KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 02-Mar-2025
The Jalandhar Commissionerate Police on March 2 arrested two gangsters linked to the US-based Sonu Khatri Gang following a chase and gunfight, identified as Sukhwinder Kumar alias Sukh and Harpreet Singh alias Mamu alias Preet and seized two sophisticated .32 bore pistols, seven live cartridges, and a motorcycle from their possession near the Suchi Pind area in Jalandhar district. The accused were wanted in multiple criminal cases, including the April 2024 murder of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police Sub-Inspector Deepak Sharma.
India 02-Mar-2025
Kapurthala Police on March 2 launched a large-scale crackdown on drug-related activities under the Punjab government’s ‘Yudh Nashe Virodh’ campaign, conducting extensive raids in drug-affected areas of Kapurthala and Phagwara. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Toora stated that the police are implementing an "Enforcement, De-Addiction, and Prevention" (EDP) strategy, including surprise checks, criminal searches, and awareness campaigns.
India 02-Mar-2025
On March 2, members of various Sikh organizations, including Shiromani Akali Dal 1920, Alliance of Sikh Organizations, International Sikh Federation, Misal Sutlej, Darbar-e-Khalsa, and Giani Dit Singh Sahit Sabha, gathered at Akal Takht to perform ardas for the implementation of the December 2 hukamnama and demanded the excommunication of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders for defying a panel’s directive. Before the prayer, they held a demonstration outside the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar. A memorandum was submitted to Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh, urging action against SAD leaders. The Sikh leaders emphasized that Akal Takht’s authority stands above the Sikh Gurdwara Act of 1925 and must be upheld.
India 02-Mar-2025
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) on March 2 strongly condemned the attack on two Sikh businessmen and the vandalism of their showroom in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. SGPC chief secretary Kulwant Singh Mannan wrote to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, demanding swift action against the perpetrators. He emphasized that the attack included the forcible removal of a turban and urged authorities to add charges of hurting religious sentiments.
India 02-Mar-2025
Jalandhar Rural Police on March 2 demolished illegal structures belonging to two drug smugglers, Jasvir Singh alias Sheera and Bholi, in Khanpur and Mandi villages of Phillaur, Jalandhar district. Police stated that Bholi had been arrested in cases involving smack, poppy husk, and other narcotics, while Sheera was booked for smuggling charas and intoxicant injections. The demolition was carried out following a request from the block development and panchayat officer (BDPO), ensuring legal procedures were followed. This marks the seventh such demolition in Punjab since February 25.
India 02-Mar-2025
The Kar Sewa sect of Khadoor Sahib organized its annual congregation on March 2 in Khadoor Sahib, Tarn Taran district, to honour the legacy of Baba Gurmukh Singh, Baba Sadhu Singh, Baba Jhanda Singh, Baba Uttam Singh, and other Sikh figures. The event featured a religious Diwan with Gurbani shabads by Ragi Jathas and a recitation of Zafarnama by Japleen Kaur. Pinderpal Singh delivered Katha, while Baba Sewa Singh honoured Sikh sect representatives with Siropas and urged the community to plant saplings to combat pollution.
India 03-Mar-2025
Punjab Police on March 3 arrested 70 drug smugglers, including two after an exchange of fire, registered 48 First Information Reports (FIRs) and seized 4.63 kg of heroin, 500 grams of ganja, 100 grams of opium, 1548 intoxicant tablets/pills/injections and INR 1.32 lakh drug money from the possession of arrested drug smugglers across Punjab, as part of Punjab's anti-drug campaign “Yudh Nashian Virudh”.
India 03-Mar-2025
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Gauhati High Court’s Registrar-General to facilitate the service of notice to Khalistani radical preacher and Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, who is lodged in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, regarding a petition challenging his election. The petition alleges that Amritpal concealed crucial details in his affidavit, violated election expenditure rules, and engaged in corrupt practices by seeking votes on religious grounds. It also raises concerns over foreign funding and the use of religious venues for campaigning. The petitioner seeks the annulment of the June 2024 election results.
Canada 03-Mar-2025
On March 3, British Columbia's Homicide Investigation Team was deployed following a targeted fatal shooting in Surrey, Canada, where 29-year-old Jaskaran Singh Minhas was found and later pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators believe at least two suspects were involved in the gang-related homicide and are collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and seeking public assistance.
India 04-Mar-2025
Amritsar police commissionerate on March 4 arrested a father-son duo, identified as Amolak Singh and Mahabir Singh alias Goldy, and seized 3 kg of heroin and INR 5 lakh of drug money along with a .30 bore calibre pistol, two magazines with 15 live cartridges, a .306 single barrel Springfield rifle with five bullets, a fake arms licence along with a Toyota Corolla car from their possession, in Amritsar in Amritsar district. The duo were arrested in a drug case registered with the Gate Hakima police station in Amritsar on January 20.
