KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 14-May-2026
On May 14, the 114th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police arrested 292 persons and recovered six weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 102 individuals., while 14 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
India 14-May-2026
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann on May 14 said in Batala that the Punjab government would eliminate the “blot of drugs” from the state, asserting that the anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ has dealt a major blow to narcotics networks. He said 63,707 drug smugglers were arrested in 437 days and properties built with drug money were demolished across Punjab. Mann also highlighted the ongoing 112-day ‘Gangstran Te Vaar’ crackdown, welfare initiatives for women and healthcare, and claimed the state’s anti-sacrilege law had stopped incidents of ‘beadbi’ of the Guru Granth Sahib in Punjab.
India 14-May-2026
A local court on May 14 framed charges against Khadoor Sahib Member of Parliament (MP) Amritpal Singh in connection with the February 2023 attack on the Ajnala police station in Amritsar district. The charges include attempt to murder, causing grievous injuries, obstructing public servants, criminal conspiracy, damaging government property, and issuing death threats while leading an unlawful mob. However, the court dropped charges under the Arms Act and destruction of evidence after the defence argued that no weapons were recovered from the accused.
Canada 14-May-2026
Two Punjabi youths living in Canada, Damanjeet Singh and Pardaman Singh, have been arrested and charged under the Criminal Code following a Surrey Police Service investigation into a shooting linked to extortion threats, in Canada. Police said both accused are foreign nationals and that the Canada Border Services Agency is involved in the case. The incident occurred on April 22, when officers responded to reports of gunfire at a residence in the 13400 block of 87A Avenue in Surrey. Police confirmed damage to a house and a vehicle, but no injuries were reported. Authorities released photographs of the accused and appealed for witnesses or victims to come forward as investigations continue into violent extortion-linked criminal networks.
India 14-May-2026
Punjab Police, in a joint operation with the Special Cell of Delhi Police, on May 14 arrested Umar Deen, accused of planting an IED near the main gate of the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar on May 5, in New Delhi. Deen, a taxi driver living near Zirakpur for the past few months, allegedly conducted a two-day recce before planting the bomb concealed in a scooter. Investigators are probing his links with other accused, possible handlers, and the role of Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti. Meanwhile, security agencies also arrested another accused, Anil Sharma from Uttar Pradesh (UP), in connection with the case. More than a dozen suspects have reportedly been questioned as agencies investigate a wider conspiracy behind the blasts.
India 15-May-2026
On May 15, the 115th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 552 raids, arrested 276 persons and recovered 11 weapons from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 102 individuals, while 21 persons were verified and released after questioning. Eight proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
India 15-May-2026
On May 15, Punjab Police, on day 440 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 93 drug smugglers, and seized 286 grams of heroin, 7 kg of poppy husk, 318 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 10,330 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
India 15-May-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) on May 15 arrested a drug smuggler, identified as Abhimanyu, and seized 1.5 kg of heroin following an exchange of fire between the smugglers and the CIA team, in which former sarpanch (village head) Satpal Singh was injured, in Begowal town, Kapurthala district.
India 16-May-2026
The Amritsar Rural Police on May 16 arrested four persons, Kulwinder Singh alias Bhullar, Akashdeep Singh alias Sunny alias Kauda, Akashdeep Singh alias Baba, and Jagtar Singh, in connection with two extortion-related cases linked to Germany-based gangster Jeevan Fauji and his associate Preet, in Amritsar district. Police said the accused were allegedly acting on the instructions of the foreign-based gangsters, who were issuing extortion threats and directing criminal activities in Punjab from abroad. In the first case, Jasbir Singh of Sudhar village in Amritsar district allegedly received an extortion call demanding INR 30 lakh, followed by a firing incident at his residence on May 6. In the second case, Sudhar village sarpanch Nishan Singh allegedly received a demand for INR 50 lakh, after which unidentified persons hurled a petrol bomb at his residence on May 9, damaging property and triggering panic in the area.
India 16-May-2026
Police on May 16 arrested a person, identified as Amarnath and seized 110 intoxicating tablets from his possession, near the grain market in Kapurthala district.
India 16-May-2026
Police on May 16 arrested a youth, identified as Balwant Singh and seized 20 kg of poppy husk from his possession, in Subhanpur, Kapurthala district.
India 16-May-2026
An unidentified assailant fired five shots outside jeweller Antarpreet Singh’s residence in Choti Baradari in Jalandhar on the night of May 16. Antarpreet had reportedly been targeted for the third time in the past four years.
India 16-May-2026
An unidentified assailant fired five shots outside jeweller Antarpreet Singh’s residence in Choti Baradari in Jalandhar on the night of May 16. Antarpreet had reportedly been targeted for the third time in the past four years.
India 17-May-2026
Punjab Police on May 17 arrested four alleged members of the Goldy Brar gang, identified as Sukhwant Singh Sekhon alias Sukha, Jugraj Singh, Gupreet Singh and Neeraj and seized eight illegal pistols and 45 rounds of ammunition from their possession, in Jalandhar district.
India 17-May-2026
Jail authorities on May 17 recovered illegal drugs from an inmate during a surprise search operation inside the Faridkot Central Jail in Faridkot district. Following the recovery, a case was registered against the accused under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
India 17-May-2026
Alliance talks between Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), a breakaway faction of the Shiromani Akali Dal led by Sukhbir Singh Badal, and Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De), headed by jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh, collapsed on May 17. An eight-member Panthic Unity Coordination Committee had been formed on April 18 to facilitate unity between the two factions. Committee member Rachhpal Singh Sosan stated that despite several rounds of discussions, the two sides failed to reach consensus on key ideological and basic issues, leading to the collapse of the talks.
India 17-May-2026
Punjab Police in coordination with the Counter Intelligence wing on May 17 arrested three persons in connection with the April 27 grenade incident and recovered a hand grenade from one of the accused, in Gurdaspur district. According to police, two unidentified youths had hurled a hand grenade outside a shop near Geeta Bhawan Road on April 27, but it failed to explode as the safety pin remained intact. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of a foreign-based handler and had received two hand grenades from him.
India 17-May-2026
Unidentified assailants opened fire outside Dhalla Jewellers near Nath Di Khui in Amritsar district around 6:32 pm on May 17. The shop reportedly belongs to Angrej Singh, who is believed to have been the target of the attack. No injuries were reported.
India 17-May-2026
Two unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants allegedly fired nearly eight rounds outside a Kajaria showroom in Rayya in Amritsar district on May 17. The showroom belongs to Harpreet Singh Happy, an Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Ward No. 4 and son of former Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member and ex-Rayya Municipal Committee president Gurvinder Pal Singh Rayya. Sources claimed that Harpreet had earlier received extortion threats.
India 18-May-2026
Punjab Police and the Counter Intelligence wing, in a joint operation on May 18, busted a transnational terror-gangster nexus with the arrest of two operatives, Anuraj alias Gaurav Masih and Ankush, and recovery of three illegal pistols, including two .30 bore and one .315 bore weapons, along with 11 live cartridges from their possession, in Ludhiana distrcit. Preliminary investigations revealed that the accused were acting on the directions of foreign-based handlers operating from Germany and Dubai, and had been assigned high-profile targeted shootings.