KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
19-May-2026
Former Director General of Police (DGP) Mohammed Mustafa on May 19 alleged that the blast near Malerkotla House, his residence along the Hathoa road link in Malerkotla in Malerkotla district on May 15, was a targeted attack on him and his family. According to Mustafa, the powerful explosion severed a buffalo’s limbs and hurled the animal several feet into the air, while a man nearby narrowly escaped unhurt. He further alleged that the police initially attempted to portray the incident as an accident and linked the blast to a recent threat email directed at him and others.
19-May-2026
A team of the Special Task Force (STF) Unit, Karnal, on May 19 arrested two alleged shooters of the Himanshu Bhau gang, identified as Harsh Singh and Kashish Luthra and seized two foreign-made pistols, live cartridges, and mobile phones were seized from them, following a brief exchange of fire in the Shahabad area of Kurukshetra in Haryana.
19-May-2026
A special court in Ludhiana acquitted Charanjit Singh alias Patialvi in a 16-year-old case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Explosive Substances Act at Machhiwara police station in Ludhiana district. The court granted him the benefit of doubt after examining the evidence and circumstances presented during the trial in the case registered on July 23, 2010. The matter had remained in focus for years as the accused had earlier been declared a proclaimed offender. In April 2022, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) had arrested him, alleging that he was living in a gurdwara disguised as a granthi to evade arrest.
19-May-2026
On May 19, the 119th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 512 raids, arrested 218 persons and recovered 13 weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 133 individuals, while 17 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
19-May-2026
On May 19, Punjab Police, on day 444 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 104 drug smugglers, and seized 4.2 kg of heroin, 685 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 9470 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
18-May-2026
Punjab Police and the Counter Intelligence wing, in a joint operation on May 18, busted a transnational terror-gangster nexus with the arrest of two operatives, Anuraj alias Gaurav Masih and Ankush, and recovery of three illegal pistols, including two .30 bore and one .315 bore weapons, along with 11 live cartridges from their possession, in Ludhiana distrcit. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of foreign-based handlers operating from Germany and Dubai, and had been assigned high-profile targeted shootings.
18-May-2026
Punjab Police on May 18 busted a drugs and illegal arms smuggling module and arrested one accused with 2.1 kg of heroin and seven sophisticated pistols, in Amritsar district. Police suspect the network may have wider links to organized crime and cross-border smuggling operations. The recovery of sophisticated firearms has also raised concerns over the growing nexus between narcotics trafficking and illegal arms networks in the border state.
18-May-2026
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 18 filed a supplementary chargesheet against another accused in the 2022 Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)–Lawrence Bishnoi gang terror nexus case before the NIA Special Court at Patiala House Court in New Delhi. In the sixth chargesheet filed in the case, accused Arjit Kumar alias Ajit was charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Arjit is the 23rd accused to be chargesheeted in the case linked to an alleged terror conspiracy involving the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and the proscribed BKI to spread terrorism in India. He is among the 20 persons arrested in the case.
18-May-2026
On May 18, the 118th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 519 raids, arrested 271 persons and recovered three weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 85 individuals, while 26 persons were verified and released after questioning. Five proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
18-May-2026
On May 18, Punjab Police, on day 443 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 102 drug smugglers, and seized 2.4 kg of heroin, 242 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 5900 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
17-May-2026
Punjab Police in coordination with the Counter Intelligence wing on May 17 arrested three persons in connection with the April 27 grenade incident and recovered a hand grenade from one of the accused, in Gurdaspur district. According to police, two unidentified youths had hurled a hand grenade outside a shop near Geeta Bhawan Road on April 27, but it failed to explode as the safety pin remained intact. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of a foreign-based handler and had received two hand grenades from him.
17-May-2026
Unidentified assailants opened fire outside Dhalla Jewellers near Nath Di Khui in Amritsar district around 6:32 pm on May 17. The shop reportedly belongs to Angrej Singh, who is believed to have been the target of the attack. No injuries were reported.
17-May-2026
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly fired nearly eight rounds outside a Kajaria showroom in Rayya in Amritsar district on May 17. The showroom belongs to Harpreet Singh Happy, an Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Ward No. 4 and son of former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member and ex-Rayya Municipal Committee president Gurvinder Pal Singh Rayya. Sources claimed that Harpreet had earlier received extortion threats.
17-May-2026
Punjab Police on May 17 arrested four alleged members of the Goldy Brar gang, identified as Sukhwant Singh Sekhon alias Sukha, Jugraj Singh, Gupreet Singh and Neeraj and seized eight illegal pistols and 45 rounds of ammunition from their possession, in Jalandhar district.
17-May-2026
Jail authorities on May 17 recovered illegal drugs from an inmate during a surprise search operation inside the Faridkot Central Jail in Faridkot district. Following the recovery, a case was registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
17-May-2026
Alliance talks between Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), a breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), headed by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, collapsed on May 17. An eight-member Panthic Unity Coordination Committee had been formed on April 18 to facilitate unity between the two factions. Committee member Rachhpal Singh Sosan stated that despite several rounds of discussions, the two sides failed to reach consensus on key ideological and basic issues, leading to the collapse of the talks.
16-May-2026
An unidentified assailant fired five shots outside jeweller Antarpreet Singh’s residence in Choti Baradari in Jalandhar on the night of May 16. Antarpreet had reportedly been targeted for the third time in the past four years.
16-May-2026
An unidentified assailant fired five shots outside jeweller Antarpreet Singh’s residence in Choti Baradari in Jalandhar on the night of May 16. Antarpreet had reportedly been targeted for the third time in the past four years.
16-May-2026
The Amritsar Rural Police on May 16 arrested four persons, Kulwinder Singh alias Bhullar, Akashdeep Singh alias Sunny alias Kauda, Akashdeep Singh alias Baba, and Jagtar Singh, in connection with two extortion-related cases linked to Germany-based gangster Jeevan Fauji and his associate Preet, in Amritsar district. Police said the accused were allegedly acting on the instructions of the foreign-based gangsters, who were issuing extortion threats and directing criminal activities in Punjab from abroad. In the first case, Jasbir Singh of Sudhar village in Amritsar district allegedly received an extortion call demanding INR 30 lakh, followed by a firing incident at his residence on May 6. In the second case, Sudhar village sarpanch Nishan Singh allegedly received a demand for INR 50 lakh, after which unidentified persons hurled a petrol bomb at his residence on May 9, damaging property and triggering panic in the area.
16-May-2026
Police on May 16 arrested a person, identified as Amarnath and seized 110 intoxicating tablets from his possession, near the grain market in Kapurthala district.