modi government of fueling regional instability through what he termed Hindutva extremism rooted in Ayodhya and Nagpur.
21-May-2025
On May 21, Punjab Police, on day 81 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 104 FIRs, arrested 150 drug smugglers and recovered 7.2 kg of heroin, 297 kg of poppy husk and INR 2.41 lakhs of drug money from their possession across Punjab.
21-May-2025
The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on May 21 busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket, arrested one smuggler identified as Shivam Sodhi, and seized 5 kg of heroin along with INR 22,000 in drug money from his possession in the Lamma Pind Chowk area of Jalandhar district.
20-May-2025
Punjab Police on May 20 arrested Parmjeet Kaur, the daughter of a sarpanch, and seized 18 grams of heroin from her possession in Kartarpur, Jalandhar district.
20-May-2025
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with the Faridkot police, on May 20 arrested two close associates of foreign-based gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, identified as Vishal Singh of Muktsar and Onkar Singh, and seized two .30 bore pistols and six live cartridges from their possession in Sadiq in Faridkot district.
20-May-2025
Golden Temple Head Granthi (priest) Giani Raghbir Singh on May 20 in Amritsar refuted claims made by Indian Army officer Lieutenant General Sumer Ivan D'Cunha that the shrine’s authorities had permitted the deployment of air defence guns on the premises during Operation Sindoor. Singh stated he was never contacted by any army personnel and had been abroad in the United States (US) from April 24 to May 14, the period during which the operation took place. He urged the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to investigate the matter and take appropriate action if any member had acted without authorisation.
20-May-2025
Jalandhar Rural Police on May 20 arrested a gangster linked to the Dilpreet Baba gang, identified as Paramjit Singh alias Pamma, and seized 15 grams of heroin and two illegal .32 pistols, live cartridges and a stolen car, from his possession, near Kalra village in Jalandhar district. Singh opened fire while attempting to flee, resulting in him being injured in the leg during police retaliation.
20-May-2025
The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on May 20 arrested two key suspects involved in a recent gang-related shooting in Shaheed Babu Labh Singh Nagar, identified as Akashdeep Singh alias Akash and Gaurav Kapila, seizing two pistols, three cartridges, and six spent cartridges from their possession after a brief encounter in Dhakoli, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Akashdeep and Gaurav were linked to the killing of a Fateh gang member and the injury of a bystander.
19-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 19 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 506 grams along with one DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone, from fields near Noorwala village in Patti in Tarn Taran district.
19-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 19 recovered one drone in burnt condition from a farming field adjacent to Wan village in Patti in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a DJI Air 3 model.
19-May-2025
The Mohali District Court on May 19 acquitted Jagtar Singh Hawara, who is currently serving a life sentence for the assassination of former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh, in an explosives case registered in 2005, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district.
19-May-2025
On May 19, the Akal Takht, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), and several Sikh organisations condemned YouTuber Dhruv Rathi for using artificial intelligence (AI) animation to depict Sikh Gurus in a video titled "The Sikh Warrior Who Terrified the Mughals." Acting Jathedar of Akal Takht, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargajj, issued a stern warning demanding the immediate removal of the video. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami criticised the AI-generated portrayal of Guru Gobind Singh and the Sahibzadas, calling it a violation of Sikh principles and historical sanctity. Following the backlash, Rathi took down the video.
19-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 19 announced that it had successfully recovered the 100th Pakistani drone used for smuggling arms, explosives, and narcotics along the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab this year. Recoveries in 2025 so far include 111 kg of heroin, 60 weapons, 14 hand grenades, and over 10 kg of high explosives.
19-May-2025
On May 19, Punjab Police as part of its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, registered 109 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 147 drug smugglers and recovered 2.7 kg of heroin, 84 kg of poppy husk, 73000 and INR 1.22 lakh drug money from their possession, across Punjab.
19-May-2025
Police on May 19 arrested one individual, identified as Jagjit Singh, and seized INR 3.15 lakh in drug money from his possession in the Islamabad area of Amritsar in Amritsar district. Singh was an accomplice in a cross-border drug trafficking racket linked to Sandeep Singh, who was arrested on May 18 along with his associates Akashdeep Singh and Akash alias Mota. The trio was caught with 10.248 kg of heroin. Sandeep Singh is alleged to have smuggled over 200 kg of heroin into Punjab since 2018 using drones in coordination with Pakistan-based smugglers.
