KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
India 05-Jan-2012
A local court acquitted five persons, including four former activists of Babbar Khalsa, in a case related to unlawful activities, illegal possession of explosives and firearms. The acquitted Babbar Khalsa activists were identified as Baljit Singh Bhau, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi, Buta Singh, Balwinder Singh Dekwala. Daljit Singh Bittu, president of Akali Dal (Panch Pardhani), was also acquitted. However, the court found one person, Harminder Singh Cherian, guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment and also imposed a fine of INR 5000 on him. A case was registered on November 15, 2009, against seven persons under the Unlawful Activities Act, Arms Act, Explosives Act and various sections of the IPC and they were arrested. Apart from the four Babbar Khalsa activists, Daljit and Harminder, Khalistan Liberation Force terrorist Daya Singh Lahoria had also been arrested in the connection. However, Lahoria was acquitted by a court a few months back.
India 19-Jan-2012
One group of BKI may have sneaked into the country from across the border to target political and religious leaders in the poll-bound state of Punjab as per top intelligence sources. The prime targets in the hit list of these terrorists are said to be Punjab CM Prakash Singh Badal, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and religious Dera leaders like Ashutosh, according to sources. The MHA is will issue a fresh advisory to the Punjab Government to beef up the security of the top political and religious leaders during campaigning. The elections are due in the State on 30th January.
India 04-Feb-2012
BSF patrol parties seized 23 kilograms heroin, valued around INR 1150 million, near the India-Pakistan border in Amritsar and Ferozepur.
India 13-Mar-2012
March 31, 2012, has been fixed for the hanging of BKI militant, Balwant Singh Rajoana, who is a convict in the assassination of former Chief Minister of Punjab Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. Rajoana will be hanged inside the Patiala Central Jail.
India 19-Mar-2012
A patrolling party of BSF shot dead three Pakistani smugglers near Amarkot village in Amritsar District and recovered 22 kilograms of heroin valued at around INR 11 million in the international market.
India 19-Mar-2012
A BKI militant, identified as Narender Singh alias Raju was arrested from the Indira Gandhi International airport in Delhi. Sources said that Narender Singh was on his way to Germany to meet BKI 'chief' Harvinder Singh to organise terror activities in India.
India 23-Mar-2012
According to Police, Narender Singh, a BKI militant who was arrested from IGI airport at New Delhi on March 19, wanted to target religious figures like Baba Ram Rahim and Baba Ashutosh. The Delhi police officials also said that the said militant had got the training in Pakistan.
India 28-Mar-2012
Union Government stayed hanging of Balwant Singh Rajoana, a BKI terrorist facing a death sentence for the assassination of then Punjab CM Beant Singh on August 31, 1995. The hanging, scheduled to be carried out on March 31, has been stayed following a petition filed by SGPC, the Sikh religious body.
India 29-Mar-2012
BSF personnel killed three cross-border smugglers, including two Pakistanis, and recovered 10 kg heroin valued at around INR 50 crore and one pistol from check post near pillar number 72/17, close to Sundergarh border outpost near the India-Pakistan International Border.
India 03-Apr-2012
An under-trial prisoner of BKI managed to escape while he was on his way for a court hearing in Bhatinda in Punjab. The prisoner, Baljinder Singh, had been lodged in Tihar Jail and was on his way to Bhatinda in the custody of Delhi Police officials.
India 04-Apr-2012
The BKI militant, Baljinder Singh, who had jumped off a moving train in front of the snoring cops on March 30, while being brought to Bhatinda (Punjab) for a court hearing, has 47 criminal cases, including of murder and robbery pending against him. Most of the criminal cases registered against him are in Punjab and the rest in Haryana and Delhi.
India 20-May-2012
Two suspected KZF militants, identified as Sandeep Singh and Sukhwinder Singh, were arrested along with 2.7 kilograms of RDX, three detonators, two timers, three bombs, two China-made pistols, and 11 cartridges from Kamana village of Nawanshahr District. The duo owed allegiance to Ranjeet Singh Neeta-led KZF.
