KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
27-Feb-2026
On February 27, the 38th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 515 raids, arrested 184 persons and recovered four weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 91 individuals, while 113 persons were verified and released after questioning. 12 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
27-Feb-2026
On February 27, Punjab Police, on day 363 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 103 drug smugglers, and seized 4 kg of heroin, 2715 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3700 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
27-Feb-2026
Punjab Police on February 27 arrested the absconding accused, Inderjit Singh, in connection with the February 22 murder of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and a Home Guard in Gurdaspur, from an undisclosed location in Amritsar district. The arrest comes amid sharp criticism from the Opposition, which has demanded an impartial probe into the killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh, another accused in the case. Ranjit was shot dead by police on February 25 after he allegedly opened fire on them. Earlier, police had also arrested a second accused in the case. Meanwhile, the Punjab Human Rights Organisation has termed Ranjit’s alleged encounter an “extra-judicial killing.” His family has claimed that he died due to police torture during interrogation and has approached a local court seeking a videographed post-mortem to be conducted by a special seven-member medical board.
27-Feb-2026
A petition has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a comprehensive record of all persons killed or grievously injured while allegedly “escaping” from police custody in Punjab over the past two years. The petitioner, Nikhil Saraf, has also sought disclosure of compliance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines in People’s Union for Civil Liberties v State of Maharashtra, which mandate an independent investigation and procedural safeguards in cases of police encounters. Additionally, the plea seeks details of any disciplinary action taken against officials responsible for securing custody in instances where the accused allegedly escaped.
27-Feb-2026
Several trade and farm unions in Punjab have announced a blockade of the Pathankot–Amritsar National Highway near Babri in Gurdaspur district on March 1, protesting the encounter killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh.
27-Feb-2026
Police registered a fresh case after allegedly recovering 16 narcotic capsules and smack from an inmate, Harpreet Singh alias Happy, during his appearance at the district court complex in Ludhiana. The accused was already facing trial in a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
27-Feb-2026
Ajaypal Singh alias Ajay, arrested in connection with the grenade attack at Kapania Bakery in Nakodar, Jalandhar district, has allegedly confessed that he and six others were tasked with carrying out the attack by Harwinder Rinda, a designated terrorist linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and reportedly based in Pakistan. According to police, the seven accused were promised INR 2 lakh for executing the attack. Rinda had allegedly demanded INR 30 lakh in extortion from the bakery owner and, when the demand was not met, conspired to carry out the grenade attack.
27-Feb-2026
A prosecution witness has refused to identify gangster Lawrence Bishnoi during the trial of an attempt-to-murder case registered 14 years ago in Chandigarh. Bishnoi was produced before the court via video conferencing from Ahmedabad jail in Gujarat. Defence counsel Harish Bhardwaj stated that the witness, Navneet Singh, told the court he neither knew nor recognised Bishnoi. The case stems from a 2012 clash between two student union groups at DAV College in Sector 10, following which police registered an attempt-to-murder case against Bishnoi and others.
27-Feb-2026
According to a statement issued by Shamsher Singh Padhri, press secretary of Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), Bapu Tarsem Singh—father of jailed MP Amritpal Singh—alleged that the encounter killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur exposed what he termed the “anti-Sikh face” of the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab. He demanded that the case be handed over to the CBI for an impartial probe.
27-Feb-2026
According to reports, Canadian officials have confirmed that there will be no Bhangra performance during Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India. Unlike former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Carney is also not scheduled to visit Punjab as part of his itinerary.
27-Feb-2026
India and the United Kingdom (UK) on February 27 identified pro-Khalistani extremism and the activities of anti-India groups in the UK as key areas of mutual concern during the 6th Home Affairs Dialogue (HAD) held in New Delhi. India also underscored its concerns over security breaches involving Indian dignitaries and diplomatic missions in the UK. Both sides identified additional areas for proactive cooperation, including drug trafficking, migration, criminal justice and law enforcement collaboration, and cyber security. The Indian delegation was led by Secretary (Border Management) Rajendra Kumar, while the UK side was headed by Simon Ridley, Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.
