KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
28-Apr-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on April 28 recovered a Chinese drone from fields adjacent to Kalsian Kalan village in Tarn Taran district.
28-Apr-2024
Police on April 28 arrested one unidentified operative of the Vicky Gounder gang and seized 3 weapons from his possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. The gang, notorious for various heinous activities including arms and drugs trafficking, faces intensified scrutiny. Further investigations are underway to uncover the gang's network.
28-Apr-2024
Khadoor Sahib parliamentary constituency in Tarn Taran district, Punjab, is preparing for an intense electoral contest. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has nominated senior leader Virsa Singh Valtoha, who will compete against Khalistani preacher and the chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD), Amritpal Singh, with both advocating a 'Panthic agenda'. Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar (SAD-A) has withdrawn its candidate in support of Amritpal.
28-Apr-2024
Police on April 28 arrested a woman, identified as Dalip Kaur and seized 33 kg of Ganja (Marijuana) from her possession near Bharatgarh village in Rupnagar district in Punjab. Initially, 15 kg was seized from her with an additional 18 kg found hidden near her hut in the forest area close to Bharatgarh.
27-Apr-2024
The Border Security Forces (BSF) on April 27 detained a Pakistani national near the border fencing in Fazilka Sector in Fazilka district. During interrogation, it was revealed that he had unintentionally crossed over due to a lack of awareness about the border alignment. No objectionable items were found in his possession. After a flag meeting with Pakistan Rangers, the individual was returned to the Pakistani side.
27-Apr-2024
On April 27, several government offices' walls, including the Deputy Commissioner's office, were defaced with pro-Khalistani graffiti in Bathinda district in Punjab. The police have initiated an investigation and are reviewing nearby CCTV footage to apprehend the culprits. This incident is part of a worrying trend, with similar graffiti appearing in various states over the past year, including Delhi metro stations. While no group has claimed responsibility, previous arrests have linked such actions to individuals associated with the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), allegedly influenced by Khalistani terrorist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
27-Apr-2024
Khalistani terrorist and the chief of the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, issued a threat via video targeting Haryana Chief Minister (CM) Naib Saini and Chief Election Officer Anurag Aggarwal. Pannun vowed to make Haryana part of Khalistan and demanded the distribution of Khalistan Referendum registration forms at every polling booth. He also claimed that slogans supporting Khalistan were written outside the Fatehabad district court in Fatehabad district, Haryana.
27-Apr-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on April 27 recovered 515 grams of heroin along with a drone near Dhanoe Khurd village in Amritsar district.
27-Apr-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, in a joint search operation conducted on April 27, recovered a broken China-made drone from fields near Manawa village in Tarn Taran district.
26-Apr-2024
Official sources revealed on April 26, a day after Inderpal Singh Gaba was arrested for his alleged involvement in the 2023 attack on the Indian mission by pro-Khalistan supporters in London, United Kingdom (UK), that Inderpal had visited India in December 2023 with his family and was arrested based on a lookout circular (LOC) issued by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Inderpal is a UK citizen and owns liquor and grocery stores. NIA investigations revealed that the attacks in London were part of a larger conspiracy in retaliation to actions against pro-Khalistan separatists in Punjab. His lawyer claims that Gaba was a bystander during the London protest on March 22, 2023, stating he was celebrating his birthday nearby and joined under peer pressure. Furthermore, Gaba's trip to Pakistan in December 2023 was for religious pilgrimage and a friend's engagement.
26-Apr-2024
Khalistani preacher and the chief of the Waris Punjab De (WPD) Amritpal Singh’s mother, Balwinder Kaur, stated on April 26 in Dibrugarh, Assam, that Amritpal plans to contest the Lok Sabha elections from the Khadoor Sahib seat in Tarn Taran district, Punjab, as an independent candidate. Amritpal is currently incarcerated in Dibrugarh jail, Assam.
26-Apr-2024
Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer, Sibin C, recently reported that law enforcement agencies in the state have seized illicit goods and assets totalling INR 321.51 crore since the implementation of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls. The seizures included drugs valued at INR 287.23 crore, unaccounted cash totalling INR 6.89 crore, and 22.8 lakh litres of liquor worth INR 14.93 crore. Additionally, precious metals and other items worth INR 12.46 crore were confiscated. The Punjab Police spearheaded the enforcement efforts with seizures worth INR 276.19 crore, followed by the Border Security Force (BSF) with INR 22.85 crore. Other agencies, including the state excise department, state GST department, customs department, income tax department, and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), also contributed to the crackdown, seizing goods ranging from INR 1.76 crore to INR 7.21 crore. Among districts, Amritsar led with seizures amounting to INR 60.3 crore, followed by Tarn Taran with INR 53.74 crore, Ferozepur with INR 49.34 crore, and Fazilka with INR 41.71 crore.
