KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 18-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on August 18 recovered a pistol, two magazines and three live rounds attached to a drone, from fields near Bagrian village in Amritsar district.
Canada 18-Aug-2025
According to a Khalsa Vox report released on August 18, Canada is facing an escalating nexus of gang-led extortion and Khalistani extremism, endangering public safety and bilateral relations with India. Citing the two recent attacks on Kapil Sharma’s Surrey café—one linked to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the other to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—the report urged Ottawa to strengthen laws against transnational gangs, improve intelligence-sharing with India, and act decisively against extremism. It warned that the café shootings should serve as a wake-up call to protect Canada’s credibility, unity, and security.
United Kingdom 18-Aug-2025
On August 18, the Sikh Federation United Kingdom (UK) condemned the alleged racist assault on two elderly Sikh taxi drivers outside Wolverhampton train station. A viral video showed three white teenagers attacking the victims, during which one driver’s turban was removed and the other sustained broken ribs. The organisation criticised the delayed police response, noting that officers contacted the victims 48 hours later despite the availability of CCTV footage and arrests.
India 18-Aug-2025
Punjab Police on August 18 revealed that a Blue Corner Notice has been issued against Canada-based alleged drug smuggler Satpreet Singh Thiara alias Satta. A co-accused in the 2021 drug case against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia, Thiara has also been linked to the INR 6,000 crore Bhola drug racket. Investigations found that he frequently visited India between 2007 and 2013 and maintained connections with political figures of that period.
India 18-Aug-2025
On August 18, Punjab Police, on day 170 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 164 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 196 drug smugglers and seized 2.4 kg of heroin, 2 kg of opium, 30 kg of ganja, 13,451 intoxicating tablets/capsules and INR 15,020 drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab.
India 18-Aug-2025
India on August 18 announced the appointment of senior diplomat Dinesh Patnaik as the new High Commissioner to Canada, while Canada named veteran diplomat Christopher Cooter as its envoy to India. The decision followed Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s June 2025 meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney, where both sides agreed to take calibrated steps to rebuild trust after last year’s sharp downturn over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
India 19-Aug-2025
The Counter-Intelligence (CI) team of Jalandhar Police on August 19 arrested two operatives of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Vishavjit Singh and Jackson, and recovered a hand grenade from their possession in Nakodar, Jalandhar district. Vishavjit was apprehended in Kolkata, West Bengal, while attempting to flee to Malaysia.
India 19-Aug-2025
According to sources, Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravneet Singh Bittu’s recent support for the release of “Bandi Singhs” is being viewed as the party’s biggest attempt to woo the Sikh electorate. The statement is significant as seven of the 14 prisoners still in jail were convicted for the assassination of his grandfather, former Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Beant Singh. While Sikh groups and rival Akali factions welcomed the remarks, they remain cautious about the BJP’s intent. The issue of Bandi Singhs continues to be a major political and emotional flashpoint in Punjab, with activists, religious bodies, and political parties demanding concrete action from the Centre.
India 19-Aug-2025
Akal Takht officiating Jathedar Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj, during a visit to Chittisinghpura in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on August 19, reiterated the demand for justice for the families of 35 Sikhs killed in the 2000 Chittisinghpura massacre. He said the victims’ families are still awaiting truth and accountability even after 25 years, holding successive governments responsible for suppressing Sikh rights. Gargaj also praised local community members for preserving the memory of the victims and lauded the resilience of Kashmiri Sikhs who chose not to abandon their homeland despite immense atrocities.
India 19-Aug-2025
Police on August 19 arrested two unidentified smugglers and seized a pistol and 11 live cartridges from their possession, near the Amritsar-Jalandhar highway near Amritsar in Amritsar district.
India 19-Aug-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) in a joint operation with Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) Amritsar on August 19, arrested one unidentified smuggler and seized 1.225 kg of heroin, two mobile phones and a motorcycle from his possession, near Bagrian village in Amritsar district.
India 19-Aug-2025
On August 19, Punjab Police, on day 171 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 111 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 151 drug smugglers and seized 1.5 kg of heroin, 3122 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 28,990 from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 26,542 in 171 days.
United Kingdom 19-Aug-2025
On August 19, the British Transport Police (BTP) confirmed the arrests of three individuals — a 17-year-old boy and two men aged 19 and 25 — in connection with the racially aggravated assault on two elderly Sikh men outside Wolverhampton train station in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom (UK), on August 15.
India 19-Aug-2025
Ludhiana Police on August 19 brought jailed gangster Ashu from Faridkot jail on production warrant in a cross-border drug smuggling case. Investigations revealed he had arranged heroin and sophisticated weapons for arrested peddler Mukkal Mattu through Pakistan-based suppliers, using Instagram to connect with both local peddlers and foreign handlers. Ashu’s interrogation is expected to further expose the international network. Mattu was arrested on August 17 with 1.05 kg of heroin, three pistols, and 21 cartridges.
India 20-Aug-2025
Amritsar City Police on August 20 arrested two operatives of foreign-based gangster Prabh Dasuwal, identified as Ravi and Joban Singh, and seized a .30 bore pistol in the New Amritsar area in Amritsar district. Ravi was injured in the leg during an encounter after attempting to fire at police. The duo had recently opened fire outside a trader’s residence for extortion on Dasuwal’s instructions, with Joban providing logistical support. Police are tracing another accomplice linked to the incident.
India 20-Aug-2025
On August 20, Punjab Police, on day 172 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 63 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 98 drug smugglers and seized 954 grams of heroin, 81 kg of poppy husk, 497 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 5,770 from the possession of arrested drug smugglers, across Punjab. With this, the number of total drug smugglers arrested has reached to 26,654 in 172 days.
India 20-Aug-2025
According to police sources, terrorists and criminal gangs in Punjab have increasingly adopted the covert ‘Dead Letter Box’ (DLB) method in recent years to execute terror and criminal operations. Traditionally used in espionage, the technique involves leaving money, weapons, or instructions at pre-determined locations to avoid direct contact and surveillance. Poor and unemployed youth have been the main targets, recruited via social media and lured with small payments to carry out anti-national tasks. Police disclosed that at least 27 incidents over the past 18 months—including the 2022 RPG attack on the Mohali intelligence headquarters and several grenade attacks in border areas—were executed using this tactic. Groups such as Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), and international crime networks linked to Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar have all been found employing the DLB strategy to recruit and operate.
United States 21-Aug-2025
United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, via social media platform X on August 21, announced that the country would halt issuing visas for foreign truck drivers following a fatal crash in Florida involving a Punjabi driver. The move has alarmed the Punjabi trucking community, which constitutes nearly 20% of America’s trucking workforce. Around 150,000 Sikhs are employed in the industry, with 90% serving as drivers and playing a vital role in maintaining the supply chain. The decision comes shortly after President Trump’s executive order on stricter English proficiency requirements for truckers, which the Sikh Coalition has criticised as discriminatory and harmful to Sikh and Punjabi drivers.
India 21-Aug-2025
Batala police on August 21 recovered four hand grenades at Balpuriyan village in Batala in Gurdaspur district.
India 21-Aug-2025
Khalistani terrorist and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in a statement, reiterated his separatist demand by declaring that Delhi will become part of Khalistan.