KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
14-Feb-2025
The Punjab Police on February 14 busted a cross-border narcotics smuggling racket with the arrest of a smuggler identified as Gursimranjit Singh alias Simran and seized 30 kg of heroin from his possession near Gharinda village in Amritsar district. The heroin, packed in yellow adhesive tape with hooks, was believed to have been smuggled from Pakistan using drones. According to the police, Simran had retrieved four drug consignments of 75 kg each in the past three months. The racket was allegedly operated by US-based drug peddler Raju Dhattal.
14-Feb-2025
The Police on February 14 arrested three gangsters of the Lakhbir Singh alias Landa gang, identified as Jaskaran Singh, Harman and Harminder, and seized one 9 mm pistol, cartridges and ammunition from their possession, near Bhullar village in Tarn Taran district. The arrests followed an encounter at a police checkpoint after the accused, travelling in a white car, rammed into a police van and opened fire. In the exchange, Jaskaran Singh sustained an abdominal injury, while the other two were taken into custody. The police are investigating their involvement in the attack on Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Satnam Singh Harike Sidhupur Ekta and are examining CCTV footage from the incident.
14-Feb-2025
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on February 14 filed a chargesheet against two terror operatives of the banned Khalistani outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Dharminder Kumar alias Kunal and Dubai-based absconding accused Harwinder Kumar alias Sonu, in connection with the murder of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Vikas Prabhakar alias Vikas Bagga. The killing, carried out in Roopnagar, Punjab, on April 13, 2024, was part of a targeted conspiracy orchestrated by Pakistan-based BKI chief Wadhawa Singh Babbar and executed by Germany-based operatives Harjit Singh alias Laddi and Kulbeer Singh alias Sidhu.
14-Feb-2025
Sukhchain Singh, the uncle of radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, announced on February 14 that the family will lodge a complaint with the Cyber Police regarding a fake letter alleging a Sikh-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance. The viral letter falsely claimed that Amritpal Singh proposed a political partnership with BJP during a meeting with Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah. Sukhchain Singh, a retired Punjab Police Inspector, dismissed the letter as forged and stated that Amritpal never made such a proposal.
13-Feb-2025
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, in a Facebook post on February 13, strongly condemned the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) executive committee’s decision to remove Giani Harpreet Singh as the Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib, calling it a threat to the independent status of Sikh temporal seats. He criticized the SGPC’s probe and termed Giani Harpreet Singh’s removal as "extremely condemnable and unfortunate." The February 10 decision has sparked backlash within the Sikh community.
13-Feb-2025
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on February 13 released a joint statement following bilateral talks between Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and United States (US) President Donald Trump, affirming India and the US’ commitment to taking “decisive action” against individuals threatening the safety and sovereignty of both nations, including illegal immigration networks, organized crime syndicates, narco-terrorists, and human and arms traffickers. The statement urged Pakistan to prosecute perpetrators of terror attacks in India and pledged enhanced law enforcement cooperation. Trump also approved the extradition of 26/11 accused Tahawwur Rana. Pakistan rejected the statement as “one-sided” and criticized US-India defence agreements.
13-Feb-2025
Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), claimed responsibility via a video message on February 13 for hoisting a flag and inscribing Khalistani slogans on a government school building on February 12 in Satauj village, Sangrur district, the native place of Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann. Police stated that the video was being verified, and all angles were under investigation, with legal action to follow.
13-Feb-2025
The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) on February 13 arrested a drug dealer, Amanjit Singh, who was selling drugs under the guise of being a taxi driver, and recovered 1 kg of heroin from his possession near Sector 80 in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Police revealed that Amanjit sourced heroin from Delhi, Amritsar, and Firozpur and supplied it in Mohali and surrounding areas. He was previously involved in a theft case and is a fugitive in a 10 kg heroin case in Punjab.
13-Feb-2025
Police on February 13 arrested two unidentified smugglers and seized 1.1 kg of heroin from their possession at a naka (checkpoint) in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. They were produced in a Mohali court and taken on a three-day remand.
13-Feb-2025
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of Jalandhar Rural Police on February 13 arrested a notorious smuggler, Lovepreet Singh alias Love, and seized 90 kg of poppy husk along with a white SUV without a registration plate near Gurdwara Bunga Sahi in Dayalpur village, Jalandhar district. Police revealed that Love has a history of multiple criminal cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and robbery. A fresh case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to trace the source and intended recipients of the contraband.
