KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-Apr-2024
The Assam police on April 1 arrested the owner of a dhaba (eatery), identified as Gurmukh Singh, for displaying posters of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, along with posters of Sidhu Moose Wala and Khalistani flags, in Bongaigaon district in Assam.
India 01-Apr-2024
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on April 1 emphasized that India's national security interests were at stake in the investigation into allegations regarding a government official's involvement in a scheme aimed at targeting Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Jaishankar's statement follows United States (US) Ambassador Eric Garcetti's assertion on March 31 of such involvement being an "unacceptable red line." Jaishankar stated that the Indian government is actively investigating the matter.
United States 01-Apr-2024
On April 1, five Indian-descent members of the United States (US) Congress - Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera, and Shri Thanedar - demanded a briefing from the Justice Department regarding vandalism at Hindu temples across the country by Khalistani activists. The letter highlighted incidents such as pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti, which have caused anxiety and concern among Hindu Americans regarding law enforcement coordination. They stressed the importance of federal oversight to address bias-motivated crimes targeting Hindus.
India 01-Apr-2024
On April 1, late at night, unidentified individuals fired gunshots at the residence of Punjabi singer Sahil Shah in the Buta Mandi area of Jalandhar in Jalandhar district, Punjab. Shah had been receiving threat calls in recent days and found bullet marks on his house's gate upon returning from Chandigarh. He also stated facing pressure from gangsters to collaborate with them. Police recovered a bullet shell from the scene.
India 01-Apr-2024
Police on April 1 arrested two individuals identified as Harnam Singh and Amrit Pal Singh alias Ravi and seized one HE-36 hand grenade and a .32 bore revolver, along with an SUV (PB 03-6069), from their possession on the outskirts of Rurki Kalan village in Malerkotla district, Punjab. Further investigations are underway to determine their intent and potential accomplices.
India 03-Apr-2024
Relatives of Khalistani preacher and chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD) Amritpal Singh, along with nine others, who are detained in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA), expressed frustration at the lack of political support in Punjab. Sukhchain Singh (Amritpal's uncle) and Balwinder Kaur (Amritpal's mother) lamented that despite their hunger strike and pleas for transfer to Punjab, no prominent leaders have engaged with them during the Lok Sabha election period.
United Kingdom 03-Apr-2024
Five British doctors and academics specializing in blood cancer, while speaking on a BBC Sounds podcast, refuted claims that Khalistani terrorist Avtar Singh Khanda's death from acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) at 35 could have been triggered by poisoning. Charles Craddock, the academic director of the Centre for Clinical Haematology at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), along with four other doctors and academics, emphasized the aggressiveness of AML and the impossibility of inducing it through poisoning. Khanda's death certificate lists AML and pulmonary embolism as causes, while his family and friends allege he was poisoned by the Indian government, with the UK covering it up.
India 03-Apr-2024
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) on April 3 expressed grave concern over the widespread drug menace, noting that a large number of youth are falling prey to drug peddlers. Justice Sandeep Moudgil emphasized the serious and alarming proportions the issue has taken in recent times, asserting the need for firm action against accused individuals involved in drug-related crimes. The court highlighted the destructive impact of drug peddlers on society's social fabric and the youth, emphasizing the importance of addressing clandestine drug smuggling.
India 03-Apr-2024
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on April 3, busted a narco-hawala racket and arrested two unidentified individuals along with one packet containing 500 grams of heroin from a house in Bhalladwal village in Amritsar district. The arrested individuals confessed to transferring drug money to Pakistan-based smugglers. Both suspects have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
India 03-Apr-2024
Border Security Force (BSF) on April 3, during a search operation based on specific information, recovered a packet containing 545 grams of heroin from fields near Naushera Dhalla village in Tarn Taran district.
India 03-Apr-2024
The Election Commission (EC) on April 3 directed District Collectors (DCs), Commissioners of Police (CPs), and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to heighten vigilance against the smuggling of drugs, liquor, and cash in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, in a meeting led by Deputy Election Commissioner Hirdesh Kumar in Chandigarh. Officials were instructed to ensure smooth voting procedures at polling stations and to make adequate arrangements for central security forces. The EC also requested detailed reports on liquor and drug seizures following the enforcement of the code of conduct.
