KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
26-Mar-2023
The Udham Singh Nagar police in Uttarakhand on March 26 announced that they have identified around 150 followers of the Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh on social media. Police sources said, "Our social media vigilance team has compiled a list of Singh's district-specific followers on social media and is counselling and challaning them. 150 people have been recognized thus far." Meanwhile, Uttarakhand police have increased vigil on the Nepal and Uttar Pradesh (UP) borders after a lookout notice was issued by the Punjab police against Amritpal Singh and his aides.
26-Mar-2023
India on March 26 summoned Canadian High Commissioner Cameron MacKay to express its strong protest against the activities of the Khalistan supporters in Canada and also asked for an explanation for breaching the security of the Indian diplomatic mission and consulates last week.
26-Mar-2023
According to reports, Police officials and investigative agencies are at odds over the whereabouts of fugitive Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh, even after CCTV footage allegedly showed him wandering in Patiala in Punjab. One faction claims that he is still in Punjab, while another suggests that he has escaped into a district of Uttar Pradesh (UP) that shares porous border with Nepal. They argued that the blurry image of Amritpal was not conclusive evidence but a tactic to mislead the police who were pursuing him.
25-Mar-2023
The Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) following an anonymous warning that the Indian flag may be replaced with a Khalistan banner at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, the venue for the upcoming high-profile G20 meeting in September. According to police sources, an investigation was initiated after an individual received an audio recording from an unknown number two days ago, which referred to the police crackdown against the radical preacher Amritpal Singh in Punjab.
25-Mar-2023
As per reports from intelligence agencies, Amritpal Singh, the absconding pro-Khalistan preacher and leader of the Waris Punjab De (WPD), allegedly kept his wife captive and subjected her to frequent physical abuse, while also maintaining relationships with multiple other women. The central intelligence agencies further disclosed that Amritpal was leading an extravagant lifestyle in Dubai that was not in line with the tenets of Sikhism, and he was not even an Amritdhari Sikh.
25-Mar-2023
According to reports, Papalpreet Singh, media advisor of fugitive Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal Singh, was facing three charges of sedition and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) before the Ajnala incident. Papalpreet is said to have shared controversial interviews on a social media channel that he managed to further his cause. He was also one of 20 people arrested by the Amritsar (Rural) police on charges of sedition in connection with the organization of the "Sarbat Khalsa" in Chatiwind during the SAD-BJP government tenure in 2015. Papalpreet had established the Sikh Youth Front and was linked to the Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale) and the extremist group Dal Khalsa. Although he joined SAD (A) in 2017, he resigned from the party within months. The Waris Punjab De (WPD) provided him with a platform to pursue his activities for the "Khalistan" cause, where he was considered Amritpal's right-hand man and mentor.
25-Mar-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) troops recovered seven packets of heroin weighing 7 kg, lying in a field near Wan village in Tarn Taran district on March 25.
25-Mar-2023
Border Security Force (BSF) troops recovered a container containing 810 grams of heroin lying in a field in Bharopal village near the border fence in Amritsar district on March 25.
25-Mar-2023
A man received an audio threat message from Khalistani supporters on his phone after he arrived at the Delhi airport from Mumbai. The pre-recorded audio message allegedly contained threats of seizing control of Pragati Maidan in New Delhi and replacing the Indian Tricolour with the Khalistani flag. Furthermore, the message contained profanity directed towards Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Based on the man's complaint, the Delhi Police filed a case on March 25.
25-Mar-2023
Giani Harpreet Singh, the Jathedar of Akal Takht, on March 25, urged Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), to surrender himself and cooperate with the police in the investigation in to the cases against him. Amritpal Singh, the head of the WPD, is charged with nine separate first information reports (FIRs) in various offenses.
25-Mar-2023
A new CCTV footage purportedly showing Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), surfaced online on March 25. In the video, Amritpal Singh is apparently seen wearing jacket and trousers while speaking on a mobile phone. The footage was reportedly filmed in Patiala in Punjab. However, police have not yet confirmed the authenticity of the unverified video clip, which is garnering attention on social media.
25-Mar-2023
The Minister of External Affairs, S. Jaishankar has criticized the UK government for failing to fulfill its security responsibilities, following an incident in which a group of pro-Khalistani protesters damaged the Indian High Commission in London and removed the Tricolour flag from the premises. The minister asserted that it is the duty of the host country to safeguard diplomats and ensure that embassy or high commission properties are treated with respect and that these obligations were not fulfilled in this case. He further revealed that discussions have taken place between the Indian and British governments regarding this matter.
