KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
08-Feb-2024
Police on February 8 stated that it had arrested eight gangsters of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, identified as Sanjay Bawa, Deepak Kumar, Gajinder Rajpurat, Manoj, Pappu, Deepak Kumar ,Radhe and Abhishek Gill; and seized one pistol of .30 bore with five cartridges, one pistol of .32 bore with five cartridges, one country-made gun .315 bore, four magazines, one motorcycle and two scooters from their possession, near Dhobi Ghat near TV Tower in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. According to the police, the gang had targeted industrialists and businessmen with international connections, including ties to gangster Suraj in the United Kingdom (UK). The investigation is ongoing to uncover further details about their operations.
07-Feb-2024
Rajpura police on February 7 busted an inter-state drugs module with the arrest of two persons identified as Kulwinder Singh Kindi and Palwinder Singh Billa along with 1.05 lakh banned Lomotil tablets in Rajpura in Patiala district.
07-Feb-2024
Security agencies on February 7 recovered 1 kg of heroin near Rudiana village in Gurdaspur district, believed to have been dropped by a drone.
07-Feb-2024
Police on February 7 busted a gang involved in the interstate trade of illegal arms and arrested one of its members, identified as Balkaran Singh alias Rai along with 10 country-made pistols in Nawanshahr in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district in Punjab. The investigations revealed that the gang, led by Arun Kumar alias Mani from Central Jail in Ludhiana, Punjab, was supplying weapons in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Haryana. Balkaran, previously involved in drug trafficking, was directed by Kumar to procure weapons from Madhya Pradesh for criminal activities.
07-Feb-2024
The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on February 7 arrested three associates of terrorists Harwinder Singh alias Rinda and Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, identified as Jobanjit Singh alias Joban, Bikramjit Singh alias Bikka and Kulwinder Singh alias Kala and seized two .32 calibre pistols along with 10 live cartridges and a Maruti Swift car from their possession, near Shafipur village in Amritsar district.
07-Feb-2024
The Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on February 7, strongly denounced the recent amendment to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abhchal Nagar Sahib Act, 1956, by the Government of Maharashtra. The amendment increases government-nominated members to 12 out of 17, reducing SGPC's representation and omitting other Sikh organisations. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh deemed it an attempt to take direct control of the historic Sikh Shrine and ordered SGPC to urgently engage with the Maharashtra government to reverse the amendment. SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami urged Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde to reconsider, citing resentment within the Sikh community over the perceived government dominance.
07-Feb-2024
Malerkotla police on February 7 arrested 13 proclaimed offenders (POs), identified as Daljit Singh Gopi, Kuldeep Singh Keepa, Rinku Pandit, Rajinder Singh Pappu, Raj Kaur, Karanveer Singh, Paramjit Kaur, Mohammad Rashid, Arshad, Shenaz, Rehman, Farid Ali and Bikar Singh, in Malerkotla in Malerkotla district in Punjab. The operation aimed to target anti-social elements, drug peddlers, and other notorious individuals posing a threat to regional peace. This successful operation underscores the determination to combat drug-related activities and maintain law and order in the region.
07-Feb-2024
The Supreme Court (SC) on February 7 denied bail to Gurwinder Singh alias Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi, who is accused of promoting the Khalistani terror movement in India. Justices Sundresh and Kumar ruled that the delay in the trial wasn’t sufficient grounds for bail in serious offenses. They highlighted Singh's alleged complicity in a conspiracy and connections to the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), emphasizing that the usual bail jurisprudence doesn't apply to cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The accused's connections to the banned outfit, alleged receipt of funds for separatist activities, and involvement in ancillary terror acts further reinforced the denial of bail.
07-Feb-2024
The Police arrested a man identified as Balkar Singh and seized 220 gm of ICE (Methamphetamine) from his possession, near Satiyewala Chowk in Ferozepur in Ferozepur district. According to investigations, the drug was smuggled from Pakistan through a drone.
07-Feb-2024
Police on February 7 arrested a wanted gangster of the notorious Sonu Dariyapur gang, identified as Amit Kumar alias Amit Rana and seized a semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore, along with five live cartridges from his possession in Shalimar Bagh area in North West Delhi district in Delhi. He was wanted for providing logistical support to the gang and was involved in six cases including attempted murder, criminal intimidation, and Arms Act violations. The arrest followed a police operation after receiving specific information, where Rana attempted to fire at the police before being overpowered.