India 03-Apr-2024
Police on April 3 arrested two wanted sharpshooters belonging to the Jitender Gogi-Kapil Maan gang, identified as Himanshu and Abhimanyu alias Abhi and seized two semi-automatic sophisticated pistols of .32 bore along with eight bullets from their possession near Kailash Farm Road near Alipur in North Delhi district in Delhi. The suspects were planning to eliminate witnesses in a case against the gang members. Investigations revealed Himanshu's involvement in previous murders and his association with Abhimanyu, whom he met during his prison term.
United States 03-Apr-2024
The United States (US) State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, on April 3 emphasized the need for India to conduct a thorough inquiry regarding the alleged involvement of Indian government agents in a plot to kill Khalistani terrorist and US citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. He reiterated the US's anticipation of the results of a full investigation by India.
India 03-Apr-2024
Jagjit Singh Dallewal, the head of Bharti Kisan Union (BKU-Ekta-Sidhupur), urged farmers to gather in significant numbers at the Punjab-Haryana border while addressing them at a gurdwara in Chhateana village in Muktsar district of Punjab, on April 3. Dallewal also announced plans for a debate with the government regarding unmet demands and the installation of hoardings highlighting their grievances.
Canada 04-Apr-2024
The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) on April 4 released a report indicating possible meddling by India and Pakistan in Canada's elections, involving clandestine activities and illegal financial support to candidates sympathetic to their interests. The report suggests that India may have used proxy agents and targeted districts with Indo-Canadian voters sympathetic to Pakistan or the Khalistan movement. However, Pakistan's interference was described as limited, with the Canadian government taking action to mitigate the threat.
India 04-Apr-2024
A state-level joint coordination meeting took place on April 4 with senior officers from Punjab Police, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and other central agencies to review security arrangements for the upcoming Parliamentary elections in Jalandhar district of Punjab. Special Director General of Police (DGP-Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, along with BSF's Inspector General (IG) Dr. Atul Fulzele, emphasized the need to strengthen the line of defense and disrupt the drug supply chain across the border. Shukla called for greater synergy among the forces to ensure free and fair elections, directing enhanced deployment of police personnel for night patrolling and increased vigilance on drone movements. The BSF was instructed to utilize drone detection technology, given the 325 drone sightings reported in 2023, with 118 drones recovered, and 26 drones retrieved in 2024 thus far.
India 04-Apr-2024
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff of the Police on April 4 arrested a drug peddler, identified as Updesh Singh and seized 1 kg of opium from his possession at Abohar-Hanumangarh road near Abohar in Fazilka district. This arrest follows the previous arrest of his father, Mahal Singh, in April 2023 with 3.5 kg of opium; Mahal Singh remains in jail.
India 04-Apr-2024
Rattandeep Singh, a former Khalistani militant associated with the Bhindranwale Tiger Force of Khalistan (BTFK), was shot dead by two unidentified bike-borne assailants in Balachaur, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district, Punjab, on April 4. Having been a hardcore militant involved in various terror activities, including a bomb blast in Chandigarh in 1999, Rattandeep was arrested in 2014 after evading authorities for years and was released in 2019. His nephew, who was in the car with him, reported that they were meeting unidentified persons when the assailants opened fire. Gangster Gopi Nawanshahria claimed responsibility for the killing, alleging Rattandeep's involvement in fraud, but police are yet to verify the claim.
India 04-Apr-2024
According to a report by The Guardian, Indian and Pakistani intelligence officials, speaking anonymously, alleged that the Indian government, through its foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), has been involved in targeted killings in Pakistan since 2019. The operations, reportedly overseen by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's office, are said to be part of a strategy to eliminate terrorists residing on foreign soil. The report suggests that sleeper cells operated by Indian intelligence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coordinated these killings, with payments facilitated through Dubai.
India 05-Apr-2024
The City-2 police seized 2 kg of opium from a bike belonging to an accused identified as Arun Kumar alias Latu on April 5 in Abohar in Fazilka district. However, the accused managed to evade arrest.