KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
Canada 20-Apr-2025
The Lakshmi Narayan Mandir was defaced with pro-Khalistan graffiti in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, on April 20. This marked the third instance of the temple being targeted in such an act of vandalism. Canadian journalist Daniel Bordman reported that two individuals spray-painted the temple and stole a security camera around 3 a.m. The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with the Canadian Hindu Chamber of Commerce condemning it as an act of hate.
India 20-Apr-2025
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on April 20 alleged that pro-Khalistan elements associated with the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, led by radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, were plotting to assassinate him and other political leaders in Punjab. The conspiracy came to light through leaked screenshots of a social media chat, which revealed plans to target Bittu and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
India 21-Apr-2025
On April 21, former president of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), Manjit Singh GK, is scheduled to appear before the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi as a witness against Congress leader Jagdish Tytler in connection with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. In 2018, GK had released a sting video in which Tytler allegedly admitted to his involvement in the killings at Pul Bangash Gurdwara. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently designated GK as a prosecution witness, and forensic analysis confirmed the authenticity of the video.
India 21-Apr-2025
Akal Takht's incumbent acting Jathedar, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, in Amritsar on April 21, invited preacher Ranjit Singh Dhadrianwale to rejoin the Sikh fold by presenting a clarification before the Takht, nearly five years after his boycott over controversial remarks. He also announced a special gathering on May 2 to address concerns regarding films and animations depicting Sikh Gurus and Sikh history.
United States 21-Apr-2025
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel, via social media platform X on April 21, assured that justice would be served following the arrest of terrorist Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia. He praised the joint efforts of FBI Sacramento and Indian agencies in tracking Singh, who had entered the United States (US) illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.
Canada 21-Apr-2025
Vancouver Police Department (VPD) on April 21 assured members of the Indo-Canadian community that it is seriously investigating the desecration of the historic Ross Street Gurdwara, managed by the Khalsa Diwan Society (KDS), during a meeting held at the Gurdwara in Vancouver, British Columbia. Among those present were members of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir in Surrey, which was also targeted with pro-Khalistan and anti-India graffiti.
India 21-Apr-2025
Manjit Singh GK, former Chairman of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), on April 21 testified before the Rouse Avenue Court in New Delhi, revealing that a key witness in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Surender Singh, had allegedly altered his statement after receiving repeated threats. GK stated that Singh had confided in him about the intimidation and was later encouraged to speak the truth regarding Congress leader Jagdish Tytler’s alleged involvement in the Pul Bangash killings.
India 21-Apr-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on April 21 raided a drug smuggler’s house and seized two packets of heroin weighing 804 grams along with a keypad mobile phone in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
India 21-Apr-2025
The Anti Gangster Task Force (AGTF) of Punjab Police in a joint operation with the Tarn Taran Police on April 21 arrested an individual identified as Sukhbir Singh, the prime accused in the September 2024 murder of Sarpanch Bachittar Singh and seized a black Hero Splendor motorcycle, in Pahuwind village in Patti in Tarn Taran district.
India 21-Apr-2025
Punjab Police on April 21 arrested two individuals, identified as Balkar Singh and Pawandeep Singh, and registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Lakhdeep Singh Sardargarh, after uncovering a conspiracy to attack Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah, Congress MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, in Moga district. The plot was revealed through leaked screenshots of a WhatsApp group allegedly supporting radical Khalistani preacher and jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. The FIR has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and the Information Technology (IT) Act, as police probe suspected links to anti-national activities and foreign-funded conspiracies.
India 21-Apr-2025
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, while addressing a gathering in Hoshiarpur on April 21, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to becoming India’s first drug-free state under the ongoing ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign. He highlighted Hoshiarpur’s impressive 91% conviction rate in drug-related cases and praised the role of public participation and grassroots initiatives such as SAMPARK meetings and defence committees. Cheema also emphasized the need for cross-border cooperation with Himachal Pradesh Police to tackle the interstate drug trade and issued a stern warning to smugglers to quit the illegal trade or face stringent action.
India 21-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 21, on day 52 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 72 drug smugglers and recovered 1.9 kg of heroin, 112 kg of poppy husk, and INR 7,000 in drug money from their possession across Punjab.
India 22-Apr-2025
Punjab Police’s Counter-Intelligence (CI) unit in Amritsar on April 22 uncovered a foreign-linked illegal weapon smuggling module and arrested a smuggler, Gurwinder Singh alias Guri along with five illegal pistols in Ludhiana, Ludhiana district. Preliminary investigations revealed that Gurwinder was operating under instructions from Gurlal Singh and Vipul Sharma, both based in the United States and identified as key handlers in the network.
India 22-Apr-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court (HC) was informed on April 22 that no fresh grounds of detention had yet been applied against Khalistani radical and jailed Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh, who remains lodged in Dibrugarh jail in Assam under the National Security Act (NSA). In the absence of a new detention order, the proceedings failed to make any substantial progress.
India 22-Apr-2025
Punjab Police, on April 22, as part of day 53 of its ongoing “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 76 drug smugglers and seized 3.5 kg of heroin, 1 kg of opium, and INR 1.09 lakh in drug money across the state. With these arrests, the total number of drug smugglers apprehended under the campaign has reached 7,036 in just 53 days.
India 22-Apr-2025
Based on inputs from its intelligence wing, Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 22 recovered two large packets containing 7.7 kg of heroin, two pistols with four magazines, 50 live rounds, two hand grenades with accessories, explosive material with IED components, a remote device, and two electric detonators from fields near Bhallarwal village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
India 22-Apr-2025
Based on information provided by a local resident, Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 22 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 558 grams from cauliflower fields near Gola Dola village in Gurdaspur district.
India 22-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with the Punjab Police, on April 22 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 558 grams from fields near Modhe village in Amritsar district.
India 22-Apr-2025
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) on April 22 recovered a drone found hanging from a tree near Sarangdev village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
United States 22-Apr-2025
The United States (US) Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on April 22 revealed that Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia, a gangster-turned-terrorist, was initially arrested by the US Border Patrol in 2022 for illegal entry into the country but was released under the Joe Biden administration. Passia, who is wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Punjab Police for his involvement in 33 criminal cases, including several terror-related incidents, was re-arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on April 16 in Sacramento. He is currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and India is seeking his extradition.