India 25-May-2012
Three Pakistan nationals, including the driver of a goods train from across the border and his assistant was among five persons detained at the Attari (Amritsar District) railway station after BSF soldiers spotted a bag containing FICNs with a face value of around INR 1.5 million and drugs were thrown from the train.
India 14-Jun-2012
Police arrested two persons, identified as Gurcharan Singh and Manjit Singh, involved in an FICN racket, from Salem Tibri area of Ludhiana along with FICNs worth INR 25,000. The gang's leader Ranjeet Singh alias Jeeta is still absconding. According to the preliminary investigation, Ranjeet used to bring FICN, minted by Pakistan's ISI, from the Indo-Nepal border and hand it to his gang members in Punjab.
India 03-Jul-2012
State Special Operation Cell, Amritsar, a unit of Counter Intelligence wing of Punjab Police arrested three cross border smugglers, identified as Dilbagh Singh, Bikramjit Singh and Gurpartap Singh in Ram Tirath Road, Amritsar and recovered INR 5 lakh FICN, 1 pistol, 38 live cartridges and Pakistani mobile phone set.
India 10-Jul-2012
A local court of Chandigarh, awarded three-year Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) to four people, including an alleged ISI agent, in a three-year-old FICN case. The Court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Surinder Sahni convicted Savinder Kaur, Yudhvir Singh, Ravi Kumar, and Raj Kumar Gill and also slapped a fine of INR 5,000 each.
India 10-Jul-2012
According to the Public prosecutor, Savinder Kaur, an ISI agent, had visited Pakistan on various occasions over the past few years and she had been purchasing the fake currency notes from her counterparts in Pakistan and sold the fake currency notes to Yudhvir, this gang operated in various districts of Punjab.
India 13-Jul-2012
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram said that the threat of terrorism remains in Punjab and also expressed confidence about the government's ability to tackle any attempt to thwart peace in the border state. He commented, ''Punjab is by no means free of all terrorism-related activities. We are keeping a watch. We have inputs that some individuals and groups are busy trying to revive terrorism in Punjab. Nine arrests were made in 2011 and 47 in 2010. Besides 5kg of RDX was recovered from near Ambala and two activists of BKI were arrested from Delhi”.
India 26-Jul-2012
BSF has recovered three pistols and one-kilogram heroin valued at INR five crore, near Border outpost D.S. Pura, (Amritsar Sector) near India-Pakistan border. Troops reacted swiftly and challenged the Pakistani intruders who fled back taking advantage of darkness and undulating ground but dropped the contrabands in the fields which were recovered later.
India 22-Aug-2012
Drugs, arms, and FICNs brought from Pakistan and Dubai were seized in Bhatinda District. Several arrests have been made in separate such incidents. In one such incident, suspects Jora Singh and Bhagwan Singh of Ferozepur District bought heroin from Pakistan on August 18 and ran away from the border when challenged during smuggling. BSF then found seven kilograms of heroin and FICN worth 573,000 dumped on the spot. The counter-intelligence Police at Barnala claimed to have arrested suspects Paramjit Pamma and Gurjant Singh with 120-kg poppy husk and 250-gm opium.
India 24-Aug-2012
Following information about a tunnel being dug at the jail by people belonging to BKI, a search operation was carried out in Nabha Jail in Patiala District. DIG mentioned that information about some illegal activities like selling drugs, misusing mobile phones were taking place inside the jail. And some equipment used for digging, opium, 12 SIM cards, some mobile phones, broken SIM cards, and cash recovered. A case has been registered in this regard and investigation will take place. Police will obtain the GPRS and the CDR data to know the details of the mobile phones being used inside the jail premises.
India 29-Aug-2012
Police recovered 12 mobile phones during their recent search to locate a tunnel on the Nabba Jail (Patiala) Premises’ gymnasium. Sikh militants lodged in Nabha jail were illegally running a gymnasium and were in touch with fugitive militants living abroad on the mobile phone. The jail has a total of about 650 inmates, but the gym facility was being used "exclusively" by the 50-odd Sikh militants. The entire equipment was seized by the Police on August 24. The gymnasium was set up by the pro-Khalistan Sikh Organisation for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW). Mobile call details of jail inmates revealed that the militants were in constant touch with their colleagues in Germany, the UK, other European countries, the US and the Middle East. Possibilities are there that militants were using voice over internet protocol (VOIP) technology to make overseas calls. Mobile tower locations have shown that the calls were made not only from the jail but also from places en route to the District courts. The SIM cards were purchased based on fake identities.
