KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
01-Apr-2026
On April 1, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the vandalism of Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s statue at Noorpur Jattan village in Hoshiarpur district on March 31. Police have launched an investigation and are examining mobile phone location data to trace the suspects, with multiple teams deployed to apprehend the accused.
01-Apr-2026
A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on April 1 visited the Bhindi Saida police station in Amritsar district, where a blast had occurred on March 30. The team inspected the site and interacted with senior police officials, who stated that the exact nature and cause of the explosion would be determined only after the forensic examination reports are received.
01-Apr-2026
The Delhi Mayor’s office on April 1 received a bomb threat email containing alarming phrases such as “Delhi Banayga Khalistan,” “Bomb Dhamaka yan,” and “Gaddi Aatmaghati Hamla.” The message threatened an explosion at 2:11 pm and named Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as adversaries of the Khalistan movement, while also referencing the “Khalistan National Army.”
31-Mar-2026
On March 31, the 70th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 521 raids, arrested 214 persons. Preventive action was taken against 70 individuals, while 126 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
31-Mar-2026
On March 31, Punjab Police, on day 395 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 85 drug smugglers, and seized 3.2 kg of heroin, 586 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 21,780 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
31-Mar-2026
Khalchian Police on March 31 busted an alleged drug trafficking gang by arresting three persons and seizing 2 kg of heroin during a naka near the grain market on the Kaleke–Khalchian road in Amritsar district.
31-Mar-2026
Police on March 31 recovered an abandoned packet wrapped in yellow tape containing 400 grams of heroin from sugarcane fields in Tur village, Amritsar district.
31-Mar-2026
Police on March 31 arrested a youth, identified as Manmeet Singh and recovered 998 grams of heroin along with a mobile phone from his possession in Amritsar district.
31-Mar-2026
Five accused were arrested while attempting to retrieve 20 packets of heroin dropped by a Pakistani drone in Sriganganagar district in Rajasthan on March 31. Interrogation revealed that a previous drop in February involved 12 kg of heroin, which was subsequently delivered to Punjab. Authorities seized 20 packets of heroin weighing 10.83 kg, along with radium sticks, packing tape, and a motorcycle used in the earlier operation.
31-Mar-2026
Punjab Police on March 31 arrested a woman drug peddler, identified as Rajbeer Kaur and seized 3.115 kg of heroin along with INR 11.5 lakh in drug money from her in Zira, Ferozepur district.
31-Mar-2026
A statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar installed atop a private building was vandalized by unidentified miscreants in Noorpur Jattan village, Hoshiarpur district on March 31. The glass casing was smashed and the bust was damaged with hammers. The statue had earlier been targeted in June 2025, after which it was enclosed in glass for protection. Subsequently, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), released a video claiming responsibility. In the video, he termed the act a “referendum on Ambedkar” and alleged that the Constitution drafted by him erased Sikh identity. He also warned of similar incidents between Ambedkar’s birth anniversary on April 14 and April 29, when he claimed voter registration for a “Khalistan referendum” would begin.
31-Mar-2026
On March 31, a poster went viral on social media claiming responsibility for the March 30 blast inside a police station complex in the Bhindi Saida area of Amritsar district, in the name of a Khalistani outfit, the Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA). The poster, widely circulated on WhatsApp and other platforms, stated that the attack was carried out to avenge the killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, a suspect in the February 22 murder of two policemen in Gurdaspur district. Security officials had earlier said the killings were carried out at the behest of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Ranjit Singh was later killed in a police encounter, which his family alleged was fake.
31-Mar-2026
On the night of March 31, unidentified persons fired multiple rounds outside a house in Sialka village under Mattewal police station in Amritsar district. A case has been registered, but the assailants remain unidentified, triggering panic among the family members.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, the 69th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 455 raids, arrested 162 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 54 individuals, while 107 persons were verified and released after questioning. Four proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, Punjab Police, on day 394 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 91 drug smugglers, and seized 837 grams of heroin, 2.6 kg of opium, 198 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2500 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
30-Mar-2026
On March 30, a day ahead of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s scheduled visit, several institutions received bomb threat emails in Nangal town, Rupnagar district. The emails, allegedly sent in the name of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), threatened to blow up the Nangal court complex and certain banks in the city.
30-Mar-2026
A minor blast occurred inside a police station complex in the Bhindi Saida area under Amritsar (Rural) in Amritsar district on the morning of March 30. According to reports, two unidentified bikers hurled an explosive object into the premises before fleeing. Officials initially denied the incident and cordoned off the premises, restricting access to media persons. Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurinderpal Singh Nagra later stated that the exact nature of the explosion would be determined after a forensic examination, adding that teams had arrived to collect evidence.
29-Mar-2026
On March 29, the 68th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 508 raids, arrested 188 persons and recovered three weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 95 individuals, while 99 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
29-Mar-2026
On March 29, Punjab Police, on day 393 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 112 drug smugglers, and seized 463 grams of heroin, 1.2 kg of opium, 471 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 62,400 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
29-Mar-2026
Commissionerate Police Amritsar on March 29 foiled an illegal arms smuggling attempt, seizing two 9 mm sub-machine guns and an empty magazine during a naka-bandi operation in Amritsar district. The recovery was made during routine checking after suspicious movement led to the interception of the consignment. The accused, however, managed to escape, and a manhunt has been launched. Preliminary investigations suggest links of the recovered weapons to gangster Gurpreet Singh alias Goldy Dhillon, with the consignment allegedly intended for criminal and anti-national activities in Punjab.