06-Feb-2024
Police on February 6 arrested three persons, identified as Jaswant Singh, Karamjit Singh and Lakhwinder Singh and seized 255 grams of heroin from their possession, at a naka (checkpoint) near Kangniwal village in Jalandhar district. The Police seized 105 grams of heroin from Jaswant, 95 grams of heroin from Karamjit and 55 grams of heroin from Lakhwinder. Involved in illegal mining previously, they turned to drug smuggling for quick profits, with indications of cross-border involvement.
05-Feb-2024
According to officials, smugglers in Pakistan are exploiting dense winter fog to use drones for trafficking drugs and arms across the border into Punjab. The Border Security Force (BSF) has been instructed to enhance intelligence gathering and surveillance during foggy conditions. Investigations led to the arrest of four individuals in Tarn Taran district on January 30, revealing that this gang conducted eight sorties and dropped nearly 9 kg of heroin, a pistol, and cartridges. Further investigations also uncovered the use of GPS-equipped drones for drop-offs. Despite countermeasures, drone incursions persisted, with at least 23 locations in Punjab's border districts being affected in January alone. The smuggling trend via drones has posed a growing challenge in recent years, with significant seizures reported, indicating an evolving tactic in cross-border trafficking.
05-Feb-2024
Police on February 5 arrested two youngsters, identified as Suraj Singh and Jashandeep Singh, and seized 1.15 kg of heroin, INR 12,000, and two cell phones from their possession at a checkpoint on Ferozepur Road near Sri Muktsar Sahib in Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
05-Feb-2024
Police on February 5 arrested two men, identified as Navjot Singh alias Mani Baba and Karan and seized two pistols and 20 cartridges from their possession near Mehtan bridge in near Mehtan village in Kapurthala District. The arrests were made based on a tip-off, and the suspects were involved in illegally procuring arms from multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh (UP).
05-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 5 apprehended an Afghan national who was crossing the International Border into Indian territory near Kashi Barman village in the Gurdaspur district. He claimed to have been guided by a Pakistani national but was found with no objectionable items. Despite initial questioning, language barriers limited the information obtained, and he was subsequently handed over to local police for further investigation following a medical examination.
05-Feb-2024
The Border Security Force (BSF) on February 5 apprehended a 16-year-old Pakistani national and seized a mobile phone and a Pakistani currency note of PKR 100 denomination from his possession near Patti Pallo village in Tarn Taran district in Punjab. On questioning, he revealed that he was a resident of Kasur in Pakistan. Despite protests to Pakistan Rangers about border control, they denied knowledge of missing persons. Following a medical examination, the teenager was handed over to Khalra village police station in Tarn Taran, Punjab, for further investigation.
04-Feb-2024
The Jammu and Kashmir Police, in a joint operation with Punjab Police on February 4, arrested a notorious drug peddler identified as Kulwinder Singh from Gujarpur village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab. Singh, identified as an inter-state heroin smuggler, was apprehended following the arrest of Farman Ali alias Munna, from Balole Khad village in Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir on January 24. Ali was found in possession of heroin and INR 1.29 lakh, having transferred INR 4.50 lakh to Singh for narcotics. This arrest is hailed as a significant achievement in combating narcotics smuggling in the region, with the police intensifying efforts to dismantle inter-state drug networks.
04-Feb-2024
The Amritsar Rural Police on February 4 arrested an alleged drug peddler identified as Rajwinder Singh alias Goldy, and seized a mobile phone from him in Lopoke village in Amritsar district. He is accused of being involved in cross-border drug trafficking using drones and has been booked alongside Ranjit Singh, who is currently at large. Singh is allegedly connected to Pakistan-based narcotic and arms smugglers.
04-Feb-2024
Gharinda police on February 4 arrested an individual identified as Onkar Singh and seized 265 gm of heroin from his possession at the T-Point near Dhanoe Khurd village in Amritsar district.
04-Feb-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court recently denied bail to an alleged member of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang in an extortion case, emphasizing the need to address the growing gang culture in Punjab with firm measures. The court stated that gang activities promote disharmony, violence, and drug abuse, necessitating strengthened law enforcement to combat this disruptive culture. Highlighting the state's duty to ensure citizen security and maintain a violence-free environment, the court underscored the importance of dealing sternly with elements that erode the social fabric.