India 29-Aug-2012
The NIA is set to take over a case involving the recent seizure of narcotics, FICN, and arms in Amritsar (Punjab) in one of its first cases of narco-terrorism. The Punjab Police in July arrested five persons near the Pakistan border with arms, FICN and narcotics. Investigations suggested that people from across the border too were involved in the smuggling, after which the Home Ministry is learned to have written to the Punjab chief secretary that the case should be transferred to the NIA. The Punjab Police’s seizure comprised 11.5kg fine-quality heroin, valued at INR 600 million in the international market, besides INR 500,000 in FICN, an Italian pistol with live cartridges, and a mobile phone with a SIM card issued in Pakistan. An NIA team has visited Amritsar in connection with the narco case.
India 01-Sep-2012
The Mohali Police arrested a BKI militant, Kulwant Singh alias Guddu, who was arrested from Sahora village, near Kharar in Mohali District. A .315-bore double-barrel pistol, 11 live cartridges, some letter pads of BKI and some other objectionable material has been seized from his possession. He planned a major extremist operation in Punjab during the forthcoming festival season. Guddu was trying to recruit members in a bid to revitalize BKI. He was liaising with senior BKI militants abroad to revive the outfit. He planned to murder someone but Police did not divulge further details. Punjab Police are now trying to identify the people Kulwant was working with.
India 02-Sep-2012
The Minister of State for Defence M.M. Pallam Raju, while inaugurating NCC Academy constructed at Rupnagar District in Punjab, stated that the security mechanism at the Indo- Pak border would be further strengthened to deal with smuggling of narcotics in Punjab from across the border.
India 03-Sep-2012
According to NIA, more than two dozen websites and 50 groups on social networking sites trying to revive movement for an independent Sikh state. Some sites are www.neverforget84.com and www.prisonerwelfare.com. These sites have videos, images, and details of prisoners and militants who died during the 1984 riots and Operation Bluestar. According to an NIA official, “The ISI is also reportedly keen on forging coordination between Khalistani militants, militants operating in J&K and some fundamentalist groups and in this process Jagtar Singh Tara who escaped from Burail Jail in 2004 is favoured by the ISI to revive the Khalistan movement.”
India 03-Sep-2012
Investigation revealed that the terror outfit, BKI has active support from ISI. It received more than INR 800 million in the last four years to fund its militants. The probe has also revealed that a joint committee is in place to coordinate the activities of major militant organizations in which Gurdial Singh Lalli of ISYF, Resham Singh of BKI and Harmeet Singh of Komagata Maru Dal of Khalistan are the prominent leaders. NIA has initiated a probe into the funding of BKI and is soon going to register a case against it and foreign NGOs under the UAPA and the IPC. According to the investigators, there are other NGOs based in Canada, UK, and Germany who have donated money to BKI’s cause for revival of the Khalistan movement. The agency has found that a chunk of money came via hawala (illegal money transfer), legal bank transfers and human courier.
India 04-Sep-2012
Minister of State for Home Jitendra Singh on Lok Sabha mentioned that Pakistani Intelligence agency ISI providing patronage and assistance to various Sikh militancy in Punjab. Arrested Sikh militants revealed that short term modules are being run in Pakistan for training gullible Sikh youths from India and abroad.
India 06-Sep-2012
Nehchal Sandhu, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Cheif, stated that militants focusing on Punjab and neighbouring states posed a challenge. Intelligence Inputs revealed that Pakistan based BKI Chief Wadhwa Singh Babber’s group and other militancy groups like KCF and KZF are making efforts to destabilize Punjab. Fresh inputs also indicate that Jagtar Tara, one of the three assassins of late Punjab CM Beant Singh, who is absconding following his escape from a Chandigarh jail in 2004, was playing an active role in trying to revive militancy.