24-Mar-2023
The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) requested the Akal Takht's officiating Jathedar, Giani Harpreet Singh, to hasten the process of issuing guidelines for carrying the "saroop" (physical copy) of Guru Granth Sahib in public areas, especially in disputed public places and protest sites. After the Ajnala incident, the Akal Takht formed a subcommittee with 16 members to examine this issue. A meeting was held on March 6 at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib in Anandpur Sahib to discuss the matter.
24-Mar-2023
According to police source, the arrested gunman of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, Tajinder Singh Gill alias Baba Gorkha, confessed during interrogation that he had met Amritpal Singh through Bikram Singh Khalsa, whom he had encountered during the farmers' protest on the outskirts of Delhi. Baba Gorkha also disclosed that they had established a firing range in Amritpal's native village Jullupur Kheda in Amritsar district and had arranged bulletproof jackets for the newly-formed group Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF). He joined as Amritpal's gunman five months ago and had been posting images and videos of guns on social media without a license to carry a weapon. Furthermore, his mobile phone had images of an ‘AKF’ hologram and Khalistan currency, including a "10 dollar" note, as well as a picture of a Pakistani national's driving license. During the investigation, Baba Gorkha revealed that each AKF member had been assigned a belt number such as AKF 3, AKF 56, and AKF 47, possibly based on their seniority or proximity to Amritpal Singh. The examination of his phone showed that two WhatsApp groups, "AKF" and "Amritpal Tiger Force," were created, and the members of AKF were being paid salaries.
24-Mar-2023
According to sources, the Delhi police, under the direction of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), lodged a First Information Report (FIR) on March 24 in relation to the destruction carried out by Khalistani demonstrators at the Indian High Commission in London on March 19. The police have reportedly invoked the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and other applicable sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the case.
24-Mar-2023
Punjab Police on March 24 released 44 individuals who had been taken into preventive custody during the crackdown on pro-Khalistan preacher Amritpal Singh. These individuals were handed over to their families following a promise of good conduct in future. Arpit Shukla, the Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order), stated that the decision to release these individuals was made in the interest of the public and to prevent young people from suffering. The individuals who were released were found to have had a minimal role or were following Amritpal Singh for religious reasons only. Earlier on March 23, Sukhchain Singh Gill, the Inspector General of Police (Headquarters), stated that a total of 207 people were detained during the crackdown on Amritpal Singh for allegedly disturbing the peace in the state. Out of these individuals, 30 were implicated in serious crimes, and the others were held under preventive custody. Punjab Police may release 177 individuals from preventive custody.
24-Mar-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on March 24 filed a new charge sheet against jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar, the alleged architects of the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, and 12 others in connection with its probe into a nexus of north India-based gangsters, Pakistan-backed Khalistani terror groups, and drugs and arms smugglers. The NIA claimed that these gangsters had links with the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and other pro-Khalistan terrorist organizations. NIA further added, "All the 14 accused have been charged with criminal conspiracy to unleash a wave of terror and carry out targeted killings of well-known social and religious leaders, movie stars, singers and businessmen. Besides having links with conspirators in Pakistan, the accused were also in contact with pro-Khalistan elements based in Canada, Nepal and other countries." This is the second charge sheet submitted by the NIA in their investigation into the terrorist-gangster network; the first charge sheet was filed on March 21 against Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dala, and 11 other gangsters.
24-Mar-2023
Based on intelligence inputs which indicated that Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), had been spotted at the ISBT bus terminal in New Delhi, police teams from Delhi and Punjab conducted a search operation at Delhi and its borders. There is information that suggests that he may be disguised as a sadhu.
24-Mar-2023
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on March 24 stated that some people were trying to divide the state on sectarian lines but his government was duty-bound to make Punjab a progressive, peaceful and prosperous state by foiling the nefarious designs of the anti-Punjab forces. "We have to make Punjab, Punjab again, not Afghanistan," he remarked.
24-Mar-2023
On March 24, the Border Security Force (BSF) recovered five Glock 9 mm pistols and 91 rounds of ammunition that had been dropped on the Indian side by a drone from the Indo-Pak border in Punjab.