KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
10-Aug-2023
The Punjab Police on August 10 busted a cross-border drug smuggling racket by arresting three smugglers, identified as Bhindar Singh alias Bhinda, Dilbag Singh alias Manu, and Manipal Singh alias Mani, and seized 12 kg heroin and a car from their possession, near Beharwal village in Amritsar district. The arrested individuals, connected to Pakistan-based smugglers, had criminal records and were part of a wider investigation to uncover the recipients of the consignment, according to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav.
10-Aug-2023
Senior Congress leader and accused in the 1984 Pul Bangash killings case, Jagdish Tytler, on August 10 requested permission to appear before a Delhi court through video conferencing due to security concerns. Tytler's lawyer sought this remote appearance after a Sikh community protest during his previous court appearance on August 5.
10-Aug-2023
On August 10, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Talbir Gill posted a video on Facebook criticizing Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami for his apparent silence regarding the appointment of a non-Sikh director-principal at Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research.
10-Aug-2023
The Minister of State for Security, United Kingdom (UK), Thomas Georg John Tugendhat, on August 10 announced an investment of £95,000 (approximately INR 1 crore) to counter the threat posed by pro-Khalistan extremism, during a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister (EAM), S Jaishankar, in New Delhi. He also met with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. The UK and India are already collaborating through the Joint Extremism Task Force (JETF) to combat extremism, emphasizing actions against those promoting violent extremism and its financing.
09-Aug-2023
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on August 9 arrested five persons, identified as Anil Bhalla, Akash Bhalla, Sahil Bhalla, Nirmal Singh and Narinder Khillan, in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged drug trafficking, possession of illegal arms and ammunition, as well as extortion, after carrying out raids in various cities of Punjab. The ED seized Indian and foreign currency and fixed deposits worth about INR 6.25 crore besides arms and ammunition from various locations in Chandigarh, Panchkula, Zirakpur and Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (SAS) Nagar and Mohali, in Punjab, on August 8. On August 10, they were produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court, which sent the five to ED custody till August 17.
09-Aug-2023
Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, on August 9 in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) stated that, the Border Security Force (BSF) has seized the highest amount of heroin from Punjab and Rajasthan and the maximum 'ganja' (Marijuana) from Tripura and West Bengal in the past three years. In Punjab, 506.241 kg heroin was seized in 2020, 485.581 kg in 2021, 320.884 in 2022 and 248.103 kg till June 30 this year, according to Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) data.
09-Aug-2023
The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on August 9 filed two separate supplementary charge sheets against several key members of the Lawrence Bishnoi and Bambiha gangs while court declared seven individuals including Arshdeep Dala of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) as proclaimed offenders (POs) in a case related to the multi-state terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler network. Notorious individuals like Lakhbir Singh alias Landa, a Khalistani terrorist associated with Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), and members of the Bambiha gang, have been implicated. The charge sheets are part of an ongoing investigation into a multi-state terrorist-gangster-drug smuggling network.
09-Aug-2023
The banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on August 9 offered a USD 10,000 reward for details about the Consul General of India in Toronto, Apoorva Srivastava; the High Commissioner of India to Canada, Sanjay Kumar Verma; and the Consul General of India in Vancouver, Manish. A poster released by SFJ, titled 'Assassination of Shaheed Jathedar Hardeep Singh Nijjar,' stated that SFJ would initiate criminal prosecution for Nijjar's killers in Canada. The poster also had images of Indian diplomats.
09-Aug-2023
Despite efforts by the Chandigarh and Punjab police to dissuade them, the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha on August 9 announced their intent to proceed with a protest march towards Chandigarh on August 15. The Chandigarh police on August 9 held a meeting with the protest organizers and activists of Qaumi Insaaf Morcha. The Morcha, which has been protesting since January 7 at YPS Chowk in Mohali, is demanding the release of Sikh prisoners.
09-Aug-2023
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on August 9 criticized the significant cuts made by the Indian Censor Board on a biopic about Punjab-based human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, terming it 'legal murder.' The SAD accused the Censor Board of bias and demanded the removal of the imposed cuts to ensure the film's integrity and truthfulness.
09-Aug-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Commandant Gaurav Sharma, on August 9, in Amritsar, declared that the Indian BSF is vigilant and well-prepared to counter drone threats from Pakistan, with soldiers trained to detect suspicious drone activity and conduct investigations. The use of drones for smuggling narcotics and weapons by Pakistan poses a significant challenge, requiring constant monitoring and response. The increasing affordability and accessibility of drone technology heighten the threat, as Pakistan intensifies its proxy war through such means.