India 24-Sep-2012
The FIR registered against Panch Pardhani leader and former militant Daljit Singh Bittu names three others believed to be in Pakistan those booked by Police are Wadhawa Singh, ‘chief’ of the Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), Ranjit Singh Neeta of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and Jagtar Singh Tara of the Khalistan Tigers Force. Daljit Singh Bittu was arrested by the Police on September 21, 2012, and has been booked under the Arms Act, Explosives Act and for anti-national activities. The police had raided his residence and office and also confiscated the laptop and computer found there. Bittu has also been accused of threatening witnesses of the 2007 Shingar cinema blasts, which killed six people and injured thirty. The FIR says Bittu and three other militants were planning to revive terrorism in Punjab. Bittu has been accused of promising to provide a hiding place for the men. Meanwhile, police are reportedly trying to piece together the funding trail. Police revealed that they know where this money is coming but for courts, we need concrete proof. Moreover, need to check whether this money is or will be used to spread violence in the state.
India 30-Sep-2012
British national Jaswant Singh Ajad, actively working for banned militant organizations BKI, KZF, and KTF was arrested from the Focal Point area of Jalandhar District. An Italian made 9 mm pistol and two magazines having 15 rounds were recovered from him. He has a strong relationship with the banned militant organization BKI led by Wadhwa Singh Babbar, KZF led by Ranjit Singh Neeta, KTF led by Jagtar Singh and Parpinder Singh of Scotland and others. Ajad was financing the militant modules to reunite them, he was also managing the sleeper cells of militants by providing them money, networking, and hideouts. A case under sections 120-B, 121, 121-A IPC, 25 Arms Act 10, 13, 17, 18-B, 20, 38, 39, 40 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 has been registered against him.
United Kingdom 30-Sep-2012
Lt General (Retired) KS Brar, who led the Operation Blue Star in 1984, was attacked and injured in London. He was stabbed by four men outside a hotel. He received minor injuries and was taken to hospital.
India 04-Oct-2012
A top UMHA official said that the Punjab government had assured the Centre in June that only a gurudwara was being constructed inside the Golden Temple and not a memorial for Sikh extremists killed in the 1984 operation. However, UMHA has received reports, contrary to claims of the Punjab government, that works on an 18-feet memorial is on and photographs of extremists like Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale would be prominently displayed inside the memorial, once completed. A team of UMHA, hence, would go to Amritsar and Chandigarh to convey the Centre's concerns to the state government.
India 04-Oct-2012
To discuss over a memorial inside the Golden Temple (Amritsar District) for those who died in Operation Blue Star, UMHA decided to send a team of officers to Punjab. A section within the intelligence and security establishment also expressed concern and told the ministry about the repercussions of having such a memorial inside Golden Temple.
India 05-Oct-2012
An attack in London, on Lieutenant General K.S. Brar, who commanded Operation Blue Star, has prompted the NIA to take a closer look at the pro-Khalistan activism and fund-raising by radical Sikh organizations supposedly working for the welfare of incarcerated Sikh militants, as well as cyber sites openly promoting the Khalistan cause. At least two such organizations, the Sikh Organization for Prisoner Welfare (SOPW) and Punjabi e-paper 'Rozana Spokesman' have come under NIA, which is probing cases involving "active" remnants of Sikh militant groups such as BKI. The NIA suspects a possible attempt by certain foreign-based pro-Khalistan leaders and Pakistan's ISI to revive militancy in Punjab and is probing possible sources of terror financing for the project.
United Kingdom 06-Oct-2012
Scotland Yard released nine persons on bail in London who were arrested in connection with the attack on Lieutenant General (retired) Kuldeep Singh Brar. Three men will remain in custody. An extensive fundraising campaign is being undertaken by secessionist Sikh groups in Europe and North America at the instance of Pakistan's ISI to revive terrorism in Punjab. Sources in security agencies have informed about the movement of banned BKI, KCF, ISYF terror groups in western countries to radicalize Sikh youth by showing them doctored footage of Operation Blue Star and other propaganda materials. NIA sources confirmed that BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab.
