KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
13-Jan-2023
According to India government sources, India has raised strong objections with the local authorities of Australia in connection with the Melbourne Temple vandalism. The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Mill Park was defaced on January 12, with graffities against India. India asked them to initiate a probe and arrest the Khalistani group behind the incident. “Hindus live peacefully in Melbourne, but some groups are trying to creating tension between the authorities and the community. The Melbourne authorities should look into this otherwise these groups will spread here like the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada," said government sources.
13-Jan-2023
According to reports, Dal Khalsa, a radical Sikh organisation, which has for years been advocating for a separate homeland for the people of Punjab, is again harping on about a referendum in the state. Dal Khalsa will take out a march ‘Sovereignty through the right of self-determination’ to highlight its demand for a referendum in Punjab under the United Nations (UN) in the last week of January 2023. The march will be held in Amritsar on January 25 on the eve of Republic Day. A decision to this effect was passed in an executive meeting of the Sikh hardline body chaired by its president Harpal Singh Cheema.
13-Jan-2023
Ferozepur Police on January 13 arrested an associate of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla, identified as Gurpreet Singh from near Talwandi Bhai in Moga district. He was arrested when he was coming from Moga on a bike. When he reached near Talwandi Bhai, the police party at a checkpoint signaled him to stop but the accused opened fire at them with his .38 bore revolver and tried to escape, police said. The accused was hit in the leg in return fire by police and was arrested. He was admitted to Zira civil hospital.
13-Jan-2023
According to sources, to increase the presence of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Punjab, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) has approved the opening of a full-fledged regional office of the bureau in Amritsar. It will be headed by a Deputy Director-General of the rank of an Inspector General (IG) or above. Punjab will be the first state where drug-related cases will be pursued by two separate offices of the NCB — the existing Zonal Division in Chandigarh and the upcoming regional office. While the Amritsar office will oversee operations in the Majha and Doaba regions, the Chandigarh division will have jurisdiction over the Malwa belt.
13-Jan-2023
Police brought gangster Dilpreet Singh Dhahe on production warrant in Anandpur Sahib in Rupnagar district. Dhahe, facing murder, attempt to murder and extortion cases, was lodged at Tihar Jail in New Delhi. He was produced in court which remanded him to four-day police custody.
13-Jan-2023
Police on January 13 arrested a Khalistani suspect Jagjit Singh and his aide Naushad from Jahangir Puri in North West Delhi. Later, weapons, two hand grenades and bloodstains were found in the raid of the Special Cell from the hideout of the suspects in Delhi's Bhalswa area. According to the police, the Khalistan connection of the arrested suspects is being investigated.
13-Jan-2023
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court in Panchkula has declared Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, as a proclaimed offender in the May 2022 Bastara toll plaza (Karnal District, Haryana) case where three IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and arms and ammunition were seized. Recently, the Punjab Police had stated in a press conference that the report on Rinda’s death in Pakistan due to drug overdose wasn’t confirmed. The court on January 11 directed the NIA to furnish the list of properties, movable or immovable, owned by Rinda for attachment. As per the NIA, during the investigation it was revealed that the explosives were sent by Rinda from Pakistan.
12-Jan-2023
Two months after a news report came about the death of gangster-turned-terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda due to drug overdose in Pakistan, the intelligence agencies have found some fresh “substantial evidences” to show that he may be “alive”. The issue was discussed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) recently during a meeting with officials of intelligence agencies and National Investigation Agency (NIA). As per media reports, Rinda, a wanted terrorist carrying a reward of Rs 10 lakh announced by the NIA, died at a hospital in Pakistan’s Lahore in November. A few days ago, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla held a meeting with officials of intelligence agencies and the NIA to discuss resurgence of terror activities in Punjab.
12-Jan-2023
Akal Takht and the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) opposed an Army’s proposal to introduce ballistic helmets for Sikh soldiers, demanding that the move must be withdrawn. Akal Takht’s officiating Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh termed it an “attack on the Sikh identity” and asked the Ministry of Defence, the Centre and the Army to reconsider the proposal as it was against the Sikh “rehat maryada” (tenets). He claimed the British had also tried to introduce a similar proposal during the World War II, but then Sikh soldiers had rejected it.
10-Jan-2023
With the arrest of 16 persons, including two Afghan nationals, over a period of two months, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has exposed an international syndicate of drug smugglers involving white-collared criminals, who used to mint quick money and invest it in liquor business, rice mills, ghee trading and agencies of reputed brands, to mislead the NCB. During investigation, the Narcotics Control Bureau found that the group was operating night clubs and restaurants in the Tricity and region. Officials said drug smugglers procured the contraband from their links in Afghanistan and Pakistan, a set of couriers took care of transportation from Mundra Port, the ICT Atari and Jammu border, two Afghan chemists processed opium and morphine into heroin and other variants in Ludhiana and criminals and gangsters distributed it. A special investigation team has now been formed and supported by investigating officers from other NCB zones. Specialised financial and technical investigation teams are already probing deeper into the syndicate. More than 60 bank accounts of this group and 30 properties purchased with the drug money have been frozen.
09-Jan-2023
In a major success, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested one major logistics provider for the gangsters, identified as Chhotu Ram Bhaat in Sirsa in Haryana. According to the officials, Bhaat was acting as a weapons supplier and was also providing hideouts to the gangsters of the Bambiha group.