09-Aug-2023
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Ludhiana, Mandeep Singh Sidhu on August 9 stated that comprehensive effort by the Commissionerate Police has led to the arrest of 453 smugglers involved in smuggling and drug trade, with substantial seizures of 629 kg contraband and intoxicant pills and capsules which includes 398 kg of poppy husk, 167-kg ganja, 46-kg opium, 12.5-kg heroin, 4-kg each hashish and intoxicant powder, 1-kg charas, 25-gram cocaine,157-gm ICE and seven-gm lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and methylenedioxy methamphetamine (MDMA) and over 46,000 pills and capsules since November 2022. Additionally, taking strong action against property crime, the police successfully investigated 618 cases involving stolen property valued at Rs 18 crore. The recovered items comprised 580 stolen vehicles, 1,219 snatched or stolen mobile phones, 4 kg of stolen gold ornaments, 4 kg of stolen silver jewellery, and looted cash totalling Rs 8.12 crore. Properties worth Rs 1.63 crore belonging to habitual offenders have been attached, demonstrating a zero tolerance approach to crime.
09-Aug-2023
The Punjab Police’s Anti-Gangster Task Force (ATF) on August 9 arrested four suspected members of the Bambiha gang, identified as Sukhjinder Singh alias Sukhi Khan, Yadwinder Singh, Husanpreet Singh and Jagsir Singh and recovered three pistols of .30 bore, 20 live cartridges and one Swift car from their possession near Handiya in Barnala district. Sukhi Khan sustained injuries during a 10-minute gunfight that occurred when the police intercepted their car.
09-Aug-2023
On August 9, the trial commenced for 25 accused individuals, including Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, in the murder case of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, at the Mansa District and Sessions Court through video-conferencing. The court proceedings included initial arguments on charges, and the next hearing is scheduled for August 23.
09-Aug-2023
Police on August 9 arrested three associates of the Billa gang, identified as Mehar Singh, Gurdeep Singh, and Vishal, and recovered two .32 bore pistols, three illegal weapons, and 23 cartridges from their possession near Lubanianwali village in Muktsar district. Mehar Singh sustained injuries when he jumped into a drain in an attempt to flee after their car was intercepted at a checkpoint.
09-Aug-2023
According to reports, despite disposing of 87,083 cases until July of this year (2023), the total case pendency of the Punjab and Haryana High Court remains relatively unchanged, standing at 4,42,805, down from 4,47,886. Factors influencing disposal include the nature and complexity of the cases. Over 1,66,427 criminal cases involving life and liberty are still pending. Even with the resumption of physical hearings, the backlog persists due to retiring and transferring judges, which affects the frequency of hearings for important cases.
09-Aug-2023
The chief of banned Khalistani terror outfit, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a video released on August 9, claimed to have issued an open letter to United States (US) Congressmen Rohit Khanna and Michael Waltz, who are in New Delhi to attend India’s Independence day celebrations on August 15, urging them to question Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi about the criminalisation of the Khalistan referendum and alleged political persecution of pro-Khalistan Sikhs by India. He also urged Sikhs to raise the Khalistani flags on August 15.
08-Aug-2023
The Lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, V K Saxena on August 8 approved the prosecution of two men, identified as Vikram Singh and Balram Singh who were arrested for painting pro-Khalistan graffiti with anti-national slogans like “Khalistan Zindabad”, “SFJ”, “1984”, “Punjab Banega Khalistan”, “Referendum 2020 Vote for Khalistan”, at multiple locations in West Delhi at the behest of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). The accused were found with evidence linking them to the act, including CCTV footage and payment records. In the course of the investigation, the individuals revealed that they engaged in these actions based on directives from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the chief of SFJ.
08-Aug-2023
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on August 8 denied regular bail to Kulbir Singh, an alleged member of Khalistani terror outfits Babbar Khalsa Dal (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), stating that Article 21 of the Constitution encompasses the right to live free from terrorism. The court emphasized the need for strong action against members of declared terrorist organizations and asserted that the government is responsible for ensuring a terrorism-free life for citizens.
08-Aug-2023
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur, Simranjit Singh Mann on August 8 addressing the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament), urged an end to Sikh killings globally, citing some recent examples of the death of Khalistani operatives like Avtar Singh Khanda, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Panjwar, and Ripudaman Singh Malik, among other Sikhs like Deep Singh Sidhu and Sidhu Moosewala.