India 08-Oct-2012
A goods train arrived in Amritsar of Punjab from Pakistan contained 105 kg heroin valued at INR 5.25 billion in the International market and 500 cartridges of Magnum 397 bore revolver valued around INR 200,000 lakh concealed in cement bags were seized.
India 08-Oct-2012
BKI still has a large network of sleeper cells across Punjab, confirmed by the NIA sources. BKI’s Leaders Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were making efforts to revive militancy in Punjab. Both Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh were believed to be in Pakistan recently, are also learnt to have made some trips to Germany, where too the BKI is said to have a large network of sympathisers, in order to raise funds for the organisation. Intelligence officials have told the NIA that in Pakistan Wadhwa Singh and Mehal Singh had regular meetings with top ISI officials, who have pledged full support to them.
India 08-Oct-2012
BSF recovered 2-kilogram heroin near India- Pakistan International Border (IB) in Khalra or Tarn Taran District.
India 11-Oct-2012
The Government has decided to provide security to Brigadier (Retired) Israr Rahim Khan, involved in Operation Blue Star.
India 11-Oct-2012
The BSF seized an assault magazine with 18 rounds of ammunition along with nine kilograms heroin valued around INR 45 crore, a mobile phone and two SIM of Pakistan's Zong mobile network near Rajatal village in Amritsar District. BSF stated that Pakistan based smugglers had used PVC pipe to smuggle heroin and ammunition from across the border fence. The smugglers also left behind a small quantity of opium. BSF mentioned that when they challenged, three Pak smugglers. They started spraying bullets on troops, who retaliated and opened fire. This made the smugglers flee back.
India 24-Oct-2012
A person named Rajbir Singh Yadav is arrested by Ludhiana Police and he is believed to be the mastermind behind a gang involved in extortion and circulating FICN printed in Pakistan. The gang had smuggled some INR 40.5 million FICN through their Pakistan-based contacts identified as Shahid and Qasim. Rajbir is on the wanted list of Nepal Police while several criminal cases have also been registered against him in Kolkata, Bhopal, and Punjab.
India 25-Oct-2012
The State Special Operation Cell (Counter Intelligence unit) of Amritsar Police arrested two cross-border smugglers, identified as Jassa Singh and Harpal Singh, and recovered five kilograms of heroin worth INR 250 million in the international market and INR 0.225 million FICN. The duo was indulged in cross-border smuggling of heroin and FICN and was delivering them to different destinations like Amritsar and Delhi.
United Kingdom 22-Nov-2012
Dilbag Singh, who was arrested in London, has been charged in connection with an assassination attempt on Lieutenant General (retired) Kuldip Singh Brar.
India 27-Nov-2012
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs R.P.N. Singh replied to a question in Lok Sabha that various militant groups including LeT, IM, JeM, HuM, Al-Umma, Al Badr, HuJI, HM, BKI, KZF, and KTF are engaged in militant activities in the country and as per available information militants in India are often supported by their parent outfits based abroad particularly in Pakistan.
India 11-Dec-2012
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, R.P.N. Singh, told the Lok Sabha that LeT, IM, BKI, and KTF are interested in carrying out militant attacks in India but there are no inputs about the Taliban. He further said, "The central intelligence agencies have no specific inputs indicating (a) threat from the Taliban." He added that intelligence inputs show that the four groups, including LeT, have "abiding interest" in carrying out militant violence in India. Some people abroad are sending money to "certain intermediaries" in Punjab to revive terrorism in the State.
India 31-Dec-2012
The ISI is using smugglers in Punjab. Pakistan is relying on narcotics smugglers to push FICNs into India. A charge sheet was filed in a special court in Mohali District, against three narcotics smugglers Dilbagh Singh, Bikramjit Singh, and Gurpratap Singh. The accused admitted to having brought FICN consignment earlier also, and apart from FICN they also brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan into India.
India 31-Dec-2012
Police arrested five persons for pasting anti-national posters at many places in Bhikhi and Budhlada towns of Mansa District. Issued by a group named Maut de Parwane (lovers of death), the posters called upon people to "follow Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale as, presently, minorities are not safe in India." The posters also exhorted pliable targets to take to arms. Separate cases of waging war against the nation and spreading communal hatred have been registered against them.