KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
20-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 20, on Day 51 of its 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, arrested 79 drug smugglers and recovered 11.5 lakh intoxicant tablets/capsules, 690 grams of heroin, and INR 4.40 lakh in drug money from various locations across the state.
20-Apr-2025
Moga Police on April 20 arrested a narcotics smuggler, identified as Vicky Arora alias Vijay Arora, and seized 2,80,800 Tramadol tablets, 8,75,900 Pregabalin capsules, 4,500 bottles of codeine syrup, INR 52,500 in drug money, and a car from his possession in Moga district.
20-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on April 20 recovered a broken DJI Mavic-3 Classic drone from fields near Rajatal village in Amritsar district.
20-Apr-2025
In a joint operation with Punjab Police, the Border Security Force (BSF) on April 20 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 545 grams from fields near Dal village in Patti, Tarn Taran district.
20-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on April 20 recovered a DJI Mavic-3 Classic drone from fields near Gatti Rajoke village in Ferozepur district.
20-Apr-2025
Television actor Abhinav Shukla revealed via a post on social media platform X on April 20 that he had received a death threat from a user claiming affiliation with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang. The threat, reportedly sent through Instagram, surfaced following a verbal spat involving his wife, actress Rubina Dilaik, and rapper Asim Riaz on the show Battleground.
20-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on April 20, arrested a local smuggler whose identity was not disclosed and recovered a packet of heroin weighing 1.029 kg from his possession in Habibwala Village in Ferozepur district.
20-Apr-2025
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on April 20 alleged that pro-Khalistan elements associated with the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, led by radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, were plotting to assassinate him and other political leaders in Punjab. The conspiracy came to light through leaked screenshots of a social media chat, which revealed plans to target Bittu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
20-Apr-2025
Police on April 20 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Rohit and Lovepreet, and seized 100 grams of heroin, a .30 bore pistol, three live rounds, and a motorcycle from their possession in Kutbewal village, Phillaur, in Jalandhar district. A third smuggler, Gurpreet alias Gopi, was injured during an encounter in the operation and later succumbed to his injuries at a civil hospital. Police confirmed that the trio were involved in multiple criminal cases, including drug smuggling and snatching.
19-Apr-2025
Uttar Pradesh (UP) Police’s Additional Director General (ADG) of Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, on April 19 confirmed in Lucknow that Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, an alleged operative of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), is wanted in connection with a foiled terror plot targeting the Mahakumbh Mela in Prayagraj earlier this year.
19-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) has seized 11 pistols and over 100 rounds of ammunition along the International Border (IB) in Punjab over the past five days (April 13–18). This follows a series of seizures in March 2025, during which eight pistols and nearly 100 rounds of ammunition were recovered. Additionally, the BSF discovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) last week in the Gurdaspur sector, one of which caused serious injury to a BSF trooper during defusal. The rise in smuggling attempts has raised law and order concerns, with the BSF also neutralising 10 drones and seizing over 5 kg of narcotics so far in April 2025.
19-Apr-2025
Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu, in Chandigarh on April 19, hailed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for securing the arrest of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia in the United States (US) with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Bittu also expressed hope for Passia’s swift extradition to India.
19-Apr-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 19 filed a second supplementary charge sheet in the high-profile Neemrana hotel firing case linked to Canada-based Khalistani terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, naming three additional accused—Dharmendra Singh, Gaurav, and Deepak—in Jaipur, Rajasthan. With this filing, the total number of individuals charge-sheeted in the case has increased to six.
19-Apr-2025
The police on April 19 arrested an individual, identified as Lovejeet Singh, for attempting to extort INR 1 crore from an automobile showroom owner by posing as the brother of foreign-based gangster Goldy Brar, in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The police revealed that he had also issued death threats to the complainant and his family if the demanded amount was not paid.
19-Apr-2025
The police on April 19 arrested two individuals, identified as Sukhwinder Singh and Mangaljit Singh, in connection with a cross-border weapons smuggling case that took place on the intervening night of December 1 and 2, 2024, near the India-Pakistan border in Chak 9-FA village in Sriganganagar district, Rajasthan. During interrogation, it was revealed that the duo had procured foreign-made pistols and ammunition from Pakistani smugglers for "self-protection" while engaged in drug trafficking in Punjab. Both were previously linked to a 6 kg heroin smuggling case busted on June 15, 2024.
