Time Line-2018

India 01-Nov-2018

The Punjab Police raided a Khalistani terror module—Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF), supported by Pakistan’s ISI, and arrested the KGF operative—Shabnamdeep Singh, from Patiala. The Police team also recovered a hand grenade, and other arms from the possession of Shabnamdeep Singh. Reportedly, Shabnamdeep Singh conspired to attack in crowded places, included Police Stations, and he was promised to get INR 10 lakh for each attack, from abroad [unspecified location]. The police also seized a pistol, six bullets, a cellular phone, and a motorcycle from his possession. Shabnamdeep Singh was produced before a local Court and given five-day Police remand.

India 04-Nov-2018

Regarding the efforts of pro-Khalistan elements to revive insurgency in Punjab, the Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said that general public shall remain alert during the festival season as there are possibilities of attempt to disrupt the state of peace in Punjab. One of our neighbouring countries [referred to Pakistan] keeps trying to create disturbance as they don’t want India to progress. Punjab is a State which is rising and progressing at a very fast pace. I have been reading in media about the Referendum 2020 and going through these reports too. I have come to the conclusion that some attempts are being made to revive insurgency. In Punjab, the ‘Mission 2020’ has been announced, however it cannot be ruled out that this mission cannot extend to North-Eastern States,” said General Rawat. General Rawat was invited at the Foundation Day of a School in Nabha of Patiala District in Punjab.

India 05-Nov-2018

The BSF officials observed some suspicious activity and recovered three kilograms of heroin near the International Border (IB) at Ranian village of Ludhiana district in Punjab.

India 09-Nov-2018

Acting upon intelligence inputs, the BSF and Anti-Narcotics Cell recovered three packets of heroin weigh 4.30 kg worth INR 22 crore in the international market, from Border Outpost of Shameke of India-Pakistan Border in Ferozepur Sector of Ferozepur district in Punjab. The packets were kept inside the hollow space in a tree.

India 18-Nov-2018

At least three people were killed and 20 others injured in a grenade blast at a religious congregation at Nirankari Satsang Bhawan at Adliwal village in Amritsar District. The blast took place near Amritsar’s Rajasansi, close to the international airport. Amritsar police commissioner, S Srivastva said, “It is suspected to be a terrorist attack. We have been probing. No arrest has been made so far. Two unidentified men attacked the congregation.” Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora said, “It (this incident) appears to have a terror angle. Because it is against a group (of people) and it is not against any individual. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it as that.” The DGP also said there was no specific input about any possible attack on Nirankari Bhavan. “There was no issue with this group as such… There was no specific input on (Nirankari Bhavan),” he said.

India 19-Nov-2018

The Chief Minister of Punjab (Capt.) Amarinder Singh, said that the grenade explosion inside the prayer hall of Nirankari Bhawan in Adliwal village in Amritsar, has Pakistan’s ‘signature’ as the grenade used (HG-84) in the attack was similar to the grenades being manufactured by the Pakistan’s Army Ordinance Factory (AOF),. As per the initial investigations, the explosion at Nirankari Bhawan had no religious linking, says CM Singh.

India 19-Nov-2018

The Sangrur district Police arrested, Jatinder Singh (28), an alleged member of Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF) from Dirba in Sangrur district of Punjab. Jatinder Singh was wanted by the Patiala Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A] and the Explosive Substances Act (ESA). A team of the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) arrested him from the main market of Dirba. He [Jatinder Singh] is a native of Patiala and had been hiding at the house of his relative in Dirba, said SSP of Sangrur—Sandeep Garg.

