KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-Mar-2025
According to sources, police are investigating whether jailed Khalistani radical preacher and Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh had access to gangster Jaipal Bhullar’s hidden funds, allegedly stashed in a foreign country and Punjab. Amritpal, detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh Jail, Assam, was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on January 9 in connection with the murder of Gurpreet Singh Hari Nau. Gurpreet, former treasurer of Amritpal-led Waris Punjab De (WPD), was shot dead in Faridkot on October 9, 2024, after turning against him. Police suspect Jaipal’s money may have funded the murder, but officials remain tight-lipped about the probe.
Pakistan 01-Mar-2025
Pakistan’s Punjab Police Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) on March 1 revealed the arrest of 20 terrorists, including a Sikh identified as Manmohan Singh, allegedly linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in Lahore, Punjab Province. The police also disclosed the identities of two other arrested individuals, Naqeebullah and Riyaz.
India 01-Mar-2025
Jathedar of Akal Takht Giani Raghbir Singh on March 1 rejected the membership drive conducted by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and directed the remaining five members of the seven-member committee to initiate a fresh enrolment process, in Amritsar, Punjab. The committee, formed on December 2, 2024, was chaired by SGPC president Harjinder Singh Dhami, who has now resigned. Other members included Kirpal Singh Badungar, Iqbal Singh Jhunda, Gurpartap Singh Wadala, Manpreet Singh Ayali, Santa Singh Umaidpuri, and Bibi Satwant Kaur. Singh stated that only Dhami's resignation had been received and that a coordinator would soon be appointed to oversee the process.
India 01-Mar-2025
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson RP Singh on March 1 in Chandigarh reaffirmed the party’s commitment to securing justice for the victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh violence, stating that the BJP would push for a death sentence for former Congress Member of Parliament (MP) Sajjan Kumar. He credited the verdict to the efforts of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah. Singh urged the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to appeal to a higher court and demanded action against Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath. He further alleged that Sikh riot victims were deliberately pushed into drug addiction to weaken their pursuit of justice.
India 01-Mar-2025
Punjab Police on March 1 conducted a large-scale Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) at identified drug hotspots, resulting in the arrest of 290 drug smugglers and the registration of 232 First Information Reports (FIRs). The operation led to the seizure of 8.14 kg of heroin, 1.21 kg of opium, 3.5 kg of cannabis, 19 kg of poppy husk, 700 gm of charas, 16,238 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections, and INR 8.02 lakh in drug money. Over 900 police teams, comprising 8,368 personnel, carried out 798 raids across Punjab.
India 01-Mar-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Atul Fulzele on March 1 in Chandigarh criticized the Punjab government for excluding BSF from recent discussions on drug eradication. He stated that since October 2023, BSF had submitted a list of 136 notorious drug smugglers for action under the Prevention of Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, but no action had been taken. Fulzele also highlighted delays in installing Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras near the international border, affecting surveillance. He emphasized that while BSF’s jurisdiction was extended up to 50 km, it did not come with expanded legal powers, necessitating better coordination with state police.
India 01-Mar-2025
Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on March 1 stressed the importance of public cooperation in Punjab’s anti-drug campaign, ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (War Against Drugs), led by Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann. During his visit to the Model De-Addiction Centre at Government Rajindra Hospital and Saket Hospital in Patiala district, he reiterated that drug smugglers must either leave the state or abandon their trade, as the government was committed to imprisoning them. He assured that drug addicts would be rehabilitated and provided job opportunities to reintegrate into society.
India 01-Mar-2025
The Amritsar Police on March 1 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Karanpal Singh and Ranjit Singh, who were part of a trans-border smuggling racket, and seized 4 kg of heroin and a motorcycle from their possession near Jhabal Road in Amritsar district.
India 01-Mar-2025
The Ferozepur Police on March 1 arrested three drug smugglers, identified as Balkar Singh, Gurmeet Singh, and Lakhwinder Singh, and seized 2 kg of heroin and a motorcycle from their possession in Nehar Guddar Dhundi village in Ferozepur district.
India 01-Mar-2025
The Counter-Intelligence (CI) wing of Amritsar Police on March 1 busted an illegal weapons smuggling module with the arrest of Gurbaaz Singh, an associate of the Jaggu Bhagwanpuria gang, and seized six pistols smuggled from Madhya Pradesh (MP), in Amritsar district. Police stated that Gurbaaz is already facing eight cases related to attempted murder, snatching, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and violations of the Arms Act. The preliminary probe revealed that the firearms were smuggled from MP for criminal activities in Punjab.
