KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
The Punjab Police Friday recovered a grenade launcher with two compatible grenades, 3.79 kg RDX, nine detonators, and two sets of timer devices from Gurdaspur, thwarting a possible terror attack around the Republic Day, a senior official said.
Border Range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohinish Chawla said the 40-mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) that was recovered during the day could cover up to 150 meters and could be detrimental to the VVIP security, according to an official statement.
The recovery was made on the disclosure of Malkeet Singh, a resident of village Gazikot in Gurdaspur who was arrested Thursday by the Gurdaspur Police based on a tip-off in a terror module and conspiracy case, he said.
“Thwarting a possible terrorist attack around the Republic Day, the Punjab Police have recovered 40mm Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) with two 40 mm compatible grenades, 3.79 Kg RDX, nine electrical detonators and two sets of timer devices for IEDs from Gurdaspur,” Chawla was quoted as saying in a statement.
The consignment of explosives was sent from across the border by Pakistan-based International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) chief Lakhbir Singh Rode, he added.
During November-December 2021, the Gurdaspur Police had busted two terrorist modules controlled by the ISI of Pakistan and arrested four members of the modules, besides recovering around 1 kg RDX, six hand grenades, one tiffin box IED, three electrical detonators and two pistols.
SSP Gurdaspur Nanak Singh said the role of Malkeet Singh in retrieval and delivery of fire arms/explosive consignments intended for ISYF terror module, busted recently by the SBS Nagar Police, was revealed during investigation.
Days after Pakistani media backed Sikhs for Justice, the terror outfit released a video provoking the people of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Republic Day. In the video, SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu and a veiled woman are seen parroting the Pakistan line by exhorting the people of the Union Territory to raise their voice for the "freedom" of J&K. Making incredulous claims about the human rights situation in the region, Pannu is heard exhorting Kashmiris to not only block PM Modi from hoisting the national flag on January 26 but also unfurl the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir flag in Delhi.
In an outrageous and unacceptable appeal, SFJ founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannu was heard saying, "Now is the time people of Kashmir, you should reach Delhi. Block PM Modi from hoisting the tricolour. Just as the Sikh community will unfurl the Khalistani flags, you should unfurl the flag of Kashmir in Delhi. You are getting killed in fake encounters in Baramulla, Shopian, Anantnag every day and nobody knows in the world. When you reach Delhi on January 26, the entire world will watch that Kashmir and Sikhs wants freedom."
SC
lawyer files complaint against Pannu
Since
PM Modi's security breach in Punjab on January 5, Supreme Court lawyers have
received at least 5 threat calls. Moreover, Pannu has announced a $1 million
reward to block PM Modi and raise the Khalistan flag instead of the tricolour
in Delhi on Republic Day. He has also threatened to not allow retired SC judge
Indu Malhotra to proceed with the inquiry into the security lapses.
Meanwhile, SC lawyer Vineet Jindal filed a complaint against the SFJ founder with the Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana and the Cyber police. He stressed that his statements and acts challenge the sovereignty and unity of India and are an attempt to wage war amongst different communities and states. Additionally, he contended that Pannu has dishonoured the pride of Republic Day which is celebrated in our country with great zeal and enthusiasm.
His complaint read, "The act of instigating people by offering a monetary reward on social networking sites accessed by millions of users to stop the PM and Indian flag on Republic day indicate the intentions of an attempt to create national unrest and to wage war in the country. It is an insulting act and grave offence to dishonour the pride of the national flag by burning it". Previously, SFJ claimed responsibility for blocking the PM's route in Punjab.
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At least nine people allegedly associated with pro-Khalistan activities, including Jaswinder Singh Multani, the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) operative who was recently booked by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on the charge of attempting to revive terrorism in Punjab, have been operating from Germany for the past several years.
Interpol Red Notices are pending against four of these suspects, Bhupinder Singh Bhinda, Gurmeet Singh Bagga and Shaminder Singh of the banned Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF); and against Harjot Singh of the proscribed Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). The SFJ was also banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2019.
Bhinda, an associate of Pakistan-based KZF chief Ranjeet Singh Neeta, was sentenced by a Frankfurt court in December 2012 to jail for four years and seven months for conspiring to kill the Radha Soami Beas Dera head during his visit to Germany in July 2010.
According to government records, Bagga is wanted in three cases of explosives smuggling from Pakistan to Punjab. He was also sentenced to a four years’ prison term by a German court for the assassination bid on the Dera chief in Vienna. He has been trying to get asylum in Germany, said a probe agency official.
The official said that in 2019-20, Bagga, with Neeta’s help, had weapons smuggled into Punjab from across the border using Pakistan-controlled drones.
The probe agencies have found that another key suspect named Shaminder Singh went to Germany in 2011. He is closely associated with Bagga and one Belgium-based Jagdish Singh. “He had motivated two individuals, Palwinder Singh and Sandeep Kumar, who were arrested along with a woman, Jaswinder Kaur. Arms and ammunitions were seized from them,” the official said.
