KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
24-Mar-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) successfully prevented the smuggling of advanced small arms into Punjab through the use of a drone along the Indo-Pakistan border in the Metla area of Gurdaspur Sector in Gurdaspur district on March 24. After detecting a drone infiltrating into Indian Territory from Pakistan side, the troops fired upon the rogue drone to bring it down. Subsequently, BSF personnel recovered one parcel which was dropped through a drone containing arms and ammunition, which include, five Austria-made semi-automatic Glock Pistols, 10 Pistol magazines and ammunition of two different calibres viz. 9mm (71 rounds) and 20 ammunition with .311 written on it.
24-Mar-2023
Surinderpal Singh Aujla, the brother of a social media handler for pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, on March 24 filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) requesting that NRI Gurinder Pal alias Gur Aujla, be granted permission to communicate with his relatives.
23-Mar-2023
The Chhattisgarh police on March 23 arrested four persons for organising a rally in favor of pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh, in the Raipurm area of Raipur District in Chhattisgarh.
23-Mar-2023
The Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) has lodged grievances with both the Punjab Police and the Centre via social media, alleging instances of hate speech directed towards the Sikh community following the crackdown on Waris Punjab De (WPD) on March 18. According to the SGPC, no action has been taken by the police thus far.
23-Mar-2023
Ludhiana commissioner of police Mandeep Singh Sidhu stated that they reviewed all CCTV footage from the national highway and discovered that Amritpal Singh and his accomplice Papalpreet Singh switched two auto-rickshaws to reach Sherpur Chowk in Ludhiana, where they caught a bus. He further added that they are attempting to locate the bus in which they escaped.
23-Mar-2023
According to police sources, pro-Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh started a drug de-addiction center at Jallupur Kehra village in Amritsar district in Punjab. The purpose of the center was to attract drug addicts and disgraced ex-servicemen, in order to create a group that could easily be converted into a terrorist organization. Moreover, they were searching for ex-servicemen who had been discharged from the Army due to disciplinary issues, to train them in handling weapons.
23-Mar-2023
According to security agencies, Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief Amritpal Singh was promoting gun culture in Punjab and supporting criminal gangs while disguising himself as a religious preacher. They further claimed that he was backed by foreign entities that were hostile to the interests of India.
23-Mar-2023
The Uttarakhand police increased their surveillance efforts to arrest pro-Khalistani separatists Amritpal Singh and his associates as they have posted and circulated flyers in villages along the Nepal border as it is suspected that they may try to flee the country.
23-Mar-2023
The Punjab government on March 23 extended the suspension of mobile internet and SMS services in Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts till March 24 noon while lifting the curbs in Moga, Sangrur, Ajnala sub-division in Amritsar and a few areas in Mohali.
23-Mar-2023
Punjab Police on March 23 claimed that they had found video evidence of members of Anandpur Khalsa Fauj (AKF), a private militia formed by Waris Punjab De (WPD) leader Amritpal, undergoing weapons training. The training was apparently taking place in a riverine area, possibly near Amritpal's hometown of Jallupur Khera in Baba Bakala tehsil of Amritsar. The police spokesperson, Inspector General (IG) Sukhchain Singh Gill, revealed that the footage was discovered on the phone of Amritpal's associate, Tejinder Singh alias Gorkha Baba, who was arrested by the police. The recovered footage included the firing of weapons, the AKF logo, and other sensitive videos that cannot be shared at present. The police believe that the weapons training indicates that Amritpal was preparing for a significant operation. They are currently working with security agencies from various states to track down Amritpal, who was reportedly last seen in Kurukshetra, Haryana. Out of the 207 people arrested in connection with Amritpal, only 30 are believed to be serious offenders, the IG added.
23-Mar-2023
According to reports, gangster Lawrence Bishnoi allegedly made threats toward the owner of Khun Khun Ji Jewellery in Uttar Pradesh. The owner of the Lucknow-based jewellery store filed a complaint with the local police, stating that an anonymous caller, who used the names of Lawrence Bishnoi and another Punjabi criminal named Goldy Brar (based in Canada), demanded a ransom of INR 30 lakh. The caller warned of dire consequences if the ransom was not paid.
