KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 06-May-2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on May 6 moved to secure forensic evidence and gather crucial inputs from the May 5 twin blast sites in Jalandhar and Amritsar, joining the Punjab Police investigation into the back-to-back explosions. According to sources, NIA teams were deployed to assist state agencies in examining CCTV footage, debris, and forensic samples to reconstruct the sequence of events and determine the cause of the blasts, which have renewed security concerns in the border state.
India 06-May-2026
In the aftermath of the May 5 twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, security has been significantly heightened across Jalandhar ahead of the second phase of Bhagwant Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’, scheduled to commence from his Baradari residence in Jalandhar in Jalandhar district on May 7.
Canada 06-May-2026
According to reports, Canadian authorities deported more than 30 young men of Indian origin in 2026 over their suspected involvement in organized extortion networks operating across British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and other parts of Canada. Those deported reportedly included Prabhjot Singh, Lovebir Singh, Arshdeep Singh, and Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu, all in their twenties. By mid-March 2026, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) had reportedly conducted at least 35 enforced removals linked to these networks as part of a broader crackdown that involved 372 immigration investigations and the issuance of 70 removal orders in coordination with police agencies targeting transnational organized crime.
India 06-May-2026
The Chandigarh Police on May 6 arrested a Class 12 student — a minor — while he was allegedly on his way to Patti in Tarn Taran district to carry out a murder at the behest of two gangsters operating from abroad, thereby foiling a suspected gang-linked killing plot. Investigations revealed that the minor was in active contact with Prabh Dasuwal and Gurvinder Singh, and had reportedly left home on May 5 to execute the attack. The case has highlighted a troubling pattern of online gang recruitment. The student, who had recently appeared for his Class 12 board examinations, was allegedly drawn into the gang network around two months earlier through Instagram, after which communication reportedly shifted to Telegram for operational instructions. According to investigators, the minor sought contact with gangsters after being assaulted by local youths and seeking revenge, following which he was allegedly groomed and recruited by the network.
India 06-May-2026
Police on May 6 arrested six alleged shooters and operatives linked to the Rashid Cable Wala gang and Hashim Baba gang, identified as Faiz Qureshi, Maaz, Nawajish, Affak, Imran alias Teli, and Arshad alias Chota and seized 10 illegal firearms and 81 live cartridges, including nine pistols of .30 and .32 bore and a .312 bore rifle, in Karol Bagh, New Delhi. According to Police, the group was planning attacks on rival gang members and was involved in extortion and betting rackets across East and Northeast Delhi.
Canada 07-May-2026
Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh, in a video that surfaced a day before his concert in Winnipeg, stated, “I’m being abused from both sides,” while referring to the controversy surrounding protests by pro-Khalistan supporters at his recent Aura 2026 concert in Calgary. Tensions between the singer and certain pro-Khalistan groups reportedly escalated after he criticised individuals displaying Khalistan flags during the concert.
India 07-May-2026
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Punjab unit on May 7 extended support to singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh after he confronted pro-Khalistan elements during his concert in Calgary. In a post on X, the party stated that the threats issued against Dosanjh by “anti-national elements” reflected their “frustration and desperation,” adding that the singer had brought global recognition to Punjab. The BJP’s support followed a video released by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), warning that the group would oppose Dosanjh’s upcoming shows in the United States (US).
India 07-May-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 7 recovered 538 grams of heroin, along with packing material and remnants of a drone kit, near the Border Outpost (BOP) at Dauke in Amritsar district.
India 07-May-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 7 recovered 482 grams of heroin wrapped in a polythene packet from the Dauke border area in Amritsar district.
India 07-May-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 7 recovered 561 grams of heroin, along with packing material and drone remnants, near the border fencing area in Amritsar district.
India 07-May-2026
Gharinda Police on May 7 arrested an alleged drug smuggler, identified as Rajbir Singh, and seized 545 grams of heroin along with packing material in Amritsar district.
India 07-May-2026
On May 7, the 107th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 585 raids, arrested 323 persons and recovered five weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 123 individuals, while 44 persons were verified and released after questioning. 12 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
India 07-May-2026
On May 7, Punjab Police, on day 432 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 114 drug smugglers, and seized 2.9 kg of heroin, 75 kg of poppy husk, 271 narcotic tablets/capsules and INR 3625 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
India 07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested a person, Harpreet Singh for allegedly selling heroin and seized 48 grams of heroin from his possession in Abupura village in Ludhiana district.
India 07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested an alleged drug peddler, Sarabjit Singh, and seized 15 intoxicating tablets from his possession in Mohalla Bagh Wala, Shahkot, in Jalandhar district.
India 07-May-2026
Police on May 7 arrested a man, identified as Vinod Sharma and recovered 120 grams of heroin from his possession during a special checking and patrolling operation in Phagwara in Kapurthala district.
India 07-May-2026
Several colleges in Amritsar and Baba Bakala in Amritsar district received bomb threats via email on May 7. The threats, later confirmed to be a hoax, warned of bomb explosions between May 7 and May 9 in multiple locations across Punjab, including Amritsar, Adampur, and Fatehgarh Sahib. The email, purportedly sent by the Khalistan National Army, also mentioned Bhagwant Mann and Ravneet Bittu while issuing threats against them. It further referred to Mann’s ‘Shukrana Yatra’ and cited the recent blast near the cantonment area in Khasa, Amritsar, for which the Khalistan Liberation Army had claimed responsibility.
India 07-May-2026
Aam Aadmi Party Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Singh on May 7 alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had launched a “Mission Punjab” through the recent twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar in an attempt to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the poll-bound state. He further claimed that there was a “direct relation” between the BJP and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), citing the Pathankot attack as an example. Singh alleged that the blasts were part of the BJP’s electoral strategy to create unrest in Punjab and accused the party of having a “history” of cooperating with the ISI.
India 07-May-2026
India on May 7 categorically rejected allegations of foreign interference made in a report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), describing the claims as “baseless” and contrary to India’s long-standing policy of respecting the sovereignty of other nations. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that India’s position on the issue had remained “clear and consistent,” asserting that the country adheres to international norms and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other states.
India 08-May-2026
Rajasthan Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on May 8 said it had detained a man in Punjab, identified as Guruvinder Singh, for interrogation over allegations of circulating anti-national and separatist content on social media and recording videos of strategic border areas, in Tarn Taran district. Preliminary investigations reportedly found pro-Khalistan and pro-Pakistan posts, videos and comments on his social media accounts. Investigators also alleged that he was in contact with suspicious individuals linked to terror networks. During questioning and digital analysis, officials recovered audio clips, videos, chats and comments allegedly supporting pro-Khalistan and pro-Pakistan narratives. According to the ATS, Facebook Messenger chats and voice notes also indicated alleged communication with suspicious individuals and members linked to The Resistance Front. Investigators claimed the chats included discussions on procuring AK-47 rifles and grenades to carry out bomb blasts.