India 04-Mar-2025
Amritsar police commissionerate on March 4 arrested six unidentified smugglers and seized 1.65 kg of heroin, INR 82,300 of drug money, and intoxicants from their possession, in Amritsar in Amritsar district.
India 04-Mar-2025
On March 4, the Centre informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the Lok Sabha committee’s recommendations on the leave applications of absent Members of Parliament (MPs), including Amritpal Singh, would be presented before Parliament on March 10. The 15-member committee reviewed the applications in a meeting on March 3. Amritpal Singh, detained under the National Security Act (NSA) in Dibrugarh Central Jail, Assam, has petitioned for permission to attend parliamentary sessions, citing his constitutional rights and constituency representation. He has also sought approval to meet officials regarding MPLADS for local development projects.
United Kingdom 04-Mar-2025
Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar discussed trafficking and Khalistani extremism with United Kingdom (UK) Home Secretary Yvette Cooper on March 4 in London, amid India’s concerns over Khalistani separatist activities in the UK. He also reviewed India-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, emphasizing a balanced and mutually beneficial deal. Meanwhile, the UK announced the opening of Indian consulates in Belfast and Manchester to strengthen bilateral ties and support the Indian community.
India 04-Mar-2025
The new book Sikh Struggle Documents 1920-2022 by senior journalist Jagtar Singh highlights that the demand for Khalistan was first raised in 1940 as a response to the Pakistan Resolution adopted by the Muslim League. Comprising 181 original documents, the book traces the evolution of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), from its early role in the national freedom movement to its shifting political stance over time. It also examines how SAD’s 1946 election campaign, centered on a separate Sikh state, failed the democratic test, offering insights into the party’s changing identity and its influence on Punjab’s religio-political landscape.
India 04-Mar-2025
The District Court in Moga on March 4 acquitted Scottish Sikh man Jagtar Singh Johal in one of the nine terror cases against him, ruling that he was not guilty of conspiracy under India’s anti-terror law or of being a member of a "terrorist gang." Johal, who was arrested in Punjab in 2017, weeks after his wedding, has been accused of involvement in targeted killings linked to the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF). Meanwhile, eight other cases against him remain pending in Indian courts.
India 04-Mar-2025
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on March 4 announced that the state police would soon be equipped with anti-drone technology to intercept transborder drug smuggling, speaking at a demonstration event at PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. Cheema revealed that three companies showcased advanced anti-drone solutions to counter narcotics, arms, and explosives smuggling from Pakistan. He added that the Punjab Police, in consultation with central security agencies, would finalize the procurement of the most effective systems.
India 04-Mar-2025
Punjab Police on March 4 conducted extensive checks to combat the drug menace, and inspected 164 pharmaceutical shops and 524 locations across Hoshiarpur, SBS Nagar, Jalandhar Rural, Jalandhar Commissionerate, Kapurthala and Rupnagar to prevent the sale of intoxicating drugs, and arrested 69 drug smugglers and registered 53 First Information Reports (FIRs). A total of 250 police teams, comprising over 1,900 officers under the supervision of 101 gazetted officers, also checked 627 suspicious individuals.
United States 05-Mar-2025
According to sources, Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of plotting to assassinate Khalistani terrorist and Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York, is set to go on trial in the United States (US) by mid-2025. A US court has directed Gupta and the prosecution to propose a trial date in June or July. Extradited from Prague, Czech Republic, in 2023, Gupta has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder-for-hire and conspiracy, each carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years. The indictment alleges he was in contact with former R&AW agent Vikash Yadav to orchestrate the assassination.
United Kingdom 05-Mar-2025
Khalistani extremists on March 5 heckled and attempted to attack Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar as he was leaving in a car after attending an event at the Chatham House think tank in London, United Kingdom (UK). A video circulating online showed a man tearing the Indian national flag in front of London police officers, who remained unresponsive. Pro-Khalistan supporters also staged a protest outside the venue.
Pakistan 05-Mar-2025
Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla hurled abuses at the Pakistani police on March 5 for preventing his guest from crossing a checkpoint outside Gurdwara Sri Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Sri Guru Nanak Dev, in Nankana Sahib, Punjab province, Pakistan. In a viral video, Chawla was seen threatening a Pakistani police officer and claiming he would contact top Pakistan Army officials. His guest was reportedly stopped for security checks but was later allowed to enter the gurdwara. Chawla, a former chief of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, has been linked to the 2018 Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack in Amritsar.