22-Mar-2023
Union Minister Raj Kumar Singh on March 22 accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of promoting pro-Khalistan activities in the country. He also mentioned that Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), and his associates receive support from the Pakistani intelligence agency. During an interview, the minister stated, “ISI has been at it for decades. Have seen from my time as a bureaucrat how Pakistan always gave them patronage. Had asked my Pakistani counterparts to hand over Khalistanis hiding in Pakistan but they never did.”
22-Mar-2023
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on March 22 offered legal assistance to individuals arrested during the crackdown on Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and denounced the extensive search conducted by Punjab Police for Amritpal Singh as a "conspiracy" and an "extra-constitutional" measure.
22-Mar-2023
Giani Harpreet Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht Sahib called for a special meeting of Sikh organizations on March 27 in Amritsar, to discuss the present situation in Punjab. The Jathedar expressed concern over the ongoing arrests of Sikh youth and the implications this has for the people's future. The meeting was called to discuss these issues and to bring together various Sikh organizations.
22-Mar-2023
Dr. Balbir Singh, the Health Minister of Punjab on March 22, informed the State Assembly that the state has approximately 10 lakh drug addicts, which accounts for almost 3% of the total population of 3.17 crore. He stated, “approximately 2.62 lakh addicts are receiving treatment in government de-addiction facilities, and at least 6.12 lakh addicts reside in private rehab facilities, The true number is significantly higher. Many, including intravenous drug users, do not come forward due to social stigma.”
22-Mar-2023
In a joint search operation, conducted by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Border Security Force (BSF), the officials recovered 3.040 kg of heroin which was dropped by a Pakistani drone in the Ajnala sector of Amritsar on March 22.
22-Mar-2023
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Harkrishan Singh on March 22 visited Jallupur Khera village in Amritsar district to question Amritpal Singh's United Kingdom (UK)-based NRI (Non-Resident Indian) wife. It has been claimed that her name was involved in obtaining funds from overseas for Amritpal’s activities and the organization called Waris Punjab De (WPD).
22-Mar-2023
According to a report, police and intelligence officials in Punjab have been informed that nine organizations operating in six countries, including Pakistan, are responsible for the increased terrorism and violence in the state. Among these organizations, three of them are linked to Pakistan, including the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) led by Ranjeet Singh Neeta, the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) led by Wadhawa Singh Babbar, and the Khalistan Commando Force of Paramjit Singh Panjwar (KCF). The other groups mentioned in the report include Hardeep Singer Nijjar of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) based in Surrey, South East London, Gurjeet Singh Cheema of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) based in Canada, and Gurmeet Singh alias Bagga and Bhupinder Singh Bhind of KZF based in Germany. Additionally, Gursharanvir Singh is based in the UK, Gurjinder Singh in Italy, and Purshottam Singh is stationed in France. Meanwhile, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the leader of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), a notorious organization, is from the United States (US) and poses as a political activist. The report also highlights the significant role played by the Indo-Canadian narcotics syndicate known as the 'Brothers Keepers' gang, which is made up of the Grewal and Dhaliwal clans.
21-Mar-2023
The banned pro-Khalistan outfit, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on March 21 called for a power plant in Delhi to be shut down as part of a "civil disobedience movement." In a video message to the media, SFJ leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated, "Delhi has started a war with Punjab, and the people of Punjab must counter-attack by targeting Pragati III power plant to shut down Delhi. Amritpal Singh had launched Khalsa Vaheer to propagate Sikhism and motivate the youth to shun drugs. He has done his duty, and now it’s the duty of every Sikh to come out and be the Waris (inheritor) of Punjab.”
21-Mar-2023
The Sikh Forum, a New Delhi-based Sikh group expressed concern over the recent developments in Punjab and denounced the activities of a few Khalistan supporters. They asserted that these individuals do not speak for the Sikh community residing in Punjab, other regions of India, or abroad.