19-May-2025
The Ferozepur police on May 19 arrested four individuals, identified as Swaran Singh, Gurwant Singh, Sandeep Singh and Manpreet Singh and seized 4.25 kg of heroin and INR 1.97 lakh in drug money, along with a car from their possession, in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district.
19-May-2025
In a rare display of unity, Punjab’s political parties rallied behind the Centre and armed forces following India’s launch of Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam massacre. Leaders across party lines evoked Punjab’s martial legacy, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decisive action, and lauded the bravery of Indian soldiers. Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Sukhbir Badal commended Modi for making Pakistan “beg for a ceasefire,” while Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann highlighted Punjab’s frontline vulnerability and called for compensation. Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa invoked Guru Gobind Singh to honour Punjabi soldiers’ courage, state Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned Pakistan as an “evil nation,” and Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Sunil Jakhar endorsed the operation as precise and justified, though he cautioned against the economic toll of war.
19-May-2025
Punjab Police on May 19 dismantled a terror module of the banned Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and arrested six operatives—identified as Jatin Kumar alias Rohan, Barinder Singh alias Sajan, Rahul Masih, Abraham alias Rohit, Sohit, and Sunil Kumar— and seized a 30-bore pistol from their possession in Batala, Gurdaspur district. The module was allegedly planning a grenade attack on a liquor vend and was receiving direct instructions from Maninder Billa, operating from Portugal, and Mannu Agwan, who recently assumed operational control of BKI following the arrest of Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia in the United States (US).
18-May-2025
Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a statement on May 18, provocatively labelled India’s official diplomatic mission to the United States (US) as a “Delegation of Devils,” in an apparent attempt to derail India’s global outreach following Operation Sindoor. Echoing Pakistan’s narrative, Pannun accused India of manufacturing war and further escalated threats against Indian diplomats by announcing a USD 10,000 reward for information on former Indian envoy Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
18-May-2025
Ex-Khalistani Kuljinder Dhillon on May 18 on the Figuring Out podcast revealed that the Khalistan movement was not purely about religion or rights, but that many involved were ordinary criminals using the cause as a cover for looting, bank robberies, and kidnappings.
18-May-2025
On May 18, Punjab Police, on day 78 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, conducted cordon-and-search operations (CASO) at 490 locations, registered 109 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 136 drug smugglers, and seized 11.3 kg of heroin and INR 3.48 lakh in drug money across Punjab. The police also launched Operation Seal-XI, targeting 92 entry and exit points across 10 border districts adjoining Haryana, Himachal Pradesh (HP), Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
18-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) on May 18 recovered a drone in broken condition from fields near Rattankhurd village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
18-May-2025
The Ferozepur police on May 18 arrested an individual, identified as Pathi, and seized a country-made .315 bore pistol and a live cartridge from his possession in Makhu town in Ferozepur district.
18-May-2025
Ludhiana Rural Police on May 18 arrested three Army personnel for drug smuggling, identified as Bikramjit Singh, Baljinder Singh Balli, and Jaswinder Singh, and seized 255 grams of heroin from their possession in Pamal village, Ludhiana district. Bikramjit Singh was arrested first, and based on his confession, the police later arrested Baljinder Singh Balli and Jaswinder Singh from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The accused had allegedly diverted a 450-gram heroin consignment that was recovered during an anti-smuggling raid in the Uri sector of J&K by exploiting their military positions.
18-May-2025
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on May 18 put on hold its decision to install a portrait of former Prime Minister (PM) Dr Manmohan Singh in the Central Sikh Museum at the Golden Temple in Amritsar. The move came after objections were raised by death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana and several radical Sikh groups, who argued that Dr Singh, as a Congress leader, represented a party held responsible for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. SGPC officials stated that the matter would be reconsidered after seeking broader consensus within the Sikh community.
18-May-2025
Amritsar police Commissionerate on May 18 busted an international narco-trafficking cartel and arrested three individuals, identified as Sandeep Singh, Akasdeep Singh and Akash alias Mota, and seized 10.248 kg of heroin and two motorcycles from their possession near Kot Khalsa in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The Police revealed that Sandeep had been in contact with Pakistani smugglers for six years and played a key role in a trans-border network, and had trafficked nearly 200 kg of narcotics since 2018 without any prior criminal record.
18-May-2025
Police on May 18 arrested 11 drug peddlers and seized 64 grams of heroin and intoxicating tablets and capsules from their possession, across Banga, Rahon, Balachaur and Kathgarh villages in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district in Punjab.