26-Apr-2024
Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikrant Bhushan recently revealed that the drug trafficking network in Sirsa district in Haryana, bordering Punjab and Rajasthan, has seen a significant rise, with women increasingly participating in the trade. Since 2023, around 50 women have been arrested under the NDPS Act: 36 in 2022, 39 in 2023, and 11 in 2024 so far. Despite police efforts, over 200 women are reportedly involved, often alongside family members. Constraints such as the requirement for female police officers during evening/night questioning hinder police action. Female officers are now deployed in every station to tackle this issue, as women's involvement strengthens the trafficking network, primarily dealing in substances like chitta, heroin, opium, and poppy husk.
26-Apr-2024
The Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with central agencies and the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police, on April 26 arrested gangster Charanjit Singh alias Raju Shooter and his 10 aides and seized four weapons - one double-barrel rifle and three pistols, along with 26 cartridges during a 48-hour operation in Punjab and J&K. Raju Shooter's aides include Husanpreet Singh alias Husan, Gulab Singh alias Gulab, Amritpal Singh alias Chidi, Baljinder Singh alias Lokka, Bobby, Lovpreet Singh alias Love, Amritpal Singh alias Sandeep Singh, Sajan alias Kalu, Sukhchain Singh alias Mogali, and Harmesh Singh alias Chichu. This operation followed Raju Shooter's escape from Civil Hospital, Tarn Taran, where he was receiving treatment. Raju Shooter, a key figure in an organized criminal gang in the Majha region, has been implicated in various crimes, including a foiled bank robbery in September 2023.
25-Apr-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) along with the Punjab Police, in a joint operation on April 25 recovered a drone from a farming field adjacent to Khemkaran village in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a China-made DJI Matrice 300 RTK.
25-Apr-2024
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a key accused, Inderpal Singh Gaba, on April 25 in New Delhi, in connection with the violent attack on the High Commission of India in London, United Kingdom (UK), in March 2023. Gaba, a UK citizen of Afghan descent, claimed coercion into participating during the incident while celebrating his birthday in London. The NIA has not disclosed Gaba's exact role in the attack or his affiliation with pro-Khalistani leaders.
25-Apr-2024
Tarsem Singh, the father of jailed Khalistani preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD) Amritpal Singh, clarified on April 25 in Dibrugarh, Assam, that no final decision has been made regarding Amritpal’s potential candidacy from the Khadoor Sahib constituency in Punjab. Tarsem, accompanied by Amritpal’s maternal uncle Sukhchain Singh and Amarjeet Singh, uncle of Amritpal’s aide Papalpreet Singh, expressed difficulty in having a detailed conversation with Amritpal due to jail restrictions. He refuted claims made by Amritpal's legal counsel, Rajdev Singh Khalsa, about his agreement to contest the Lok Sabha polls, calling it a hasty announcement possibly based on misconception.
25-Apr-2024
A high-level delegation from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on April 25, in New Delhi, met with Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to request a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the April 13 murder of Punjab VHP leader Vikas Prabhakar. Alleging a conspiracy involving Pakistan, they called for transferring the investigation from Punjab Police to the NIA, citing previous killings of Hindu leaders in the state. They emphasized that the apprehended assailants were merely foot soldiers of these foreign-based entities.
25-Apr-2024
The Mumbai Police on April 25 arrested two persons in connection with the recent firing outside actor Salman Khan’s house, identified as Sonu Subhash Chander and Anuj Thapan from Bhawanigarh in Sangrur district in Punjab. They are alleged to have provided country-made pistols and cartridges to the shooters on March 15, 2024. Thapan had direct contact with jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and his brother Anmol Bishnoi, who are wanted in the case. The investigation is ongoing.
24-Apr-2024
Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh’s legal counsel Rajdev Singh Khalsa, on April 24, stated that Amritpal Singh is purportedly preparing to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib seat in Tarn Taran district in Punjab. Khalsa mentioned that Amritpal has agreed to enter politics for the interests of the Khalsa Panth, as communicated during their meeting at Dibrugarh Jail in Assam, where Amritpal is currently held. However, Amritpal’s father, Tarsem Singh, refrained from commenting until meeting his son, considering Amritpal's previous disinterest in politics.