The list includes accused Multani, whose role is also being probed in the recent Ludhiana court blast case. In November 2021, another official said he had claimed that a grenade attack at Punjab’s crime investigation agency office in Nawanshahr was the handiwork of his team. The NIA has announced a reward of ₹10 lakh on him in the latest case.
Going by the police findings, BKI’s Harjot Singh is linked to the assassination of Rashtriya Sikh Sangat leader Rulda Singh in Patiala on July 28, 2009. The same year, his name had again surfaced when a module attempting to smuggle 14 kg of RDX, besides arms and ammunition, from Pakistan via Rajasthan, was intercepted.
In 2011, Harjot Singh escaped to Thailand apparently on a fake Nepalese passport, reached Pakistan the following year and then applied for asylum in Germany. However, his plea was rejected. It is suspected that he entered Germany using the same fake passport.
Avtar Singh Hundal, a German national, is on the radar of Indian agencies for his suspected role in raising funds and recruiting cadre for anti-India activities. He regularly sends people from countries like Germany and Italy to Pakistan, according to intelligence inputs.
“Jitender Singh, the son of Pakistan-based BKI chief Wadhawa Singh, is also involved in raising funds for pro-Khalistan activities. Another Germany-based BKI operative, Satnam Singh, was involved in financing and planning the escape of the killers of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh from Burail Jail in January 2004,” the official said, adding that the agencies have also kept a watch on the activities of one Lakhwinder Singh Malhi of the International Sikh Federation Germany.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has declared a reward of ₹10 lakh on Germany-based Jaswinder Singh Multani of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who has been booked along with his associates from other banned outfits like the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) and the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) for allegedly attempting to revive terrorism in Punjab.
Preliminary findings have also indicated the role of Multani in the recent Ludhiana court complex explosion. The NIA has accused him of coordinating with Pakistan-based pro-Khalistani elements and the ISI and conspiring to carry out terror attacks in Mumbai and other parts of the country.
The NIA registered the case following a direction from the Central government to investigate the allegations against Multani. At the instance of the Indian agencies, the German police had last month detained and then released him after he submitted an affidavit promising to cooperate with the authorities concerned.
Multani’s
name had come up in two FIRs registered by the Punjab police last year. A
person arrested in January last year for allegedly planning to kill some farmer
leaders had, during his questioning, also disclosed certain details about his
activities.
Along
with Multani, the NIA has named Jagdish Singh Bhura of KZF, his deputy Gurmeet
Singh, who is also associated with SFJ; Ranjeet Singh Pakhoke of KTF (Germany);
Sukhdev Singh Heran and Hardeep Singh Nijjar of Babbar Khalsa International;
and Paramjit Singh Pamma and Ranjeet Singh Neeta, both KTF members, in the
case.
The agency has invoked various provisions of the IPC and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the accused and his associates, accusing them of radicalising and recruiting the youth in Punjab on the ground and also via social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, and various encrypted messengers including Telegram, WhatsApp and Signal.
Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nia-announces-10-lakh-reward-on-germany-based-sfj-operative/article38284413.ece
Sikhs
for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan outfit banned under the Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, on Tuesday threatened to run an international campaign on
Republic Day titled 'Raise Khalistan -- Block Tiranga', with operatives on
NIA's most-wanted list, Jaswinder Singh Multani, Paramjit Singh Pamma and
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, assigned to lead the protests in Germany, UK and Canada
respectively.
In
a video message on Tuesday, SFJ's US-based general counsel Gurpatwant Singh
Pannun said Khalistan Referendum activists Jaswinder Singh Multani who was
detained by German police after the recent Ludhiana court blast for allegedly
furthering pro-Khalistan agenda but was later released, and Gurmit Singh Bagga
would 'Raise Khalistan' and 'Block Tiranga' at the Indian embassy in Frankfurt,
while Paramjeet Singh Pamma would do the same in London, UK, and Hardeep Singh
Nijjar in Vancouver, Canada.
The SFJ has already announced a budget of 1 million dollars for the project 'Raise Kesri-Khalistan', and 'Block Modi-Tiranga' coinciding with India's Republic day celebrations this year. Pannun had earlier released a video asking Sikhs to raise the 'kesri' flag in place of the Indian Tricolour.
On Tuesday, in a statement, released by SFJ, Pannun said: "Citing infamous Article 25(b) of the Indian Constitution, a global anti-India campaign #SikhsAreNot Hindus has been launched, emailing UK Prime Minister (Boris) Johnson, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Biden and Trudeau administrations urging them to support the first-ever Khalistan Referendum for secession of Punjab from India."
Pannun, Paramjit Pamma, Nijjar and Bagga are in the list of individual terrorists banned under the UAPA.