09-Jan-2023
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) declared Canada-based gangster Arshdeep Singh Gill, alias Arsh Dalla, a designated terrorist after discovering his involvement in crimes such as murder, extortion, targeted killings, and terrorism. According to MHA notification, Gill is associated with the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and is accused of various offences, including targeted killing, extortion for terrorism funding, attempted murder, inciting communal strife, and spreading terror in Punjab. The UMHA in a statement said that Arsh Dalla has been designated as a terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 due to his involvement in cross-border smuggling of drugs and weapons and association with the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Arshdeep Singh Gill, who is originally from Ludhiana but currently resides in Canada, has been accused in various cases by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including targeted killing, extortion for terror funding, attempted murder, inciting communal unrest, and inciting fear among the people of Punjab. This marks the fifth individual to be designated as a terrorist in the past week, all of whom are based in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada. According to UMHA, Gill is closely connected to Hardeep Singh Nijjar and is involved in running terror modules on behalf of Nijjar. Gill has been involved in crimes such as murder, extortion, and targeted killings, as well as terror financing and the large-scale smuggling of drugs and weapons across borders. As a result, the Central Government has added Gill as a terrorist under section 35 of the UAPA. This will make Gill the 53rd individual to be designated as a terrorist under the Act.
09-Jan-2023
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on January 9 asked officers to adopt zero tolerance against drug peddlers, terrorists and gangsters, asking them to use effective law against anti-social elements and also invoke the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in terror activities. The DGP held a virtual meeting with officers and asked them to identify the drug hotspots at every police station and lay special focus on pharmaceutical drugs to root out the menace from the state. He warned that the concerned SHOs (Station House Officers) will be held responsible in case of leniency in drugs related cases.
09-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) fired 74 rounds at a Pakistani drone that twice intruded into Indian territory near the Adhian border outpost in Gurdaspur on January 9 night. The drone was sighted in the Dorangla block. Incidentally, this area became a favored destination for Pakistan to push in drones. The drone retreated after the BSF fired at it but returned 20 minutes later.
09-Jan-2023
Inspector General of Police (IGP) headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill on January 9 said that Punjab Police have arrested as many as 9917 drug smugglers, including 1447 hardened criminals, since July 5, 2022. Police have registered a total number of 7,533 first information reports (FIRs) of which 852 are related to commercial quantity. He said, “Police teams have recovered 418.44 kg heroin from across the state after carrying out cordon and search operations in drug-affected areas besides laying checkpoints at vulnerable routes across the state. Additionally, 147.5 kg heroin was recovered from seaports of Gujarat and Maharashtra, taking the total effective recovery of heroin to 565.94 kg in just six months.” Gill said that police have also recovered 407 kg each of opium and ganja, 233 quintals of poppy husk, and 33.88 lakh tablets/capsules/injections/vials of pharma opioids from across the state.
09-Jan-2023
The Border Security Force (BSF) on the intervening night of January 9 and 10 busted a narco-terror attempt from across the border and seized 5 bottles possibly filled with heroin weighing of 2.5 kg and also a 500-grams heroin packet near Wan Village of Tarn Taran district.
08-Jan-2023
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on January 8 that Lakhbir Singh Rode, nephew of deceased Khalistani militant leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and head of banned Khalistani outfit International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), had planned the December 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast, in which suspected bomber Gagandeep Singh was killed and six people injured. Rode had conspired to carry out bomb blasts in various places in Punjab and used Pakistan-based smugglers to execute his plans, the NIA said. The NIA filed a charge sheet before a Mohali court, naming Gagandeep Singh, Surmukh Singh alias Sammu, Dilbagh Singh alias Baggo, Rajanpreet Singh and a Pakistani national Zulfikar alias Pahalwan, who it said were part of the conspiracy. NIA has already filed a charge sheet against Rode in March 2022. “During investigations, it has been revealed that Lakhbir Singh Rode, Pakistan based ISYF terrorist handler, had planned to execute IED blasts at various locations in Punjab. In order to execute his plans, he, in association with Pakistan based smugglers, recruited India based operatives to smuggle IEDs and to carry out blasts to cause maximum casualties and to strike terror among the general public,” the NIA said in a statement.
08-Jan-2023
According to report, Army has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for emergency purchase of nearly 13,000 helmets for Sikh troops through fast-track procedure. The RFP, which is in public domain, was issued by the Army on January 5, 2023 for 12,730 ballistic helmets. Of these, 8,911 are needed of large size while 3,819 are required to be in extra-large size. The helmets need to be of central bulge design and as per advanced combat design to suit the head size of Sikh troops who sport unshorn hair on their heads as per religious requirement.
08-Jan-2023
The police on January 8 arrested two persons, identified as Pankaj (29) and Stanley Joseph (23) along with 1.2 kg of charas from their possession from near Lamini Government College in Pathankot district.
07-Jan-2023
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with Central Agencies arrested an Army personnel, posted as Sepoy in Pathankot and his aide, Paramjeet Singh alias Pamma after recovering 29 packets of heroin, weighing 31.02 kilogram, from their possession in Fazilka in Fazilka district on January 7.