KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 27-Apr-2025
The Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police, in a joint operation with Jhajjar Police, arrested gangster Kunal Joon on April 27 at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi. Wanted in over 15 criminal cases, Joon had fled abroad using a fake passport and was allegedly operating his gang from Dubai, with plans to shift to the United States.
India 28-Apr-2025
Amritsar Rural Police on April 28 arrested two operatives of the Jiwan Fauji terror module identified as Vishal Masih and Lovepreet Singh alias Love, and seized weapons and explosives from their possession, in Ramdas city in Amritsar district. The duo opened fire on the police during a chase and were injured in retaliatory firing.
India 28-Apr-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav on April 28 announced the deployment of anti-drone systems along the 553-km International Border with Pakistan to combat the growing threat of drone-based narcotics and weapons smuggling. The trials have been completed, and the systems will be deployed in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF), which has already neutralised 55 drones and seized over 60 kg of narcotics in 2025. The anti-drone systems, equipped with radar, optical sensors, and radio frequency monitoring, offer both soft-kill (jamming) and hard-kill (destruction) capabilities. The drone threat, which began in 2018–2019, has intensified with the use of smaller drones for their stealth features.
India 28-Apr-2025
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while addressing the State Legislative Assembly in Srinagar on April 28, acknowledged the long-neglected plight of Kashmiri Sikhs. He recalled the attacks on Sikh settlements, including the 2000 Chittisinghpora massacre. Even after 25 years, the Sikh community of Chittisinghpora continues to honour the memory of their martyrs and demand justice and accountability.
India 28-Apr-2025
The Supreme Court (SC) on April 28 directed the expeditious trial of 11 cases related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Kanpur, expressing concern over the 'inordinate delay' in proceedings. A bench instructed special public prosecutors to ensure early disposal of the cases and ordered the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to promptly submit a report on an old, illegible First Information Report (FIR). The court also permitted victims' families to engage private counsel, with assistance from the Uttar Pradesh (UP) State Legal Services Authority, if required.
India 28-Apr-2025
Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, while addressing the media in Chandigarh on April 28, announced the completion of testing for the anti-drone system, with installation set to begin soon along the second line of defence across the border state. He also highlighted significant action against hawala operators, the establishment of 30 special courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and reiterated the focus on achieving a drug-free Punjab without relying on numerical arrest targets.
India 28-Apr-2025
Punjab Police’s Counter Intelligence (CI) unit on April 28 arrested an individual, identified as Balvir Singh, and seized 3 kg of heroin from his possession in Attari village, Amritsar district. Efforts are ongoing to arrest co-accused Harpreet Singh and dismantle the network linked to Pakistan-based smugglers.
India 28-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 28 recovered eight small packets of heroin, weighing a total of 8.6 kg, from fields near Rattar Chattar village in Gurdaspur district.
India 29-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 29 recovered one small drone and 6 pistol magazines from a farming field near Daoke village in Amritsar district.
India 29-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 29 recovered one drone in damaged condition from a farming field adjacent to Wan village in Patti in Tarn Taran district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic- 3 Classic model.
India 29-Apr-2025
The Chandigarh Police on April 29 revealed that it had dismantled a Pakistan-backed international drug syndicate, with the arrest of its kingpin Gurmeet Singh along with his eight associates, and seized 312.71 grams of heroin, INR 5.12 lakh worth drug money, 2 cars, and one scooter from their possession in Mohali in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The Police revealed that the syndicate had direct links with Pakistan-based smugglers Riyaz Sarvar and Aabid Ali from the Kasur region in Pakistan, who supplied heroin through cross-border routes using concealed pipelines and weather cover.
India 29-Apr-2025
On April 29, a gangster-turned-social worker identified as Ravneet Singh alias Sonu Mota was shot dead by two unidentified armed assailants near the Golden Temple in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The Police revealed that the assailants were led by gangster Abhiraj Singh alias Abhi Pehalwan. The police have registered a murder case and are conducting raids to apprehend the assailants.