19-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 19, on day 50 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 131 drug smugglers and recovered 1.7 kg of heroin and 3.5 kg of opium from their possession across Punjab.
19-Apr-2025
Commissionerate Police Jalandhar, in coordination with Municipal Corporation Jalandhar, on April 19 demolished an illegally built house belonging to three notorious drug smugglers, identified as Lakhwir Kaur alias, Sandeep Kumar, and Suraj, in Jalandhar district.
19-Apr-2025
Tarsem Singh, the father of radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, on April 19 denounced the extension of his son's detention under the National Security Act (NSA), calling it a "murder of democracy." The Punjab Government had extended Amritpal’s detention, citing security concerns, while his counsel announced plans to challenge the order in court.
19-Apr-2025
Punjab Police on April 19 revealed that they had busted two ISI-backed terror modules of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), which had links with France-based Satnam Singh alias Satta and Greece-based Jaswinder Singh alias Mannu Agwan and arrested 13 individuals in two separate operations, with seizing significant weaponry and explosives, including two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), a launcher, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) weighing 2.5 kg each, two hand grenades with detonators, 2 kg of RDX with a remote control, five pistols, six magazines, 44 live cartridges, a wireless set, and three vehicles. In the first operation, the Counter Intelligence (CI) team of Jalandhar Police arrested Jagroop Singh, Jatinder Singh alias Honey, and Harpreet Singh while transporting arms and explosives near Lamma Pind Chowk in Jalandhar. In the second operation, Batala police arrested nine more individuals in Batala, Gurdaspur district.
18-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 18, busted a hawala-narcotics network operated by United States (US)-based drug smuggler Joban Kaler and gangster Gopi Chougawan, and arrested five individuals — including a serving police constable, Navjot Singh — along with Harmit Singh, Rajanjot Singh, Gurpreet Singh, and Anil Saini, seizing INR 40.91 lakh from their possession, in Ludhiana district.
18-Apr-2025
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) recently downgraded the security cover of former National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General and ex-Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta from Z-plus to Y-category, now to be provided by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Gupta was earlier granted Z-plus security in May last year due to threats from pro-Khalistan elements, but a recent assessment by central agencies found no fresh threat following his retirement from the Indian Police Service (IPS) on July 31, 2024. Under the Y-category cover, Gupta will now be guarded by around 12 security personnel, including two commandos.
18-Apr-2025
Police recently identified an inmate lodged in Gurdaspur Central Jail who was allegedly controlling drone operations for smuggling drugs and weapons from Pakistan, and arrested three individuals — Balwinder Singh, Kuldeep Singh, and a minor — in connection with the case, in Gurdaspur district. The arrests followed investigations into a recent drone-related incident in the Dorangla area near the international border (IB), where 2 kg of heroin, two pistols, four magazines, and 66 rounds of ammunition were recovered. During sustained questioning, the suspects revealed the inmate’s involvement in coordinating the illegal operations from jail.
18-Apr-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav in Chandigarh on April 18 announced the arrest of Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, a key operative of the Pakistan-ISI backed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), by United States (US) authorities in Sacramento, California. Yadav hailed the arrest as a major milestone in the crackdown on ISI-linked terror networks and credited the success to strong international cooperation between Indian and US agencies.
18-Apr-2025
According to sources, Army jawan Sukhcharan Singh, arrested by Punjab Police for providing online training to individuals involved in a grenade attack on YouTuber Rozer Sandhu’s residence in Jalandhar, belongs to the Sikh Light Infantry regiment. He has served in the Army for the past eight years, including a posting with a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir in 2021. His arrest has raised serious concerns within the security establishment, leading to both an internal Army inquiry and a police investigation into his alleged involvement. The motive behind his actions is still under investigation.
18-Apr-2025
Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) media panellist Parminder Mehta has urged the government to launch a thorough probe into the alleged links between Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the head of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), following Bajwa’s statement that 50 grenades had entered Punjab, which was reportedly corroborated by Pannun. Mehta questioned Bajwa’s reluctance to reveal the source of his information and suggested that Pannun himself could possibly have been the original source behind the claim.