With
only 30 days to go for the upcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, terrorists
may carry out a major attack in the state. Expressing such apprehensions,
central intelligence agencies have alerted the Punjab government. A high alert
has been issued to central and state government intelligence agencies in this
regard and orders have been issued to strengthen security.
According to highly placed sources in the IB, radical organisations are demanding the release of jailed fundamentalists and creation of Khalistan in Punjab. At the same time, Gurpatwant Singh Pannu of the Khalistani terror group Sikh for Justice (SFJ) is instigating the youth against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and PM Modi by luring them with money. It has been continuously issuing video and audio messages from the US, Canada, which has also led to the formation of sleeper cells in Punjab.
According to the alert, Pakistan terrorists Wadhwa Singh Babbar (BKI), Paramjit Singh Panjwar, Ranjit Singh Neeta (KZF), Lakhbir Singh Rode (ISYF) are being used by pak intelligence agencies ISI. An alert sent to the Congress government in Punjab also said that RDX can also be used in elections in Punjab.
Luring youths of lower strata of society, irrespective of their religion, with foreign dreams and easy money is the latest modus operandi of the banned terror outfit International Youth Sikh Federation (IYSF) to further its cause, investigations suggest. Of the six IYSF operatives arrested by the Punjab Police for last year’s November 21 grenade attack at an army camp in Pathankot, three are Hindus and all of them come from a poor family background. The IYSF is a banned outfit being run by wanted terrorist Lakhbir Singh Rode, who reportedly operates in Pakistan.
The six accused were identified as prime accused Amandeep alias Mantri of Lakhanpal village, Parminder Kumar, alias Rohit, alias Rohta, of Kharal village, Raman Kumar of Ghazikot village, Gurwinder Singh of Kharal village, Rajinder Singh of Gunnupur village and Harpreet Singh of Gotpokhar village in Gurdaspur district.
Officials familiar with the matter, who didn’t wish to be named, said the accused were neither radicalised nor driven by pro-Khalistan ideology. Their job was to create panic through grenade attacks as briefed by their handler, Sukhpreet Singh alias Sukh of Kharal village, who is currently in Greece, and reportedly an aide of Rode. The accused trained themselves in handling grenades from videos available on YouTube, the officials said.
Officials said Amandeep Kumar came from poor family background and earned hand to mouth. His father was a truck driver, who is bedridden since he met a road accident. Amandeep is also said to be a drug addict and has an attempt-to-murder conviction behind him. “He was known to Sukhpreet and was the one who received the consignments of arms and ammunition to execute the blasts. Amandeep was offered paltry sum of up to ₹20,000 per terror activity,” added the officials.
Another accused, 19-year-old Raman Kumar is too a drug addict, officials said, and his late father had served in the army. His mother runs the household on her husband’s pension, while Raman’s sister is married. He was lured with foreign dreams by Sukhpreet through another accused, Harpreet Singh.
Parminder Kumar, 23, worked as a carpenter and was lured by another accused Gurwinder Singh with money to execute the terror activities.
“They were active for the last four to six months. Probe suggests that one of the accused was not even paid any money. In its attempt for survival, the IYSF is targeting needy youths belonging to the lower strata of society in lieu of paltry sums and foreign dreams,” the officials said.
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar senior superintendent of police, Kanwardeep Kaur, declined to comment on the matter.
After several Supreme Court lawyers complained that they received calls from pro-Khalistani forces claiming responsibility for the blockade of PM Narendra Modi's convoy in Punjab's Ferozepur, similar calls have now been received by the Times Now headquarters in Noida.
"We
are getting these calls from both - Canada and the UK. We know who these people
are. We will be contacting the Canadian High Commission and the British High
Commission and taking up the matter with the government," said Rahul
Shivshankar, Editor-in-Chief, Times Now.
"We
are not going to be intimidated. We will continue our truthful reportage,
exposing the deep-seated conspiracy which led to this breach in the PM's
security," he further said.
Elaborating upon the content of the calls, Ajay Agarwal, a lawyer who received similar threats said that the calls are also being made to some of the most prominent Supreme Court lawyers. A pre-recorded message which claims that the group takes responsibility for the blockade of PM Narendra Modi's cavalcade in Ferozepur, Punjab, earlier this month, the calls are from numbers in the UK and Canada. As reported earlier, at least 15 lawyers had received pre-recorded calls warning that the SC should not take hear the PIL seeking probe in PM Narendra Modi's security breach.
