KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Apr-2026
On April 10, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), extradited fugitive Sahil Chauhan from Bangkok, Thailand. He arrived at Delhi International Airport, where he was taken into custody by a Haryana Police team. Chauhan is wanted in multiple cases involving murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, and illegal arms use. He is a key member of the Bhuppi Rana gang operating across Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh.
10-Apr-2026
According to report, five police personnel have been booked for allegedly facilitating the release of an impounded passport of Batala-born international drug lord Shehnaz Singh alias Shawn Bhinder by issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) and preparing a biased report, in Tarn Taran district. Bhinder, wanted by the United States (US) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), managed to flee the country after the suspension of his passport was revoked, raising allegations of police collusion. A native of Mandiala village, he was arrested in March 2025 during the state’s anti-drug drive ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ after returning to India following an FBI crackdown. His passport had been impounded by the Regional Passport Office in Amritsar on police request. After securing bail from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in October 2025, he applied for revocation of the suspension, which was cleared by Tarn Taran CIA in charge Prabhjeet Singh, who has since been suspended.
10-Apr-2026
Officials claimed on April 10 that Delhi Police Special Cell unearthed an ISI-backed espionage module and arrested 11 operatives linked to the banned outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The accused were installing CCTV cameras at multiple locations to monitor sensitive sites, including Army-linked establishments, with cameras found at nine locations nationwide. In the first operation, six accused—three each from Punjab and Delhi—were arrested, and three PX5 pistols, one country-made firearm, and 24 cartridges were seized. Police also recovered nine solar-powered CCTV cameras installed near sensitive defence establishments, with live feeds transmitted to Pakistan-based handlers via mobile applications. Investigations revealed the module was funded through UPI transactions, partly sourced from illegal arms smuggling. In a second operation, based on Military Intelligence inputs, five more accused from Punjab were arrested for espionage activities. They conducted reconnaissance of Army and paramilitary installations, shared photos and videos with handlers in Pakistan, and assisted in setting up surveillance networks. Police said the module was part of a larger nexus involving Pakistan-based handlers, gangsters, and terror operatives.
10-Apr-2026
Deported from the UAE, Amritpal Singh Mehron—alleged mastermind in the murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi—was brought to Bathinda and produced before a local court on April 10, which remanded him to five-day police custody. Head of the self-styled radical outfit “Qaum De Rakhe” and a resident of Mehron village in Moga district, he was taken into custody by Bathinda Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi.
10-Apr-2026
On April 10, the Punjab Government announced cash rewards for 28 proclaimed offenders involved in extortion, targeted killings, and cross-border smuggling of arms and drugs under the “Gangster-Free Punjab” campaign. The rewards range from INR 5 lakh to INR 10 lakh, with full-page newspaper advertisements issued to seek public assistance. Officials said these fugitive gangsters are linked to hundreds of cases across Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and Delhi, and continue to operate from abroad, including the United States (US), Canada, the United Kingdom (UK), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Brazil, and Pakistan. Among those with the highest reward are Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, based in Canada, and Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, allegedly operating from Pakistan.
09-Apr-2026
The Madhya Pradesh Police’s Special Investigation Team (SIT) on April 9 arrested Pradip Shukla, a key operative of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in Morena district. Carrying a INR 20,000 reward, Shukla is suspected to be among the masterminds behind extortion threats issued to businessmen in the name of overseas handler Harry Boxer. Active across Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi, he played a crucial role in coordinating the extortion network. He is currently in SIT custody, and his interrogation is expected to reveal further details about the gang’s operations, including links to overseas operatives and associates such as Ritik Boxer lodged in other states. Originally from Agra district in Uttar Pradesh, Shukla is accused in over 12 cases, including murder, attempted murder, and extortion.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, the 79th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 567 raids, arrested 252 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 80 individuals, while 72 persons were verified and released after questioning. 10 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, Punjab Police, on day 404 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 129 drug smugglers, and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 40,507 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 27,299 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two operatives of an ISI-sponsored Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terror module, Akash Masih and Jablaun and recovered five hand grenades, two detonators, a push-to-talk (PTT) timer with coder and decoder, a 9V battery, around 1 kg of IED material packed with nails, and a Baofeng walkie-talkie with cable and trigger mechanism were recovered from their possession, in Gurdaspur district. Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said the seizure indicated preparations for high-impact terror attacks aimed at disturbing peace and security in the state.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Anit and Harpreet Singh alias Lavi and recovered 106 grams of heroin, INR 1.17 lakh in drug money, a mobile phone, and a motorcycle, near a canal bridge on the Sarawa link road in Faridkot district.
09-Apr-2026
Phillaur Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Virinder Prakash and Kuldeep Kumar and recovered 200 grams of heroin during a patrol operation in the Phillaur area of Jalandhar district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested one person, identified as Simran Kaur, and seized 9.48 grams of heroin along with 53 intoxicating tablets from her in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested two persons, identified as Armanjot Singh alias Arman and Manjeet Singh alias Kaka and seized 10 grams of heroin and a motorcycle from them in Bhulath village in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested one person, identified as Balwinder Singh alias Kala and seized 50 grams of heroin in Subhanpur village in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested a youth, identified as Tushar Sharma alias Maddy and seized 3 grams of heroin in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police on April 9 arrested a person, identified as Sawanpreet Singh and recovered 25 intoxicating tablets from his possession in Subhanpur in Kapurthala district.
09-Apr-2026
Police sources confirmed on April 9 that Amritpal Singh Mehron, the alleged mastermind in the June 2025 murder of social media influencer Kanchan Kumari alias Kamal Kaur Bhabhi, has been taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is being deported to Punjab. A Bathinda Police team, led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)-rank officer, secured his custody from UAE authorities. He boarded a flight and was expected to arrive in India past midnight on April 9. Mehron had been detained by Sharjah Police in January 2026 during a visa-related inquiry, with deportation formalities taking time to complete.
09-Apr-2026
On April 9, three prominent private schools in Moga city received bomb threat emails claiming explosives had been planted on their premises, in Moga district. Authorities immediately evacuated students and staff, but no suspicious items were found during the search.
09-Apr-2026
Between April 9 and April 17, Phagwara Police conducted targeted search operations in identified drug-affected areas, arresting eight individuals and recovering 47 grams of heroin and 70 intoxicant tablets in Phagwara, Kapurthala district. Eight separate cases have been registered, and all accused have been sent to judicial custody.
08-Apr-2026
On April 8, the 78th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 400 raids, arrested 192 persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 109 individuals, while 41 persons were verified and released after questioning. Six proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.