18-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 18, on day 49 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 124 drug smugglers and recovered 2.5 kg of heroin and INR 2.02 lakh drug money from their possession across Punjab.
17-Apr-2025
Amritsar Rural Police on April 17 recovered a hand grenade along with 186 grams of heroin from the residence of Baljinder Singh, an associate of Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, following interrogation, in Macchiwala village in Ajnala in Amritsar district. Baljinder and his accomplice Palwinder Singh were arrested earlier on April 11 with firearms and heroin, and their involvement in a narco-terror module linked to Passia has been confirmed. The grenade was safely neutralised by the Bomb Disposal Squad.
17-Apr-2025
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with Tarn Taran Police, on April 17 arrested two key associates of terrorist Lakhbir Singh alias Landa Harike and the Satnam Singh alias Satta Naushehra gang, identified as Mehakpreet Singh alias Mehak and Yuvraj Singh alias Jaggu, and seized one 9mm Glock pistol, one .30 calibre PX30 pistol, along with live cartridges and empty bullet shells from their possession, near Jawanda village in Tarn Taran district.
17-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on April 17 recovered a packet containing six pistols and 14 magazines, near Mahawa village in Amritsar district.
17-Apr-2025
Dal Khalsa president Paramjit Singh Mand stated in Amritsar on April 17 that the Akal Takht Jathedar should remain free from political and administrative influence, and that his organisation had submitted a detailed blueprint regarding the appointment, removal, and role of Takht Jathedars to Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami. Mand added that the draft was prepared after years of deliberation by Sikh scholars, experts, and religious-political activists.
17-Apr-2025
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Aman Arora claimed in Chandigarh on April 17 that Khalistani terrorist and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun had endorsed Indian National Congress (INC) MLA and Punjab Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa’s remarks that “50 grenades have reached Punjab.” Arora criticised Bajwa for making such “reckless” statements, calling them a threat to Punjab’s peace and aligned with the agenda of the state’s adversaries.
17-Apr-2025
Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a media briefing in New Delhi on April 17, slammed Pakistan’s attempts to distance itself from Tahawwur Hussain Rana, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. He stated that no matter how hard Pakistan tries, its reputation as the epicentre of global terrorism will not diminish. Jaiswal further said that Rana’s extradition from the United States (US) serves as a reminder for Pakistan to act against the other perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks, whom it continues to shield.
17-Apr-2025
Recent attempts by Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun to incite hatred against Dr. B.R. Ambedkar have backfired in Punjab, triggering a wave of unity across communities. In defiance, Ambedkarite groups and locals have begun installing new statues and memorials, with six already erected in Malerkotla district and more underway. Community members view this initiative as a strong collective rebuttal to Pannun’s provocation, with full backing from authorities, local leaders, and the NRI community.
17-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 17, on day 48 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 97 drug smugglers and recovered 261 grams of heroin, 699 grams of opium, 1,997 intoxicant tablets/pills, and INR 40.9 lakh drug money from their possession across Punjab.
16-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 16, during day 47 of its "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, arrested 121 drug smugglers and recovered 4.7 kg of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, and INR 1.08 lakh in drug money from their possession across Punjab.
16-Apr-2025
A team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 16 visited Jalandhar to interrogate three accused—Saidul Amin, Satish Kumar alias Kaka, and his cousin Harry—who were arrested by Punjab Police in connection with the grenade attack at the residence of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Manoranjan Kalia. The NIA team, consisting of 11 officers, questioned the trio throughout the day, focusing on national security threats, possible links to Pakistan-based handlers, and the broader terror network behind the attack.
16-Apr-2025
Tarsem Singh, father of jailed Khalistani-leaning Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, stated in Chandigarh on April 16 that Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) has launched membership drives across 21 of Punjab’s 23 districts, with plans to cover the remaining areas soon. Despite Amritpal being projected as the party's chief ministerial candidate for 2027, Tarsem claimed his son never sought leadership roles, asserting that public sentiment is behind him.