Earlier
today, the Supreme Court agreed to set up a panel to probe the PM security
lapse casePM Narendra Modi security breach: SC lawyers get 'threat-calls' from
Sikhs for Justice as court gives nod to form probe panel
PM
security breach: Supreme Court sets up panel headed by retired top court
judgePM security breach: Supreme Court appoints 5-member panel headed by
ex-judge Indu Malhotra
Times Now reporter manhandled in the US by pro-Khalistan groups
This is not the first time Times Now has been targeted by pro-Khalistan groups for reporting on matters of India's national interest. Shivshankar said that a Times Now reporter was confronted by Khalistani sympathisers during his visit to the US when he was covering Prime Minister Narendra Modi's engagement with US President Joe Biden. The reporter was pushed, heckled, jostled in the lobby of the hotel and manhandled by Khalistan sympathisers who threatened that 'if he continues down this road, he would be beaten'.
Khalistani
terror group 'Sikhs For Justice' has once again targeted Republic Day
celebrations in India, asking its supporters to 'block' Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and remove the tricolour from the national capital on January 26. The
radical pro-Khalistan outfit has made multiple attempts to infiltrate peaceful
proceedings in New Delhi by making shocking offers in the name of rewards to
further their Khalistani agenda.
In a new propagandist video shared by SFJ chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu on Facebook, the banned outfit has announced $1 Million dollars as a 'reward' to anyone who would raise Khalistani flags instead of the Indian tricolour in Delhi on Republic Day.
"This
is the matter of Sikhs and Hind. This time the tricolour will not be allowed
anywhere in Delhi. The campaign to liberate Punjab from Indian occupation
through 'Khalistani Referendum' will continue equal to 2022 Vidhan Sabha
elections," Pannu was heard saying in the video shared today. He also
appeared to burn Indian flags in the video.
Farmers
breach Red Fort, wreak havoc on Republic Day
A
similar attempt to instigate the Sikhs in India was made last year when the SFJ
had announced a cash reward of USD 2,50,000 for hoisting the Khalistan flag at
the India Gate on Republic Day. It also hijacked the farmers' protest, asking
them to indulge in anti-national activities on the national holiday.
Republic
Day 2021 celebrations were thus marred by violent protests as the farmers who
proposed to take out a peaceful tractor rally resorted to violence by breaking
barricades, violating permitted routes, attacking police personnel, and
storming the iconic Red Fort. Some anti-national elements among the protestors
climbed atop the rampart of the monument and planted the Nishan Sahib.
SFJ claims responsibility for PM Modi's security breach
The
terror group recently made headlines after it claimed responsibility for the
major lapse in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security on his way to Ferozpur
on January 5. The Sikhs for Justice had released a video on January 3 inciting
farmers to block PM Modi cavalcade in Punjab, where he was scheduled to address
a political rally. For this, the terrorist organisation had also announced a
$100,000 reward.
After the incident, Pannu claimed that Sikhs had driven PM Modi out of Punjab and the upcoming assembly polls will decide the Khalistan referendum.
Prime Minister Modi's convoy was stuck on a flyover for 15-20 mins near Ferozepur after the road was blocked by some protesters. The MHA has termed it a major security lapse. BKU (Krantikari) chief Surjit Singh Phool revealed that it was his faction which blocked the roads.
Punjab
Police has solved the hand grenade attacks including an attack at Pathankot
Army Camp by busting a major terror module backed by the International Sikh
Youth Federation (ISYF) group with the arrest of its six operatives.
The SBS Nagar police have also recovered six hand-grenades (86 P), one pistol (9mm), one rifle (.30 bore) along with live bullets and magazines from their possession, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab VK Bhawra said.
Those
arrested have been identified as Amandeep alias Mantri, Gurwinder Singh alias
Gindi, Parminder Kumar alias Rohit alias Rohta, Rajinder Singh alias Malhi
alias Nikku, Harpreet Singh alias Dholki and Raman Kumar.
As per the information, in two instances some unidentified persons had hurled hand grenades at Pathankot-- one near Chakki Pull on November 11, 2021, while another grenade attack took place outside Triveni Dwar, 21 sub-area of Army at Pathankot on November 21, 2021.
Separate First Information Report (FIRs) in this regard were registered at Police Station Pathankot Division 2 and Division 1 respectively.
The DGP said that during the preliminary interrogation, accused persons revealed that they were directly in touch with self-proclaimed Chief of ISYF (Rode) Lakhbir Singh Rode and his close aides identified as Sukhmeetpal Singh alias Sukh Bhikhariwal and Sukhpreet alias Sukh for planning terrorist attacks.
"The entire cache of the recovered hand grenades, arms and ammunition were pushed in from across the International border by Lakhbir Rode and arrested accused persons had been tasked for further attacking the pre-identified targets which were mainly police and defence establishments, religious places etc," he said.
The accused persons have also confessed to having lobbed hand grenades for two times in Pathankot, he added.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), SBS Nagar, Kanwardeep Kaur said that the SBS Nagar Police have registered the FIR dated 07-01-2021 under sections 16,17,18 and 20 of the UA(P) Act, sections 4 and 5 Explosive Substances Act and section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station City Nawanshahr.