KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday held that “there are serious allegations against the petitioner of waging war against the Government of India and indulging in revival of terrorism and formation of Khalistan” and dismissed the bail plea of Jagtar Singh Hawara, in a 15-year-old case registered under sections of Arms Act, Explosives Act and waging war against Government of India, at PS 17 Chandigarh.
Hawara, who is lodged in Model Jail of Chandigarh, in his bail plea had contended through his counsel that he is in custody for more than 15 years and the trial against him has not commenced in the case. He also stated that the other co-accused in the FIR had already been acquitted on May 27, 2010.
Hawara’s counsel further contended that the petitioner, even if granted bail in the present FIR, would still not be released from custody as he is already serving life sentence in another FIR in 1995 and other cases are also pending against him. The only purpose of filing the present petition for regular bail, the counsel added, was to enable the petitioner to initiate his parole application in FIR 96, 1995.
Public Prosecutor of Chandigarh Ashu Mohan Punchhi, however opposed the bail application of Hawara and contended that the petitioner is a dreaded criminal against whom 37 criminal cases had been registered and one of the cases in which the petitioner had already been convicted and sentenced was the assassination of the former Chief Minister of Punjab, Beant Singh. He further contended that the petitioner was by an order passed by the Delhi High Court in Criminal Appeal of 2007, sentenced to life in prison with the direction that he shall not be released from for the rest of his life.
It was further contended by the Public Prosecutor that the trial in the case of the petitioner has not commenced due to very peculiar circumstances. A notification under Section 268 CrPC has been issued by the Chandigarh administration and the report is yet to be submitted of the same, only after which trial in the case could commence. The only purpose, as even stated by the petitioner in the petition itself, for filing the present bail petition was to enable the petitioner to initiate his parole application in FIR 96 of 1995.
The bench of Justice Alka Sarin, after hearing the arguments said, “In the present case, there are serious allegations against the petitioner of waging war against the Government of India and indulging in revival of terrorism and formation of Khalistan. It has also been noticed by the Trial Court that it had already written to the authorities of Chandigarh Administration to intimate about the status of notification under Section 268 CrPC whereupon necessary orders of commencement of trial would be passed.”
Thus
keeping in mind the gravity of the offence, the Justice Sarin dismissed the
plea of Hawara.
“The pandemic is spread all over Punjab. Today, on the 35th anniversary of Khalistan Declaration Day, Sikh for Justice (SFJ) announces to provide Rs 3,000 to families whose members need oxygen. Visit www.oxygen4punjab.org and fill in your name and email. If any of your family members need oxygen, SFJ will provide it in 24 hours."
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has announced that Sikhs for Justice will provide “Oxygen money” (Rs 3,000) to each Covid patient in Maharashtra, UP, West Bengal and Punjab. SFJ has launched a website www.oxygenfund.org for registration to get oxygen money of Rs 3,000.
Cops believe that at least 200-250 random calls with the message have been made. But the desperate attempt by SFJ has not paid dividends as average calls were cut a couple of seconds into the conversation. It is the same organisation that has also tried to milk the farmer agitation.
US-based Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has been designated a terrorist by India and is general counsel to Sikhs for Justice. The man is said to be running a secessionist agenda of Referendum 2020 to carve out a separate state of Punjab from India.
Since the inception of its Referendum 2020 propaganda, SFJ has been trying to lure the people of Punjab with monetary rewards citing various socio-economic issues like the farmer protest and Covid-19.
The Border Security Force (BSF) seized around 215-kg heroin till April 30 this year along the 553-km-long border with Pakistan this year, which is the highest in the corresponding periods of last five years. The recovery was around 130 kg and 75 kg for the corresponding periods of 2020 and 2019, respectively.
Officials of the BSF say prolonged foggy season was the main reason behind the increase in attempts to push drugs into India. “This year, the fog engulfed the border areas till March end anti-national elements across the border took advantage of it. Also, the water level of the rivers and their tributaries along the border remained high this year, paving the way for the smugglers to push in contrabands into the Indian territory,” said a senior BSF official, who didn’t wish to be named.
He said, “Our troops remained extra vigilant and most of attempts were thwarted. We were also successful in catching a Pakistani smuggler.” On April 8, a Pakistani national, who was trying to push in a heroin consignment into the Indian territory near Khemkaran border in Tarn Taran district, was apprehended. With the arrest of Ajmad Ali (19) of Lahore, the BSF had also seized 21-kg heroin and two smart phones from the area. Same day, a Pakistani smuggler was neutralised by the BSF near border outpost (BoP) Kakkar in Amritsar district. From the spot, 22-kg heroin and two AK-47 rifles were also recovered. During these operations, the BSF had also identified two Indian smugglers, including one Jagdish Singh Bhura, who lives in Belgium and has been involved in many terror activities in India.