16-Apr-2025
The Jalandhar Police on April 16 arrested an Army jawan, Sepoy Sukhcharan Singh alias Nikka alias Deepu alias Fauji, for training the accused who hurled a grenade at the residence of YouTuber Roger Sandhu in Jalandhar on the night of March 15–16, from Rajouri in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). He allegedly conducted the training online using a dummy grenade and later instructed the attacker on handling a live explosive. Pakistani gangster Shehzad Bhatti had claimed responsibility for the incident. Police investigations have connected the attack to foreign-based terror groups such as Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), both reportedly backed by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
16-Apr-2025
According to sources, Punjab Police has arrested 407 women drug smugglers since launching its anti-drug drive, "Yudh Nashian Virudh," on March 1. The highest number of arrests have been reported from Hoshiarpur district. These women were found operating across all 23 districts of Punjab, often continuing the drug trade on behalf of jailed male relatives. The crackdown has also uncovered connections between local women and Pakistan-based smugglers involved in cross-border cartels.
16-Apr-2025
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Punjab Police on April 16 arrested a cross-border drug trafficker, identified as Jobanjit Singh alias Joban, and seized 3.105 kg of heroin along with two .32 bore country-made pistols, 37 live cartridges, and two magazines from his possession in Kotli Sur Singh village, Bhikhiwind, Tarn Taran district. The heroin was smuggled from Pakistan via drones, and Joban was found to be in contact with Pakistan-based drug peddlers.
16-Apr-2025
The State Special Operations Cell (SSOC), in a joint operation with the Border Security Force (BSF) on April 16, arrested three individuals, including a woman, identified as Balwinder Singh, his wife Malkeet Kaur, and Balwant Singh, and seized 2 kg of heroin from their possession near Fazilka in Fazilka district.
16-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 16 recovered a packet containing three pistols, six magazines, 97 live rounds, and three fired cases near Rajatal village in Tarn Taran district.
16-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police, on April 16 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 560 grams from fields near Wan village in Patti in Tarn Taran district.
16-Apr-2025
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) of Punjab Police on April 16 arrested two individuals, identified as Ram and Lakhan, and seized 500 grams of heroin, a foreign-made pistol, and two live cartridges from their possession in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The duo, cousins by relation, were operating their narcotics business under the guise of being milk suppliers. Investigations revealed they procured the heroin from Firozpur and targeted urban areas for distribution.
16-Apr-2025
The three students arrested in Nakodar for writing pro-Khalistan slogans and putting up related posters—identified as Jaskaran Singh, Kartik, and Tejpal—were sent to three-day police remand in Jalandhar district on April 16. Preliminary investigations suggest they were influenced by Jaskaran’s illegal migration abroad via the "dunki route" and may have acted under the guidance of his foreign contacts. Police are examining their bank accounts and mobile phones for evidence of suspicious funding and overseas links.
16-Apr-2025
The Nakodar City police on April 16 arrested two more agents of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, identified as Himanshu Gill alias Himansho and Abdul Rajak Butt alias Yaak, in Jalandhar district. According to police, the duo had pasted pro-Khalistan posters near National College Nakodar and State Public School on February 13, and wrote pro-Khalistan and anti-Modi slogans on a highway bridge on February 28.
16-Apr-2025
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), during its executive body meeting in Amritsar on April 16, urged Sikh intellectuals, organisations, and individuals to submit suggestions regarding service rules for Takht jathedars by April 20. The SGPC also criticised the Central government for delaying decisions on the cases of death row convict Balwant Singh Rajoana and other Bandi Sikhs, calling the approach discriminatory.
16-Apr-2025
The Punjab government on April 16 ordered the installation of over INR 15 crore worth of posters, flex boards, and wall paintings across 13,000 villages as part of its “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” anti-drug campaign. Each village was instructed to display 1,000 posters, two flex boards, and four wall paintings within two days, with expenses drawn from panchayat funds. Critics, including retired professors from Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), slammed the initiative as theatrical, outdated, and wasteful in a digitally connected era. Officials defended the move, stating it utilized pre-approved election publicity rates to avoid tendering delays.
15-Apr-2025
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann, while addressing the state assembly in Chandigarh on April 15, accused Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa of spreading baseless rumours by claiming that “50 bombs have reached Punjab.” Mann alleged that Bajwa failed to provide any evidence and was using fear-mongering for political gain. Bajwa has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for making false and misleading statements.
15-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 15, during day 46 of its "Yudh Nashian Virudh" campaign, arrested 97 drug smugglers and recovered 1.6 kg of heroin along with INR 29,790 in drug money from their possession across Punjab.