27-Feb-2026
Reports of a mysterious blast at a police station in Phagwara, Kapurthala district, sparked panic late on February 27. However, police dismissed the claim as false, stating that no explosion had occurred. They nonetheless responded with heightened alertness and preventive measures to maintain public safety and law and order. The alert followed a social media post in which an organization claimed responsibility for a purported grenade blast, describing it as retaliation for alleged “fake police encounters,” and specifically referring to the killing of 19-year-old Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur.
27-Feb-2026
On February 27, unidentified assailants fired gunshots at the car of Kundal village sarpanch (village head) Jagmandeep Singh Minku in Abohar, Fazilka district. In his complaint, Jagmandeep stated that he was not inside the vehicle at the time of the incident and claimed that he had been receiving death threats.
26-Feb-2026
On February 26, the 37th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 601 raids, arrested 203 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 147 individuals, while 145 persons were verified and released after questioning. Eight proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
26-Feb-2026
On February 26, Punjab Police, on day 362 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 67 drug smugglers, and seized 2.4 kg of heroin, 301 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3350 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
26-Feb-2026
The killing of Ranjit Singh, one of the three accused in the Gurdaspur twin policemen murder case, in a police encounter triggered a major controversy, with his family refusing to accept his body on February 26. They demanded that the state government register a murder case against the police personnel involved before they would proceed with the last rites. On February 25, Punjab Police had shot dead Ranjit Singh and arrested Dilawar Singh for their alleged role in the February 22 killing of an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) and Home Guard personnel in Gurdaspur. A third accused, Inderjit Singh of Adhian village, remains absconding. Police have claimed that the trio had been paid by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to carry out the attack.
26-Feb-2026
Kanwar Pal Singh, Secretary for Political Affairs of Dal Khalsa, expressed disappointment over the exclusion of Punjab from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s itinerary during his upcoming visit, noting that it departs from the practice followed by his predecessors. He added that Sikhs continue to hope for justice and fairness, albeit with cautious optimism.
26-Feb-2026
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on February 26 arrested an accused, identified as Rahmat Ali Sheikh in connection with a high-profile heroin and arms smuggling case linked to Punjab, from the Rakhial area of Ahmedabad in Gujarat. He was wanted in a case registered at Raja Sasi Police Station in Amritsar district involving the smuggling of heroin, hand grenades, and pistols allegedly sourced from across the Pakistan–Punjab border. Two co-accused had earlier been arrested in the case along with drugs and arms. During interrogation, officials found that Rahmat Ali was allegedly a key operative in a larger narcotics and grenade–pistol network. He is accused of facilitating the delivery of a consignment of heroin, hand grenades, and pistols from the Pakistan side of the Punjab border to associates in Punjab in January.
25-Feb-2026
Punjab Police on February 25 shot dead a youth, identified as Ranjit Singh in an encounter and arrested another one, Dilawer Singh for their alleged role in the February 23 murder of two policemen, near Purana Shalla village in Gurdaspur district. A third suspect, Inderjit Singh, remains absconding. Police stated that the trio had allegedly been recruited by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to execute the killings in exchange for money. Deputy Inspector General (Border Range) Sandeep Goel stated that Ranjit Singh was picked up from his village in the early hours of February 25. He was being taken to recover the pistol allegedly used in the killings when the police jeep overturned near Gahlri village due to dense fog, allowing him to escape. According to the DIG, Ranjit, who was later spotted riding a motorcycle, was signalled to stop by a police team led by CIA SHO Gurmeet Singh. His motorcycle reportedly skidded, and finding himself cornered, he opened fire on the police. In the ensuing retaliatory firing, he was injured and subsequently declared brought dead at Gurdaspur Civil Hospital. The SHO also sustained injuries in the exchange.
25-Feb-2026
On February 25, the 36th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangsters Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahaar—the police conducted 546 raids, arrested 148 persons and recovered two weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 143 individuals, while 134 persons were verified and released after questioning. Three proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.