A senior Punjab Police official said, “Besides breaking the supply chain of the drugs in the state, our personnel have been ensuring to attach the assets of the drug smugglers. Due to the increased vigil and strictness of the Punjab Police, there has been a huge shortage of the drugs. Seeing the supply chain broken, desperate Pakistani smugglers leaving no stone unturned to push in more contraband into India. However, with the help of the BSF officials, we have strengthened our second line of defence along the border, and every suspect is monitored.”
The seizure of the BSF is different from the recoveries by the Punjab Police. The 22-kg heroin that was seized near the Kakkar BoP was in the kitty of the Punjab Police as the operation was on the basis of Amritsar-rural police’s input.
The NIA on Tuesday filed a charge sheet against eight terrorists of the outlawed Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF) for their alleged involvement in killing Shaurya Chakra awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh Sandhu at the direction of their Pakistan-based handlers, an official said.
Sandhu, who fought terrorism in Punjab, was shot dead in October last year in Tarn Taran district.
The charge sheet, according to which Sandhu was killed by the KLF terrorists, was filed before a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Mohali under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Inderjit Singh of Tarn Taran; Sukhraj Singh, Sukhdeep Singh, Gurjit Singh and Sukhmeet Pal Singh of Gurdaspur; Ravinder Singh, Akashdeep Arora and Jagroop Singh of Ludhiana have been named in the charge sheet, the NIA official said.
The case relates to the killing of Sandhu at his residence-cum-school in Tarn Taran by two unidentified people.
The NIA investigation has revealed that he was executed with the intent to strike terror in the minds of the people of India and especially those opposed to the Khalistani ideology, the official said.
The transnational conspiracy in the crime was hatched by Pakistan-based self-styled chief of the KLF Lakhvir Singh Rode and top foreign-based KLF terrorists who provided arms/ammunition and funds to the accused, according to the NIA official.
Further, a well-oiled terrorist-narcotics-criminal nexus, wherein narcotic drugs along with weapons were smuggled by Pakistan-based entities from across the international border into Punjab for generation of funds for executing terrorist acts, has also been unearthed, the official said.
The NIA had earlier investigated eight similar incidents of targeted killings/attempted killings by the KLF between January 2016 and October 2017, wherein seven people belonging to specific communities were killed, the official said.
The foreign-based KLF leadership had recruited, financed and armed local gangster Sukhmeet Pal Singh and tasked him to execute the killings through his associates, the NIA official said.
After the reported killing of Harmeet Singh, a Pakistan-based operational chief of the KLF in Pakistan in January 2020, Sukh Bikhariwal was directed by Lakhvir Singh Rode and other KLF operatives through encrypted communication platforms to kill Sandhu, according to the NIA official.
The reconnaissance was carried by charge-sheeted accused Inderjeet Singh. Sharp shooters Gurjit Singh and Sukhdeep Singh were recruited for killing Sandhu, the official said.
The other charge-sheeted accused are associates of Sukh Bikhariwal, who were instrumental in organising logistics and shelter to the shooters, the NIA official said, adding further investigation against foreign-based Khalistani entities, including Lakhvir Singh Rode and others continues. PTI
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/nia-charge-sheets-8-khalistani-terrorists-for-killing-shaurya-chakra-awardee-on-pak-based-handlers-orders-244954
The police have arrested three drug smugglers after a brief encounter in which several rounds of ammunition were exchanged.
SSP Gulneet Singh Khurana said two of the suspects, Karandeep Singh and Mandeep Singh, were history-sheeters and that the police had been on their trail for the past one year.
The third smuggler has been identified as Hardeep Singh, alias Saba. All three are residents of Mehma Chak village in Gurdaspur district.
The incident occurred around 8 pm last night near Jakholahri on the Dinanagar-Pathankor road. Khurana said a police team led by CIA in charge Navdeep Singh spotted a car without a registration plate at a check post at Jakhlolahri.
“When the driver, Karandeep, was signalled to stop the vehicle, he opened fire and tried to speed away. However, the team intercepted the car at some distance and arrested the three occupants,” he said.
The SSP said 265 gm heroin, a US-made pistol and five cartridges were found from the possession of the suspects. “A team had been formed to identify the recipient of the drugs. While Karandeep faces several cases, Mandeep too was wanted in six cases, including one related to attempt to murder,” he said.
A case under various sections, including 307 (attempt to murder), of the IPC had been registered at the Pathankot Sadar police station. A case under the NDPS had also been made out against the accused, he added. Meanwhile, the police got a two-day police remand from a local court. “We are interrogating the three. If the need be, more arrests will be made. Security has been beefed up in the district,” said the SSP.