12-Feb-2025
Leaders of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) in New Delhi on February 12 hailed the conviction of former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case and demanded capital punishment. Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu credited Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi for reopening riot cases, while Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Rajouri Garden, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, called for the death penalty or life imprisonment for Kumar.
12-Feb-2025
After the conviction of former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, survivors expressed deep relief, calling it a long-overdue moment of justice. Kulpreet Vesuna recalled how his house in Janakpuri was burned down and became a site of killings. Harmeet Pal Singh shared how his mother disguised him as a girl to protect him from the mob. Jaspal Singh, a 92-year-old survivor, described the widespread destruction in Kalkaji and demanded life imprisonment for Kumar. Babu Singh Dukhiya, who was 29 during the riots, called it the biggest massacre since independence and thanked the judiciary for finally delivering justice.
12-Feb-2025
A Delhi court on February 12 convicted former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar for the murder of two Sikh men during the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Saraswati Vihar, New Delhi. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) alleged that Kumar led the mob responsible for the killings. Arguments on sentencing are scheduled for February 18. Kumar is already serving a life sentence for his role in the killing of five Sikhs in Raj Nagar during the riots. While he was acquitted in a separate case in 2023, other legal proceedings against him remain pending in various courts.
12-Feb-2025
Former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar’s conviction for the murders of Jaswant Singh and his son on November 1, 1984, is the second secured by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 2015 to reinvestigate anti-Sikh riot cases. The first was the 2018 conviction of Yashpal Malik for killing two Sikhs in Mahipalpur, Delhi, where he was sentenced to death. Atma Singh Lubana, who has supported riot victims, called Kumar’s conviction a major milestone and expressed hope for justice in the remaining seven cases under trial. Kumar is already serving a life sentence for his role in the 1984 riots.
12-Feb-2025
The Muktsar district police on February 12 arrested two persons, identified as Maninder Singh and Akashdeep Singh, and seized a vehicle transporting 27 quintals of poppy husk from Jharkhand, near Aulakh village in Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib district. The accused had affixed an “On Army Duty” sticker on the vehicle to evade police checks and falsely claimed to be transporting ration for the Army. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the kingpin who was to receive the consignment.
12-Feb-2025
On February 12, police discovered that unidentified Khalistan supporters had reportedly hoisted a flag and inscribed a slogan on a government building in Satauj village, Sangrur district, Punjab, the native place of Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann. Police stated that a purported video of the incident had been received and was being verified. They added that all angles were under investigation, and necessary legal action would be taken following the probe.
12-Feb-2025
According to reports, the Punjab government’s anti-drug program allegedly violated privacy laws by directing the health department to share personal details of drug addicts registered in OOAT clinics without their consent. Deputy commissioners had begun collecting this data to contact families for prevention efforts, potentially breaching Section 23 of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. Following concerns, the Punjab Health Department halted the process, assuring that no data had been shared. Experts warned that such disclosures could cause psychological distress and deter individuals from seeking treatment.
11-Feb-2025
The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on February 11 arrested a man and a woman, identified as Bulla and his wife, Harpreet Kaur alias Preety, and seized 310 grams of heroin from their possession at a naka (checkpoint) on the Jandiala-Phagwara road near Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. The police are investigating their supply chain and possible links to other drug smuggling cases.
11-Feb-2025
The Pathankot Police on February 11 arrested a "top smuggler," Jatinder Kumar alias Kali, from Jainpur village in Pathankot, Gurdaspur district. Police revealed that Kumar was involved in supplying pure-grade heroin to villages near the International Border (IB) and other states using drones from Pakistan. Preliminary investigations indicated that he had received multiple heroin consignments.
11-Feb-2025
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) inquiry report listed multiple allegations against Giani Harpreet Singh, former Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. He refused to present his defense before the committee, which accused him of religious violations, including interrupting kirtan (hymn singing) to justify his actions and attending political events. His presence at the weddings of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Member of Parliament (MP) Raghav Chadha and former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Charanjit Singh Channi’s son drew criticism. Despite some internal dissent, the SGPC executive committee formalized his removal.