Canada 29-Apr-2025
A record 22 Punjabis were elected to the House of Commons in the federal elections in Canada on April 29. Among the winners from the Liberal Party are Ruby Sahota (Brampton North), Maninder Sidhu (Brampton East), Amandeep Sohi (Brampton Centre), Anita Anand (Oakville East), Bardish Chagger (Waterloo), Anju Dhillon (Dorval Lachine), Sukh Dhaliwal (Surrey Newton), Iqwinder Singh Gaheer (Mississauga Malton), Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre), Gurbax Saini (Fleetwood Port Kells), and Param Bains (Richmond East Steveston). From the Conservative Party, the winners include Sukhdeep Kang (Brampton South), Amarjeet Gill (Brampton West), Jasraj Hallan (Calgary East), Dalwinder Gill (Calgary McKnight), Amanpreet Gill (Calgary Skyview), Arpan Khanna (Oxford), Tim Uppal (Edmonton Gateway), Parm Gill (Milton East), Sukhman Gill (Abbotsford South Langley), Jagsharan Singh Mahal (Edmonton Southeast), and Harb Gill (Windsor West).
Canada 29-Apr-2025
Khalistan supporter and Indo-Canadian leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), Jagmeet Singh, suffered a significant political setback on April 29, as he lost his seat in Burnaby Central during the Canadian federal election. Singh broke down in tears during an emotional concession speech in Burnaby, British Columbia. He announced that he would step down as party leader once an interim leader is appointed, marking the end of his tenure, which began in 2017.
Canada 29-Apr-2025
On April 29, Mark Carney led the Liberal Party to victory in the Canadian federal election, assuming the premiership along with a host of diplomatic challenges left by Justin Trudeau. Chief among them is the frozen Indo-Canadian relationship, strained by Trudeau’s baseless allegations against India in the Hardeep Singh Nijjar case. Carney, an economist and former central banker, has signalled a pragmatic shift, expressing intent to rebuild ties with India based on shared democratic values and economic interests. With the pro-Khalistani NDP and its leader Jagmeet Singh significantly weakened, Carney now has greater political space to reset Canada’s approach towards India.
India 29-Apr-2025
The prime accused in the April 7 grenade attack at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manoranjan Kalia’s residence, identified as Saidul Ameen, was produced before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on April 29 and remanded to jail in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Punjab Police have linked the attack to a broader conspiracy allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), with suspected involvement of Zeeshan Akhtar—an associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi—and Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti. The role of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) is also under investigation.
India 29-Apr-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on April 29 imposed restrictions on farmers in Punjab’s border villages, allowing access beyond the cobra fence only in groups of at least 15 for agricultural activities. This move follows the April 27 directive to clear fields within 48 hours, amid rising tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack. Farmers expressed concerns over the impracticality of completing harvesting within such a limited timeframe and urged authorities to allow the use of more machines and grant extended access. BSF officials cited national security concerns and the need for visibility during patrols as the reason for the directive.
United States 29-Apr-2025
United States (US) President Donald Trump on April 29 signed an Executive Order titled Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers, requiring all commercial vehicle operators in the US to demonstrate proficiency in English. The order reinstates the enforcement of existing federal regulations, citing road safety concerns and the need for drivers to communicate with traffic officials and read highway signs. While the administration presented the move as a common-sense safety measure, Sikh advocacy groups, including the Sikh Coalition, raised concerns about its potentially discriminatory impact on Sikh-American truckers, who constitute a significant part of the trucking industry.
India 29-Apr-2025
Counter Intelligence (CI) team of Punjab Police on April 29 arrested an individual, identified as Jodhbir Singh and seized 5 pistols, including two PX5 pistols, one .30 bore pistol (Star marked), and two 9mm Glock pistols from his possession, in Amritsar in Amritsar district.
India 29-Apr-2025
Police on April 29 arrested an individual, Sunil Kumar, on suspicion of espionage near the Bathinda military cantonment in Bathinda district. Preliminary investigation revealed his contact with a Pakistani woman, indicating a possible honeytrap. The Cantonment Police have registered a case and are probing whether he shared sensitive information. He is currently being interrogated at a secure location.