KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
28-Mar-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) on March 28 seized 2 kg heroin in Natha Singh Wala village of Fazilka district.
28-Mar-2023
In a statement to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of parliament) on March 28, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nisith Pramanik, disclosed that security agencies had detected 28 instances of drone recoveries involved in the smuggling of arms and narcotics along the Pakistan border in Punjab over the last three years, until February 28, 2023. These drones were apprehended while attempting to smuggle over 125kg of heroin, 100 grams of opium, seven pistols/revolvers, one 9mm pistol, 14 magazines, 132 rounds of ammunition, six detonators, and 4.75 kg of other explosives from across the Pakistan border.
28-Mar-2023
Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on March 28 alleged that Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh was playing into the hands of the “Badals-controlled” Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) over the crackdown on Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh.
28-Mar-2023
Police recovered around 100 kg of poppy husk from a car during checking at the Gumjal barrier in Abohar in Fazilka district on March 28.
28-Mar-2023
Police on March 28 arrested one person, identified as Jitender and seized 300 kg poppy husk from his car near Dhaba Jhalar village on NH-62 in Abohar in Fazilka district.
28-Mar-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on March 28 night fired 55 rounds at a drone that entered Indian territory from the Pakistan side in the Srikaranpur area of Abohar in Fazilka district, ultimately forcing it to retreat.
28-Mar-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on March 28 recovered two packets containing 2 kg heroin, a Chinese-made pistol, a magazine and eight bullets from border fence near Natha Singh Wala village in Fazilka district. According to BSF, troops fired at the miscreant, but he managed to flee.
28-Mar-2023
Punjab police on March 28 informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) that they were making progress in the apprehension of Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh. However, the petitioner's counsel in the habeas corpus plea, seeking his production, alleged that Amritpal was being held in "illegal detention" at the Shahkot police station in Jalandhar.
28-Mar-2023
The general house of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on March 28 appealed to community members to ensure they give their children the second names of Singh and Kaur, saying that not doing so was against the maryada (religious code of conduct).
27-Mar-2023
On March 27, the Border Security Force (BSF) troops stationed along the border in the Rajatal Border Outpost area of Amritsar sector detected a drone intrusion and took action by firing at it. Later, a drone and a bag containing a packet containing 2 kg of heroin and a torch were recovered approximately 700 meters away from the International Border and 350 meters from the border fence.
27-Mar-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on March 27 detected the intrusion of another drone near the Attari joint check post. The troops fired at the drone and later found a packet believed to contain 2 kg of heroin at Hardo Rattan village in Amritsar district during a subsequent search in the area.
27-Mar-2023
During the night of March 27-28, a drone intrusion was detected by Border Security Force (BSF) troops in the Ramtirath area of the Amritsar sector. A subsequent search operation resulted in the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of three packets containing 3.22 kg of heroin near Bachiwind village in Amritsar district.
27-Mar-2023
The Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh on March 27 served a 24-hour ultimatum on the state government for the release of the detainees.
27-Mar-2023
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on March 27 criticized the deployment of a substantial number of paramilitary forces in Punjab for the ongoing operation against pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh and his supporters. The SAD questioned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's decision, suggesting that the government was exaggerating the separatism issue to conceal its failures.
26-Mar-2023
Some media personnel and government officials on March 26 received pre-recorded threatening calls of the chief of banned pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in Uttarakhand. In the audio message, Pannun threatened to raise Khalistani flags during G-20 summit at Nainital’s Ramnagar and warned Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Pushkar Singh Dhami against taking action against Sikhs in the state. Pannun said, “G-20 delegates….Ramnagar is not India. Ramnagar is Khalistan. Sikhs for Justice is going to raise Khalistani flags during G-20 summit at Ramnagar, at airports and at railway stations to show and internationalise that Ramnagar will be part of Khalistan once we liberate Punjab from Indian occupation through Khalistan Referendum. And if chief minister Dhami tried to file cases against Sikhs in Uttarakhand, you will be held accountable for each crime you are committing. Message is from Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, SFJ general counsel.”
26-Mar-2023
According to the Sikh coordination panel, which is headed by ex-militant leader Daljit Singh Bittu, the Jathedar is holding a meeting to address the state forces' excesses, but simultaneously requesting protection from these same forces.
26-Mar-2023
The Dal Khalsa wrote a letter to the Jathedar with its president Harpal Singh Cheema saying, “Our complaint is that you have shown laxity in fulfilling responsibility twice in the matter of the recent incidents. As the time passes, such decisions become a mere formality and bear no impact.”
26-Mar-2023
The Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav stated that the Punjab police have set free 197 individuals out of the 353 who were arrested under preventive sections of the law on account of apprehension of breach of peace and disturbance in law and order since March 18. The DGP mentioned that apart from 353 persons, 40 persons had been arrested under substantive criminal offences and seven had been detained under the National Security Act. He also said that directions had been issued to all SSPs and Commissioners of Police to ensure that no innocent person was harassed or arrested.
26-Mar-2023
Punjab Police on March 26 arrested two wanted criminals and recovered 4 kgs heroin, 2 pistols, 18 live cartridges, INR 2.6 lakh drug money, and a car from them in Tarn Taran district.
26-Mar-2023
Balkaur Singh, the father of the late Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, claimed on March 26 that he had received an email threatening his life. He alleged that "I've received threats on email from Rajasthan saying that I'll be killed soon, so don't take Lawrence Bishnoi's name". The police have registered a case against unidentified individuals who made threats against Singh. Earlier also, Balkaur Singh alleged that he was threatened and said that he would be killed before April 25.