KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 01-May-2025
The Gharinda police on May 1 arrested a woman drug peddler, identified as Ranjit Kaur alias Rano, and seized 465 grams of heroin from her possession in Rajatal village, Amritsar district.
India 01-May-2025
The Amritsar police on May 1 recovered 5 kg of heroin and a cash-counting machine from a hideout of absconding cross-border drug and arms smuggler Jodhbir Singh alias Jodha, located at Varindavan Garden Apartments in the Fatehgarh Churian area of Amritsar district. Jodha, an associate of Abhishek Kumar—who was earlier arrested with seven pistols smuggled from Pakistan and ₹1.5 lakh in cash—was reportedly acting on instructions from Australia-based handler Jassa and his associates linked to Pakistan-based smugglers. According to the police, Jodha was also involved in channeling drug money to Pakistan through hawala networks.
India 01-May-2025
Police on May 1 arrested a key member of the Landa gang, identified as Sumit, and seized a .32 bore pistol along with several live cartridges from his possession in Sahibana village, Ludhiana district. The arrest followed an encounter in which Sumit was critically injured. He is wanted in connection with the April 20 firing incident targeting the house of gangster Puneet Bains.
India 01-May-2025
On May 1, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 17 locations across Gurdaspur, Batala, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Faridkot districts in Punjab in connection with a terror conspiracy case linked to gangster Happy Passia and Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorist Harwinder Singh alias Rinda. The agency seized several incriminating materials, including mobile phones, digital devices, and documents.
India 01-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Punjab Police on May 1 recovered a drone from fields near Shahur Kalan village in Gurdaspur district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
India 01-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), on May 1 recovered a drone from fields near Bhaini Rajputana village in Amritsar district. The recovered drone was a DJI Mavic 3 Classic model.
United Kingdom 01-May-2025
Members of the Indian community on May 1 gathered outside the Indian High Commission in London to express solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and to counter a parallel protest by pro-Khalistani and Pakistani demonstrators. Waving the Indian tricolour and chanting anti-terror slogans, the diaspora strongly condemned the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam and urged the international community to take action against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.
India 01-May-2025
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a designated Khalistani terrorist and chief of the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), on May 1 released a provocative video message urging Sikh soldiers in the Indian Army to refrain from participating in any potential conflict between India and Pakistan. Pannun further claimed that Punjabis would serve langar to Pakistani soldiers and described Pakistan as a 'friendly state,' asserting that it would become a neighbour once Punjab is 'liberated'.
Canada 01-May-2025
In the 2025 Canadian federal election, New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh suffered a significant political defeat, losing his Burnaby Central seat and subsequently announcing his resignation as party chief. The NDP secured only seven seats and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote, falling below the threshold required for official party status in the House of Commons. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, won 169 seats to form a minority government. Singh’s open support for the Khalistani separatist movement attracted widespread criticism and played a role in his political decline. However, despite his departure, the Khalistan movement he espoused continues to persist in Canada, remaining an influential and controversial political force.
India 01-May-2025
Following the closure of the Attari-Wagah checkpost after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Kartarpur Corridor remains the only functional land route between India and Pakistan. However, pilgrim footfall has dropped sharply—by nearly half—amid heightened tensions and security concerns. Despite this, the corridor providing access to Sri Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, continues to operate under the bilateral agreement renewed in 2024.
India 01-May-2025
On May 1, officiating Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj attended the foundation day event of Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) (SAD-A) in Amritsar, where he called for unity among all Akali factions under the spiritual and temporal authority of the Akal Takht.
India 01-May-2025
Mohali police on May 1 arrested two individuals, identified as Rohit Kumar and Ravinder Singh, and seized 20 grams of heroin and two vehicles from their possession in Mubarikpur village, Sahibzada Ajit Singh (SAS) Nagar district. The arrests were made following a complaint received through the anti-drug helpline
India 01-May-2025
Border Security Force (BSF) troops on May 1 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 575 grams from agricultural fields near Gatti Rajoke village in Ferozepur district.
India 01-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF), in a joint operation with Counter Intelligence (CI) Jalalabad, on May 1 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 568 grams from agricultural fields near Dhani Foola Singh village in Fazilka district.
India 02-May-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) troops on May 2 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 580 grams from fields near Mahawa village in Amritsar district.
United Kingdom 02-May-2025
On May 2, over 100 Members of Parliament and peers in the United Kingdom (UK) urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to take swift diplomatic action to secure the release of British Sikh Jagtar Singh Johal, who has been jailed in India since 2017 on terrorism charges. The appeal came a day after the Supreme Court of India, on May 1, declined to rule on Johal’s seven pending bail applications and provided no timeframe for their resolution.
India 02-May-2025
As Punjab’s anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ (War Against Drugs) enters its second phase, the focus has shifted to modernising de-addiction centres and strengthening rehabilitation infrastructure. The state government plans to expand bed capacity, recruit 343 counsellors, and integrate yoga, skill training, and tele-therapy into treatment protocols. Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have been made directly accountable for service quality, while police continue their crackdown on drug trafficking networks. However, persistent staffing shortages and security challenges remain significant obstacles to progress.
United States 02-May-2025
On May 2, a strong protest was held outside the Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C., led by the Friends of Kashmir, with participants from the Pakistani, Kashmiri, and Sikh communities raising slogans against Prime Minister Modi. They alleged that the Pahalgam attack was a false flag operation staged for political gain.
India 02-May-2025
Maharashtra Sikh Association (MSA) on May strongly condemned Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun's remarks and reaffirmed the Sikh community's unwavering commitment to India's unity and democratic values. In response to Pannun's claim that Sikhs in the Indian Army side with Pakistan, the MSA labeled the statement as misleading and divisive. The association emphasized that Sikhs across India, including Maharashtra, stand firmly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reject all separatist propaganda.
India 02-May-2025
The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on May 2 revealed that in a four-month-long operation, they arrested fifteen unidentified individuals and seized drugs worth INR 547 crore, including over 1.42 crore tablets of Tramadol and Alprazolam, 2.9 kg of Tramadol powder, and more than 9 lakh bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup across Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi. The crackdown uncovered a vast drug diversion racket involving dummy medical setups, fake stockists, and rogue pharmaceutical firms. Specific recoveries included 11,693 bottles of Codeine-based cough syrup and 2.9 kg of Tramadol powder from J R Pharmaceuticals in Haridwar, Uttarakhand; 19.25 lakh tablets from Embit Bio Medix in Himachal Pradesh; and 1.17 crore tablets from Aashi Pharmaceuticals in Delhi.