KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
04-Apr-2026
The State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) of Punjab Police on April 4 arrested a man, identified as Sarabjit Singh and recovered two hand grenades, two pistols, and two magazines from his possession, in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosives were intended to target police and other vital installations. Police sources said Sarabjit, a former daily wager, came into contact with heroin smugglers around three years ago and gradually became involved in trafficking drugs, illegal arms, and explosives smuggled from Pakistan using drones.
04-Apr-2026
Faridkot Police have named Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district vice-president Amit Kumar Sharma alias Mishra in a case involving the recovery of a foreign-made pistol and ammunition. The investigation links him to associates of the Goldy Brar gang, and police have launched multiple raids to apprehend him. In response, Sharma filed an anticipatory bail plea in the district court, with the hearing scheduled for April 10. Police officials said the probe has revealed deep-rooted links between the BJP leader and the criminal network.
04-Apr-2026
On April 4, the 74th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 551 raids, arrested 245 persons and recovered four weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 69 individuals, while 72 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
04-Apr-2026
On April 4, Punjab Police, on day 399 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 118 drug smugglers, and seized 3.7 kg of heroin, 3.7 kg of ganja, 934 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 7120 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
04-Apr-2026
Chandigarh Police and the Counter Intelligence wing of Punjab Police on April 4 arrested five accused—Balwinder Lal alias Shami, Jasvir Singh alias Jassi, Charanjit Singh alias Channi, Rubal Chauhan, and Mandeep alias Abhijot Sharma and seized a live hand grenade, a .30 bore Zigana pistol, and 10 cartridges were seized from their possession, in connection with the April 1 grenade blast outside the BJP office in Sector 37, Chandigarh. Two key accused, Gurtej Singh and Amanpreet Singh, remain absconding, with joint police teams conducting raids to apprehend them. According to Chandigarh Director General of Police (DGP) Dr. Sagar Preet Hooda and Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav, preliminary investigations indicate the attack was carried out by an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-backed module under the direction of foreign-based handlers in Portugal and Germany.
03-Apr-2026
Punjab Police on April 3 busted an illegal arms smuggling network, arresting Suraj Kumar and recovering five pistols and four cartridges from his possession, in Patara, Jalandhar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that he, along with associate Davinderpal Singh alias Deepu and other gang members, procured illegal arms from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura region and supplied them across Jalandhar and nearby areas.
03-Apr-2026
On April 3, the 73rd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 483 raids, arrested 198 persons and recovered 13 weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 72 individuals, while 106 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
03-Apr-2026
On April 3, Punjab Police, on day 398 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 98 drug smugglers, and seized 6.3 kg of heroin, 700 grams of opium, 3.5 kg of poppy husk, 421 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 8400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
03-Apr-2026
Amritsar Rural Police on April 3 foiled a terror plot by arresting a suspect, identified as Harman Singh and recovering a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) from his possession in the Ramdas area of Amritsar district. The device is suspected to have been dropped on the Indian side by Pakistan-based handlers using a drone. Police said the accused is being interrogated to identify his network and handlers, with central intelligence agencies also likely to question him. Preliminary investigations revealed multiple Pakistani mobile numbers on his phone, indicating contact with Pakistan-based operatives through internet-based calling platforms.
03-Apr-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on April 3 recovered a drone carrying a suspected heroin packet from fields near the Ravi River in Gurdaspur district. The recovery was made near the BSF Chowki at Bharyal following a specific tip-off, indicating an attempt to smuggle narcotics across the border.
03-Apr-2026
The Counter Intelligence wing of Punjab Police on April 3 raided the houses of two suspects in Rattangarh village in the Morinda area of Ropar district in connection with the April 1 blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh. While police did not officially confirm any arrests, family members claimed that Amanpreet Singh was detained. The main accused, Gurtej Singh, was not found during the raid.
03-Apr-2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has charge sheeted two accused, including Pakistani gangster Shehzad Bhatti, in connection with the of March 16, 2025 grenade attack at YouTuber Roger Sandhu’s house in Jalandhar district. Having taken over the case from Punjab Police in December 2025, the NIA named Bhatti as an absconder in a supplementary chargesheet filed before a special court. The second accused, Dipander Pratap Singh alias Deepan Rana, has been arrested.
02-Apr-2026
An alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Rajpal Singh Chandrawat, surrendered before Madhya Pradesh Police on April 2 in an extortion case carried out in the name of key operative Harry Boxer, in Madhya Pradesh. A resident of Nagda, he surrendered a month after the case was registered at Kasrawad police station in Khargone district on a complaint by cotton trader Dilip Rathore.
02-Apr-2026
On April 2, the 72nd day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 483 raids, arrested 184 persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 87 individuals, while 125 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
02-Apr-2026
On April 2, Punjab Police, on day 397 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 89 drug smugglers, and seized 1.3 kg of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, 34 kg of poppy husk, 853 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3050 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
02-Apr-2026
Patiala Police on April 2 busted an inter-state illegal arms supply module, arresting four alleged gangsters and recovering 10 pistols, including sophisticated self-loading firearms, in Patiala district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused sourced country-made weapons from Bihar for supply in Punjab. The probe also indicated gang rivalry, with plans to target a rival linked to the Goldy Dhillon network to assert dominance in the area.
02-Apr-2026
On April 2, unidentified assailants opened fire on a car carrying Timowal village sarpanch Ravinder Kaur, her husband Sukhdev Singh, and three associates in the Jandiala Guru area of Amritsar district. One occupant sustained serious bullet injuries. Around seven motorcycle-borne attackers intercepted the vehicle and fired multiple rounds before fleeing the spot.
01-Apr-2026
Several individuals were detained for questioning after a low-intensity blast outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Sector 37 in Chandigarh on April 1.
01-Apr-2026
On the night of April 1, two unidentified assailants fired five rounds at the office of property dealer Sukhdarshan Singh in Hoshiarpur village near Mullanpur Garibdas, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district. He had reportedly received an extortion call of INR 1 crore from a member of the Lucky Patial gang.
01-Apr-2026
On April 1, a low-intensity explosion was reported outside the Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Sector 37, Chandigarh. No casualties were reported, but the incident raised security concerns, prompting an investigation by agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur said that, prima facie, a small crude device appeared to have been thrown towards the building. BJP leader Vineet Joshi, who was inside at the time, said a blast was heard around 5 pm in the parking area. Eyewitnesses indicated that the device was likely meant to be hurled inside the premises but missed its target and landed on a nearby sand stack. Meanwhile, the banned terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) has claimed responsibility for the attack. In a message released in Punjabi, Sukhjinder Singh Babbar warned that violence against Punjab’s youth would be met with retaliation, stating that the blast was carried out in response to the encounter of Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur. According to Chandigarh Police, a viral video by the same group showing a person pulling the lever of a grenade appears to be authentic, though further clarity will emerge after a detailed investigation.