India 01-Mar-2025
On March 1, a member of the Goldy Brar gang, identified as Malkiat Singh alias Maxi, was injured in an encounter while attempting to escape police custody at Bhankharpur in Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Police stated that Malkiat opened fire, hitting a police vehicle, prompting retaliation, during which he sustained a gunshot wound to his left leg. He was taken to Dera Bassi Civil Hospital for treatment.
India 01-Mar-2025
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch on March 1 arrested Roshan Bhaskar Dudhwadkar, a member of a gang involved in illegally sending around 80 individuals to Canada, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Poland using fabricated passports and visas, in Mumbai in Maharashtra. Dudhwadkar was apprehended at the airport upon arrival from Bangkok and detained at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO). During interrogation, he revealed that he worked for Rajubhai alias Rajesh Panchal, a Gujarat resident, who charged INR 30-50 lakh per person for illegal immigration. Police are searching for Panchal and other associates, suspecting airport staff involvement in the racket.
United States 01-Mar-2025
The Khalistani terrorist outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) on March 1 organized a pro-Khalistan car rally in Fresno, California, United States (US) with over 500 vehicles displaying Khalistan flags and banners. The rally featured slogans supporting Khalistan and an effigy of Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi in shackles. It also promoted the upcoming Khalistan Referendum vote scheduled for March 23 in Los Angeles, US.
India 01-Mar-2025
Frustrated by the delay in implementing Akal Takht's December 2, 2024, directives, a coalition of panthic (Sikh) groups, the Alliance of Sikh Organisations, urged Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh on March 1 to summon former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal and other leaders. They also demanded a meeting of panthic representatives rather than just the five Sikh high priests. The groups submitted a memorandum calling for action against those allegedly violating the directives and raised concerns over the integrity of the committee overseeing SAD’s enrolment process.
India 01-Mar-2025
The counter-intelligence wing of Ferozepur Police on March 1 arrested a gangster, identified as Hardeep Singh alias Deepa and seized sophisticated weapons, including a Glock pistol, a Beretta .30mm pistol, a pump-action gun, 141 assorted cartridges of 9mm and .30 calibre, along with 45 grams of heroin and a Swift car, in Faridkot, Faridkot district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the weapons were sourced from Pakistan for use in terror and criminal activities.
India 01-Mar-2025
Amritsar Rural police on March 1 arrested two smugglers, identified as Jagtar Singh and Angrez Singh and seized 1 kg of ICE (methamphetamine) and INR 1.4 lakh drug money from their possession, near Attari village in Amritsar district.
India 02-Mar-2025
Amritsar Commissionerate Police on March 2 arrested a drug smuggler, Sahil alias Neela, after a brief encounter and seized a .32 bore pistol and a motorcycle from his possession near Palm Garden Colony in Amritsar district.
India 02-Mar-2025
On March 2, Punjab Police conducted a massive anti-drug drive, raiding 510 locations and arresting 43 smugglers as part of efforts to curb drug trafficking. The operation led to the seizure of 776 grams of heroin, 14 kg of opium, 38 kg of poppy husk, 2,615 intoxicant tablets, and INR 4.60 lakh in cash across Punjab. A total of 333 individuals were arrested, and 27 first information reports (FIRs) were registered. Over 300 police teams, comprising more than 2,000 personnel, carried out the crackdown.
India 02-Mar-2025
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Singh Mann on March 2 described the state government's anti-drug drive as a "historic moment" during his speech at the passing-out parade of 2,500 recruits at a police training center in Jahan Khelan, Hoshiarpur district. He praised the intensified efforts of the police to dismantle supply networks and arrest smugglers. Mann vowed to eradicate gangsters and drug traffickers, accusing previous regimes of shielding criminals, and reaffirmed his commitment to making Punjab drug-free. He also highlighted the success of the Sadak Surakhya Force, which has contributed to a 48.10% reduction in road accident fatalities since its launch.
India 02-Mar-2025
A special court in Ludhiana on March 2 sentenced Punjab Police head constable Gobind Singh and his associate Nasib Singh to three years in prison for attempting to smuggle opium to Canada by concealing it inside hockey sticks. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had intercepted a parcel containing 438 grams of opium at a courier office in Ludhiana in 2024, leading to their arrest. Investigations uncovered a broader smuggling network with links to Canada.