KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
06-May-2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 6 moved to secure forensic evidence and gather crucial inputs from the May 5 twin blast sites in Jalandhar and Amritsar, joining the Punjab Police investigation into the back-to-back explosions. According to sources, NIA teams were deployed to assist state agencies in examining CCTV footage, debris, and forensic samples to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the cause of the blasts, which have renewed security concerns in the border state.
06-May-2026
In the aftermath of the May 5 twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, security has been significantly heightened across Jalandhar ahead of the second phase of Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’, scheduled to commence from his Baradari residence in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district on May 7.
06-May-2026
Police on May 6 arrested six alleged shooters and operatives linked to the Rashid Cable Wala gang and Hashim Baba gang, identified as Faiz Qureshi, Maaz, Nawajish, Affak, Imran alias Teli, and Arshad alias Chota and seized 10 illegal firearms and 81 live cartridges, including nine pistols of .30 and .32 bore and a .312 bore rifle, in Karol Bagh, New Delhi. According to Police, the group was planning attacks on rival gang members and was involved in extortion and betting rackets across East and Northeast Delhi.
05-May-2026
A delivery worker for Flipkart, identified as Gurpreet, was injured in a blast near the gate of the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar district on May 5. The explosion occurred while he was returning to his scooter after delivering a parcel, destroying the vehicle and damaging nearby electrical equipment, poles, and shop windows. Preliminary reports suggested that explosive material may have been concealed inside a dustbin located between a BSNL box and the scooter. The dustbin was blown apart in the blast, while the BSNL box was severely damaged.
05-May-2026
A low-intensity blast occurred near the boundary wall of the Army cantonment area on Khasa Road in Amritsar on May 5. The exact nature of the explosion was yet to be determined, though the blast damaged a tin sheet installed along the wall to obstruct visibility into the cantonment. Amritsar Rural Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sohail Qasim Mir stated that preliminary assessments suggested that an object may have been thrown at the wall, causing the explosion. No major damage or casualties were reported.
05-May-2026
The Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA), through a letter circulated on social media, claimed responsibility for the May 5 IED blast outside the Border Security Force headquarters in Jalandhar. The group stated that the attack was carried out to avenge the killing of Ranjit Singh during a police encounter in Gurdaspur in February. However, the KLA’s statement falsely claimed that two BSF personnel were killed and three others injured in the blast. Official sources have confirmed that these casualty claims are inaccurate.
05-May-2026
The Amritsar Commissionerate Police on May 5 arrested three persons, including one injured in an exchange of fire, and recovered a .32 bore pistol from the accused, following a shooting incident in the Verka area of Amritsar district. The arrests followed a violent clash between two groups near the Verka bus stand, during which multiple rounds were fired.
05-May-2026
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that nearly 80–90 per cent of extortion calls received in Punjab are fake and are often made by local criminals impersonating gangsters or members of notorious gangs. He urged the public to immediately report such calls through the Anti-Gangster Helpline, assuring prompt and strict police action. Reiterating the state’s zero-tolerance policy towards organised crime, Yadav warned that stringent action would be taken against anyone involved in criminal activities. He also cautioned youths against falling prey to gangsters operating from abroad.
05-May-2026
On May 5, the 105th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 586 raids, arrested 249 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 77 individuals, while 33 persons were verified and released after questioning. 13 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
05-May-2026
On May 5, Punjab Police, on day 430 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 126 drug smugglers, and seized 614 grams of heroin, 733 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 1350 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-May-2026
On May 4, the 104th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 589 raids, arrested 350 persons and recovered nine weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 74 individuals, while 43 persons were verified and released after questioning. Eight proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
04-May-2026
On May 4, Punjab Police, on day 429 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 147 drug smugglers, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 757 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 4050 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-May-2026
Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on May 4 arrested Aditya alias Makhan, the last fugitive in the murder of kabaddi promoter-player Kanwar Digvijay Singh, from Agartala, Tripura. Rana Balachauria was shot dead during a kabaddi tournament in Sohana, Mohali, on December 15, 2025. According to Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, Aditya, a resident of Amritsar, carried out the murder on the directions of foreign-based handlers. He faces at least 14 cases, including murder, attempt to murder, extortion, armed robbery, and NDPS violations.
04-May-2026
Police on May 4 arrested a notorious criminal, identified as Happy Singh alias Harpreet Singh and seized two pistols, five cartridges, and 96 grams of heroin from his possession in Amritsar district. He has at least seven cases against him, including murder, attempt to murder, and offences under the NDPS Act.
04-May-2026
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav and Advocate General Maninderjit Singh Bedi have reportedly received fresh death threats from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Officials said the threat to Bedi followed his appearance in petitions seeking a ban on the docuseries Lawrence of Punjab, based on the life of Lawrence Bishnoi, who is accused of running an extensive criminal network from prison. Both Yadav and Bedi have not publicly responded to the development.
04-May-2026
Former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia on May 4 said he had received a third death threat in the past seven days, claiming his situation mirrors that of singer Sidhu Moosewala, whose security was withdrawn before he was killed. He alleged that senior police officials require approval from Delhi before providing him security and are awaiting directions.
04-May-2026
According to reports, Punjab is facing a renewed security concern with sophisticated MP5 sub-machine guns being smuggled into Indian territory to arm terror operatives and organised criminal networks, allegedly at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Punjab Police recently recorded the third recovery of a foreign-made MP5 in just over 90 days, indicating a surge in cross-border trafficking of advanced weapons, alongside Glock, PX5, and Beretta pistols. Notably, all four MP5s recovered in recent operations bore the marking “Ghaffar Security,” which, according to investigators, is commonly linked to illicit firearms manufactured in Pakistan and associated with underground arms networks supplying high-end weaponry.
03-May-2026
According to reports, Punjab Police have deployed the Punjab Artificial Intelligence System (PAIS), featuring an AI-powered voice recognition tool to track gangs operating from abroad and recruiting local youth. The system includes a “voice bank” of over 84,000 samples and a database of more than 390,000 offenders with details on gang affiliations. It also offers phonetic search and a gang tree analysis tool, enabling investigators to map criminal networks and link local operatives to foreign handlers.
03-May-2026
On May 3, the 103rd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar— the police conducted 644 raids, arrested 350 persons and recovered four weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 92 individuals, while 60 persons were verified and released after questioning. Six proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
03-May-2026
On May 3, Punjab Police, on day 428 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 108 drug smugglers, and seized 12.4 kg of heroin, 482 intoxicant tablets/capsules, and INR 2,250 in drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.