India 20-Nov-2018

The NIA will be interrogating arrested ISI-supported Khalistani terrorist —Shabnam Deep Singh, for further leads in the Nirankari Bhawan blast case. Shabnam Deep Singh was arrested by the Patiala Police on November 1. The modus operandi of the grenade attack at the Nirankari Bhawan is similar to what Shabnam Deep Singh had planned to attack any crowded place in Patiala, said Patiala SSP M.S. Sindhu. Shabnam Deep Singh’s close aid—Jatinder Singh, who was arrested on November 19 in Sangrur, has confessed that Shabnam Deep Singh and others [unknown] were getting instructions from their handlers based in Pakistan and floated a new Khalistani outfit—Khalistan Gadar Force (KGF) to revive the militancy in Punjab.

India 20-Nov-2018

With the probability of role of local Sikh youths in the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack, the Police raided and detained Sikh activists [unspecified counts with identities undisclosed], without any concrete evidences of their involvement. The Police must have investigated the matter and not jump to the conclusion based on the 1978 clash between Sikhs and Nirankaris, said Spokesperson of Dal Khalsa—Kanwar Pal Singh Bittu. Among the activists, Dal Khalsa member—Gurjant Singh, and senior ‘Vice-President’ of Sikh Youth Federation (Bhindranwale) [SYF-B]— Ranjit Singh Damdami were also detained but released in the evening of November 20 [same day].

India 21-Nov-2018

Speeding up on the action in the Nirankari Bhawan grenade attack case, Punjab’s Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, has claimed that the Police has arrested—Bikramjit Singh, an alleged member of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) from Loharka Village, Amritsar District, while search in on-going for Bikramjit’s associate. The grenades were dumped from across the fence by Pakistan's ISI. These were made by Pakistan Ordnance Factory. Bikramjit has provided information which indicates that the grenade was provided by “Happy” based in Pakistan. “Happy” is suspected to be the Pakistan-based KLF ‘chief’—Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD.

India 22-Nov-2018

Bikramjit Singh—an accused arrested in Amritsar grenade explosion case was produced before the Court, and sent to five days of Police remand.

India 24-Nov-2018

A Sikh seminary—Damdami Taksal-Ajnala located in Ajnala town of Amritsar district has been put under surveillance of security agencies as almost every Khalistan terror module cracked in Punjab has shown links to the seminary. Avtar Singh, ‘president’ of Sikh Youth Federation-Bhinderanwale (SYF-B) who was arrested on November 24 in the Amritsar grenade attack case, is disciple of Amrik Singh Ajnala, who heads the Damdami Taksal Ajnala. Also, at least five other Khalistan terrorist who were arrested in the past two months were disciples of the same seminary.

India 24-Nov-2018

Acting upon the information provided by arrested Bikramjit Singh, the Punjab Police arrested Avtar Singh (32)—the prime accused of recent grenade attack in Nirankari Bhawan in Amritsar, from Khiala village in Lopoke in Amritsar district of Punjab. Avtar Singh is a graduate and had no criminal history. Avtar Singh’s link with Harmeet Singh Happy aka PhD— self-styled ‘chief’ of Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) based in Pakistan has been traced where Harmeet Singh has been emerged as most active pro-Khalistan leader of an outfit supported by Pakistan’s ISI, said Punjab DGP Suresh Arora. Upon disclosure by Avtar Singh, the Punjab Police recovered two pistols of .32 bore (one of the pistols is US-made), four magazines, and 25 live rounds of ammunition, said DGP Arora.

India 26-Nov-2018

The NIA will be investigating the case of four alleged members—Karam Singh, Gurjant aka Jenta, and Amreet aka Amrit, of pro-Khalistan group [unidentified], involved in the conspiracy to kill former Punjab Chief Minister—Prakash Singh Badal, and his family member. Till now, Uttar Pradesh’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was probing the case.

Pakistan 28-Nov-2018

The US based pro-Khalistan group—Sikh For Justice (SFJ) has appreciated the Kartarpur Corridor as a ‘bridge’ to the mission of Khalistan and has announced to host ‘Kartarpur Sahib Convention-2019’ in Pakistan, on November 28. SFJ runs a pro-Khalistan campaign with support from Pakistan’s ISI towards creation of a separate Sikh land from India