KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-Mar-2024
The Assam Police on March 1 increased security for Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following a phone threat issued by a member and supporter of the banned Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), regarding the alleged mistreatment of Amritpal Singh and his associates in Dibrugarh Jail in Assam. The caller demanded the transfer of jailed Amritpal Singh and his associates to Amritsar jail, threatening consequences for the CM. The caller claimed that the message was being delivered at the behest of Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
United Kingdom 01-Mar-2024
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on March 1 faced protests by Khalistani supporters during his visit to the United Kingdom (UK) to deliver lectures at the Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, in Cambridge, UK. Protesters, led by Paramjit Singh Pamma, coordinator of the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Europe, blamed Gandhi for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and Amritsar killings. Despite Cambridge University Police preventing entry to the protestors, Gandhi required a security escort by UK Police to leave safely.
India 01-Mar-2024
According to sources, Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh and his associates are preparing their meals due to safety concerns and are demanding to be shifted to Punjab at Dibrugarh jail in Assam. Unauthorised items seized from their cell prompted security enhancements. As a result, they have started a hunger strike over the installation of CCTV cameras, citing privacy invasion.
Afghanistan 01-Mar-2024
Nidan Singh Sachdeva, a Sikh community leader from Afghanistan who was kidnapped in Paktia province last month, was released from captivity on March 1, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Concerns persist regarding the targeting and persecution of minority communities by terrorists with external support. India has decided to assist members of the Afghan Hindu and Sikh communities facing security threats by facilitating their return to India.
India 01-Mar-2024
According to official sources, eight Haryana districts bordering Punjab—Sirsa, Fatehabad, Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Hisar—account for 86.7% of drug cases reported in the state over the last five years. Despite the efforts of the Haryana Police, including the registration of 3,757 First Information Reports (FIRs) and 5,350 arrests in the previous year (2023), drug availability remains high, with Sirsa district topping the list. Health officials attribute the rise in drug addiction to factors such as aggressive marketing, stress, and peer pressure. Measures, including the establishment of more de-addiction centres and awareness campaigns, are planned to address the issue.
India 01-Mar-2024
The Crime Branch of the UT police on March 1 arrested three individuals including a 28-year-old woman, who were part of the Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi-Goldy Brar module that was given the task to eliminate gangster Bhupinder Singh Rana alias Bhupi Rana, identified as Amanpreet Singh, Parwinder Singh and Maya alias Kashish alias Pooja Sharma, in Chandigarh.
India 01-Mar-2024
Farmers, regrouping under Kisan Andolan-2, plan to resume their 'Dilli Chalo' march into Delhi from multiple routes after March 3, aiming to intensify their protest. Leaders have announced a march starting from the Dabwali route and urged farmers nationwide to join. Talks with members of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Ugrahan) chief Joginder Singh Ugrahan are ongoing, with plans to discuss further actions following a bhog ceremony on March 3.
India 01-Mar-2024
A worker of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), identified as Gurpreet Singh alias Gopi Chohla, was shot dead by assailants on March 1, near the railway crossing between Fatehbad and Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran district in Punjab.
Canada 01-Mar-2024
India’s High Commissioner to Ottawa, Sanjay Kumar Verma, on March 1, faced tense circumstances during his meeting with a local trade board, as Khalistani protestors surrounded the venue in a disruption organised by Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) in Surrey in British Columbia province of Canada. The protestors, numbering close to 500, blocked entrances and raised separatist slogans, prompting a heavy police presence. The event, titled 'India and Canada: The Future of our Global Economy Together,' was jointly organized by the Surrey Board of Trade and the South Asian Business Association. Despite the disruptions, Verma described the event as successful.
India 01-Mar-2024
Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma, in Guwahati on March 1, downplayed the threat from Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), who demanded the transfer of Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, leader of Waris Punjab De (WPD), from Dibrugarh jail to Amritsar jail. Sarma stated that he does not fear Khalistanis.
Pakistan 01-Mar-2024
Ramesh Singh Arora, a member of Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, was unanimously elected as the President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) for a three-year term in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 1. He also assumed the role of ambassador to the Kartarpur Corridor, replacing Ameer Singh. The PSGPC, chaired by Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Chairman Arshad Farid Khan, underwent changes with new members appointed, including three from the government
India 01-Mar-2024
A Sikh delegation wrote a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on March 1 amidst ongoing protests outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB), demanding an apology from BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for allegedly making a 'Khalistani' remark against Sikh Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Jaspreet Singh. Gurmeet Singh, the president of Gurdwara Bara Sikh Sangat, expressed hope in the letter for a meeting to address the community's concerns, stating that it would offer solace during this challenging time.
India 01-Mar-2024
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Chandigarh on March 1 convicted a Punjab-based man identified as Sukhjinder Singh on money laundering charges linked to an illegal narcotic trafficking case. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) announced that Singh was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment and fined INR 1lakh. The conviction stemmed from a money laundering investigation initiated in 2010 following an FIR registered by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Chandigarh under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
India 01-Mar-2024
In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Fatehgarh Sahib and Sangrur districts, district police have intensified efforts to eradicate drugs, and announced the destruction of all seized drugs and narcotics to prevent their re-circulation. The destroyed materials included 1,629 gm of heroin, 3.5 lakh tablets and capsules, 634 kg of poppy husk, and 25 gm of narcotic powder. Additionally, awareness campaigns and increased vigilance in identified hotspots have been implemented to combat drug abuse during the election period.
Canada 02-Mar-2024
Pro-Khalistan groups staged protests outside Indian consulates on March 2 in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada. The rallies, organized by the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), aimed to avenge the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Despite the closures of the consulates, a police presence prevented protesters from nearing the buildings.
India 02-Mar-2024
Directors of United Sikhs, a non-profit organisation, Amritpal Singh and Gurpreet Singh, Advocate Gurmohanpreet Singh, and farmer leaders Baldev Singh Sirsa and Ashok Balhara recently organised a press conference to highlight their provision of legal aid and medical assistance to farmers injured during protests. The organisation deployed three ambulances and initiated legal action, including filing writ petitions, to seek justice for the injured farmers.
Canada 02-Mar-2024
A new video, which went viral on social media, captured hate speech during demonstrations outside Indian consulates in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, organized on March 2 by the Khalistani terror outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). According to reports, this incident reflects Canadian Prime Minister (PM) Justin Trudeau's failure to address Khalistani extremism.
India 03-Mar-2024
According to sources in the Indian intelligence agencies, there has been a reduction in terrorist infiltrations along the western borders and in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) ahead of the national elections in Pakistan. Activities facilitating infiltration by Pakistani authorities have decreased, with a noticeable shift in tactics to avoid international and domestic backlash. Pakistani forces, which previously assisted terrorists in tunnel construction and drug trafficking, have scaled back in the past six months.
India 03-Mar-2024
The Commissionerate Police on March 3 busted an international drug trafficking syndicate involved in the illicit trade of narcotics across four countries using courier services, with the arrest of three people identified as Aman, Sunny and Shejal, and seized 5 kg of opium from their possession, in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district. Led by kingpin Manish alias Mani Thakur in the United Kingdom (UK), the cartel sourced opium from Jharkhand and used courier services in Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar to send shipments abroad. The syndicate's operations spanned four countries, with investigations uncovering approximately 300 recipient addresses and implicating Customs officials and India Post in facilitating the trade.
India 03-Mar-2024
The city police on March 3 arrested two persons, Naveen Kumar and Sajan Singh and seized 15 gm of heroin from their possession, in Abohar in Fazilka district.