KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 23-Oct-2025
In a joint operation with the Hoshiarpur Police, the Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) on October 23 arrested a father-son duo, identified as Krishan Gopal and his son Keshav, and seized a .32-calibre pistol along with live cartridges, after a brief encounter in Mehmudpur village of Hoshiarpur district. The accused, who were on motorcycles, had opened fire at Ganpati Jewellers in Hoshiarpur on October 18 and demanded INR 20 lakh in extortion.
India 24-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 24 seized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone and 540 grams of heroin near Kahangarh village in Amritsar district.
India 24-Oct-2025
On October 24, Punjab Police, on day 237 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 73 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 94 drug smugglers and seized 197 grams of heroin, 40 kg of poppy husk, 1,029 intoxicant tablets or capsules and INR 12,800 in drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
Canada 24-Oct-2025
In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, High Commissioner of India to Canada Dinesh K. Patnaik voiced concern over Canada’s handling of evidence in transnational crime cases and its inaction against the “illegal activities” of Khalistani separatists. He noted that while evidence submitted by Ottawa is deemed “enough,” similar evidence from New Delhi is often dismissed as “not enough.” “Your evidence is enough but our evidence is not enough?” Patnaik remarked, reflecting India’s frustration with Canada’s lack of seriousness toward its security concerns. He complained that Canada has done little to stop illegal activities by some Canadian Sikhs promoting a separate Khalistan state in Punjab. India has shared dossiers and the names of at least 25 individuals of concern with Canadian authorities, but there has been little visible action in response.
India 24-Oct-2025
Police on October 24 arrested four inter-state arms smugglers, identified as Danveer, Bunty, Sikander Sheikh, and Krishan Kumar and seized five illegal weapons along with live cartridges, INR 1.99 lakh in cash, and two vehicles near Airport Chowk in Mohali, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar district. Police said Danveer is a member of the Papla Gujjar gang, which operates across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and other states. He allegedly procured arms from UP and Madhya Pradesh (MP) for supply in Punjab.
India 25-Oct-2025
Several Sikh bodies that had earlier opposed Giani Kuldip Singh Gargaj’s appointment as the officiating Jathedar of the Akal Takht symbolically accepted him as the temporal head by tying a ceremonial turban on him during a special event organized by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at the Takht Kesgarh Sahib in Amritsar on October 25.
India 25-Oct-2025
A fugitive gangster of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Lakhvinder Kumar, was arrested by the Haryana Police at Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi on October 25, after being deported from the United States (US). An Interpol Red Notice had been issued against Lakhvinder on October 26, 2024, at the request of the Haryana Police. His deportation was carried out by the US authorities in coordination with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). According to a CBI spokesperson, the Haryana Police had registered multiple cases against Lakhvinder Kumar, including those related to extortion, intimidation, illegal possession and use of firearms, and attempted murder.
India 25-Oct-2025
On October 25, Punjab Police, on day 238 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, registered 78 first information reports (FIRs), arrested 90 drug smugglers and seized 6.1 kg of heroin, 1.7 kg of opium, 696 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 29,490 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
India 25-Oct-2025
In a joint operation with the Punjab Police, the Border Security Force (BSF) on October 25 seized six packets of heroin weighing 3.248 kg from farmland near Jalloke village in Ferozepur district.
India 25-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 25 seized one packet of heroin weighing 1.080 kg from an area near Mullakot village in Amritsar sector of Amritsar district.
India 25-Oct-2025
On October 25, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized one packet of heroin weighing 570 grams from a field near Chaharpur village in Ajnala, Amritsar district.
India 25-Oct-2025
Punjab Police on October 25 arrested an operative of a terror network linked to the banned Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Manpreet Singh alias Tiddi, and seized two Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)—each weighing around 2.5 kilograms and packed in metal containers with high-grade RDX and timers—along with a .30-bore pistol and ammunition from his possession in Amritsar district. According to the police, preliminary investigations indicate that Manpreet, who has a criminal background, was acting on the instructions of handlers based in Armenia, the United Kingdom (UK), and Germany, who, in turn, were taking directions from a Pakistan-based mastermind of a banned terrorist organization.
Canada 25-Oct-2025
A Khalistani rally, organized by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) leader Inderjeet Gosal, featuring a float depicting the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was held in Brampton, Canada, on October 25. The rally, which concluded in Mississauga, sought to glorify Satwant Singh and Beant Singh, the assassins of Indira Gandhi. The event comes ahead of a planned SFJ siege of the Indian Ambassador’s residence on October 31 and the Khalistan referendum voting scheduled for November 23.
India 25-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 25 neutralized a DJI Mavic 3 Classic drone and recovered it along with a pistol and a magazine that it was carrying from a field near Kahangarh village in Amritsar district.
India 25-Oct-2025
On October 25, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized a broken DJI Air 3S drone from an area near Daoke village in Amritsar district.
India 26-Oct-2025
The Border Security Force (BSF) on October 26 recovered a packet of heroin weighing 553 grams from an agricultural field near Bhaini Rajputana village in Amritsar district.
India 26-Oct-2025
An Amritsar court on October 26 remanded Manpreet Singh, an alleged Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) operative, to two-day police custody following his arrest over the seizure of two powerful IEDs on October 25. Investigators reportedly recovered critical data from his phone indicating direct contact with Pakistan-based BKI handler Harvinder Singh alias Rinda. The explosives were allegedly supplied via drones in the Ajnala border belt with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) support. Manpreet also admitted links with associates in the United States (US), Australia, and Germany — including Mannu Agwan, Nishan Jodian, Raja Haruwal, and Sajan Masih — involved in extortion and terror financing across Punjab.
India 26-Oct-2025
According to reports, Interpol has yet to share any information with Punjab Police regarding Sikh hardliner Amritpal Singh Mehron, wanted in the murder of digital content creator Kanchan Kumari in Bathinda four months ago. Mehron is believed to be hiding in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Bathinda Police had submitted a pro forma for a “blue notice” on June 20 to trace and extradite him, but no response has been received from Interpol so far.
India 26-Oct-2025
The Shiromani Akali Dal (Punar Surjit), along with other Panthic organizations, held a meeting in Tarn Taran on October 26 to formulate plans to support Mandeep Singh, the candidate of Shiromani Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) for the Tarn Taran by-election scheduled for November 11.
India 26-Oct-2025
The Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police brought back Lakhwinder Kumar alias Lakhwinder Singh alias Lakha, a “known gangster” and close aide of Anmol Bishnoi, from the United States (US), officials said on October 26. Lakhwinder was deported on October 25, after months of coordination between Indian and US authorities — marking the first repatriation of a fugitive linked to a Haryana-based gang from the US. A resident of Titram village in Kaithal, Haryana, Lakhwinder had been operating from California since 2022, managing overseas operations of the Lawrence–Anmol Bishnoi gang and coordinating extortion and firing orders across Haryana and Punjab. His deportation followed a Look Out Circular (LOC) issued on December 7, 2023, and a Red Corner Notice (RCN) on December 26, 2024. Officials added that in 2025 so far, the STF has made over 220 gang-related arrests, leading to a sharp decline in extortion calls — 109 this year compared to 160 in 2024.