Time Line-2018

Canada 08-Mar-2018

Over his controversial appearance with Canadian PM Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Trudeau at an event organised during Canadian PM’s visit to India, the former Khalistani militant Jaspal Atwal talked to the media through his lawyer’s office in Canada and apologised and stated that he does not support the demand of an independent Sikh nation—commonly known as ‘Khalistan’, anymore. Over his appearance at the event, several questions were raised about his connection with PM Trudeau and security lapses on how he was invited at the event. “I am sorry for the embarrassment caused to Canada, India, my community and my family, in this matter. I have done best to redeem myself and done best for the Canada and the Indian community. I, no longer, advocate the idea of ‘Khalistan’ or an independent Sikh nation. Like majority of Sikhs, I have reconciled with the nation of India. Canada is my home and India is my homeland, said Jaspal Atwal.

India 12-Mar-2018

A Khalistani militant, Amarjeet Singh, who was arrested on February 26 has confessed that he wanted to kill a senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler for his alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. During the interrogation, Amarjeet Singh confessed that he thought to use a human bomb to kill Tytler but later changed his mind. Amarjeet Singh—resident of Dalel Village of Mansa District in Punjab, was arrested in the court complex in Bathinda in February 2018.

India 17-Mar-2018

Jagtar Singh Tara, a Khalistani militant and assassin of former Punjab CM Beant Singh was sentenced to life imprisonment. If killing a cruel person could save lives of thousands of innocents, then there is nothing wrong in it, said Jagtar Singh through his counsel Simranjit Singh, while chants of pro-Khalistan slogans were on high. Jagtar Singh Tara urged the Court to consider him as a ‘Prisoner of War’ (PoW) as he was a Sikh nationalist fighting for the freedom of the occupied Sikh state.

India 19-Mar-2018

The Punjab Police on March 19 has arrested an absconded militant, Ranjit Singh alias Rana (55) who belongs to the Bhindranwala Tigers Force (BTF), from a religious shrine at the village Kohar Kalan in Jalandhar District in Punjab. Ranjit Singh, resident of Jagatpur Jattan in Hoshiarpur District in Punjab, was working as a Granthi (Sikh priest) to conceal his identity for the past one year. He was on absconding status from 19 years, said an unnamed Police official. Rana was involved in five cases of murder and had served two years of sentence in a case, but was absconded in two other cases. Primarily, Rana was involved with BTF but did not ruled out his links with other Khalistani militant outfits such as Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), said Kapurthala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandip Sharma

India 19-Mar-2018

With expressing its concern over the ‘developments’ in Sikh militancy, the UMHA claimed that Pakistan’s ISI is encouraging the Sikh youth based in the Europe and the United States (US) against India. Reportedly, ‘Commanders’ of Sikh militancy outfits based in Pakistan are under pressure from ISI to further expand their terror plans and activities not only targeting Punjab but also other regions of India. Sikh youth are getting training in Pakistan, read a report titled ‘Central Armed Police Forces and Internet Security Challenges—Evaluation and Response Mechanism’. The report was presented by Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament) and released to the media on Wednesday in a press conference held by Dr Joshi.

India 20-Mar-2018

The NIA, which is probing the killings of the workers of RSS and a Pastor, has revealed a network of conspirators of Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) and supported by Pakistan’s ISI with further connections through Dubai, France, the UK, Italy and Pakistan. As per the probing, the KLF ‘Chief’ Harminder Singh Mintoo, who is currently in Patiala Jail and his associated based in Pakistan—Harmeet Singh had masterminded the killings of RSS workers with intentions to disturb the law and order situation and revival of Khalistan militancy in Punjab. Harmeet Singh, suspected to mastermind the killings of RSS preacher Ravinder Gosain in October 2017, Shiv Sena leader Durga Das Gupta, and a Pastor, Sultan Masih. A UK resident, Jagtar Singh Johal, reportedly had connections with KLF financier and arranged finances to purchase murder weapons, execution of the killings and for the personal expenses of two hitmen hired for the killings. The NIA has traced the financial transactions to Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, UK, Italy and Dubai.

India 20-Mar-2018

2018 March 20 Former militant of Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI)—Ranjit Singh alias Rana (55) on March 20 was produced before the Judicial Magistrate of Phagwara and sent to Police remand till March 21 for further interrogation. He had been absconding for 19 years and living as a Granthi (Sikh priest) at a Gurdwara in Kohar Kalan village, near Shahkot for past 14 years. In preliminary interrogation, Ranjit Singh confessed to have connections with other Sikh terrorist Satnam Singh alias Satta and Gurlal Singh.

India 31-Mar-2018

The experts based in Jammu and Chandigarh believes that the pro-Khalistani groups based in the UK and other foreign countries are discredited bunches and working on support from Pakistan. A group of radical Sikhs based in UK, including Wadhwa Singh of Sikh militant outfit—Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) are completely supported by Pakistan-based terrorist outfits, with an objective to conducts act of terrorism in India, claimed experts. Recently, a group of British-Sikhs and Kashmiri separatists based in the UK, held a meeting to organise an anti-India campaign during Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the UK to attend the Commonwealth Summit on April 18.