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/drug-smugglers-open-fire-at-cops-three-arrested-244258
Pakistan’s anti India propaganda machinery is now projecting a Muslim in guise of Sikh who has given a call to Sikh community to join hands with Islamist activists against the French people and to boycott the French products in protest against publishing of caricatures of Prophet Mohammed.
In a video message uploaded on social media on Friday, a sky blue turban clad person supporting a beard introduces himself as ‘sardar ji’ while greeting both Aslamu alaikum and Sasriakar.
While
stating that this was the right time to reply to the temerity of French people,
the man is heard saying that he had visited a few shopping malls where he saw
‘boycott' labels attached to the French products .
"This
is not the way to boycott, we should throw their products on streets" the
man is heard saying.
Notably,
in the recent past there had been violent protests against against France,
after French president Emmanuel Macron defended the publication of a
caricatures of Prophet Mohammed and pledged to fight the Islamist separation.
The
Indian Sikh jatha on visit to Pakistan had to be stopped due to protest by the
activists of Islamist body Teherek-i-Labaik Pakistan on April 12.
While ensuring support of Sikh community to the Islamist jihadi’s, he said that they should be like Hitler to the French people who dared to publish the blasphemous caricature of Prophet Mohammed.
Intelligence sources informed that the person in the provoking video was Qasam Dogar who calls himself Sardar Qasam Dogar Singh and was on the payrolls of ISI like Pakistan’s pro Khalistani leader Gopal Singh Chawla.
To
further provoke the Sikhs as well as other people against France Qasam gives a
slogan of "Gustakh e rasool ki eik hi saza, sar dar say juda (only
punishment for blasphemy of Prophet is separating head from the body).
"There is also a possibility of ISI creating likes of Chawla to further its anti India propaganda, it was even rumoured that the late president of Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) Sham Singh was a Muslim", said sources.
Echoing Qasam's point, president of PSGPC Satwant Singh told TOI over phone from Lahore on Friday that that anyone who tried to insult the Prophet was condemnable and also agreed to the call of boycotitng French products. However, he said Qasam was not a Sikh.
From drug trafficking to gang wars, extortion and money laundering, Punjabi smugglers figure among top three notorious gangs in Canada behind the biker gangs and Vietnamese groups.
The Punjabi gangs have hogged international limelight these days with the Canada police claiming on Monday that they have broken a major drug cartel run mainly by Punjabis. Out of 33 persons charged for the possession of drugs and firearms besides huge currency and a gold-plated car, nearly 25 were of Punjabi origin.
Reward policy
The CM on Wedesday approved a reward policy for people who provide information and inputs leading to recovery of drugs under the NDPS Act
He termed it an important step towards motivating people to play a proactive role in helping government in cracking down on drug smugglers & traffickers
Though this is the biggest operation concerning the Punjabi community, reports reveal a number of smugglers were arrested earlier also, though never in such large numbers. Notably, Punjabi gangs are formed on clan basis. Gangs of Johals, Dhak-Duhre, Sanghera, Malhi-Buttar, and the Kangs feature regularly in drug seizures, gang wars and other criminal activities. One report from Canada said about 21 per cent of gangsters died in gang-wars or police operations since 2006 were of Punjabi region.
Their activities are of high concern back home in Punjab as some of the gangs have been linked to either arrested or wanted smugglers. The main being the gangs of Devinder Dev, Kamaljit Chauhan and Amarinder Singh Chhina.
The Punjab Police and NCB officials said Dev even had links with the Jagdish Bhola gang. These persons had used Punjab as the base to transport drugs to Canada, the USA and Australia through the Golden Crescent of drugs network featuring Pakistan and Afghanistan. In December 2017, a couple identified as Gurminder Singh Toor and his wife Kirandeep Kaur was caught with little short of 100 kg of heroin they were smuggling into Canada. In September 2018, another Punjabi Inderjit Bhinder was caught with 41 kg of heroin on the US-Canada border.
“Punjabi smugglers in Canada and Punjab have a robust network. They indulge in to and fro of drugs. While Canadian gangs are interested in cheap ‘import’ of heroin from Afghanistan via Pakistan and Punjab, they ‘export’ refined drugs besides cocaine and ICE to Punjab,” said a police official.
He said the Punjab Police was hoping to get the details of local links of the smugglers arrested in Canada so that their network in Punjab could be checked.
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/punjabi-smugglers-among-top-3-notorious-gangs-in-canada-242358
Toronto In a major operation, Canadian law enforcement has arrested and charged over two dozen persons, mostly Indo-Canadians with roots in Punjab, with participating in transnational drug trafficking activities.
The drugs were being illegally brought into the country from the US - primarily from California - and also from India.
York Regional Police (YRP), which led the investigation and the subsequent crackdown, said multiple agencies worked on the operation that “dismantled a large-scale international drug trafficking network that extended to western Canada, the United States and India”.
Other law enforcement agencies that were part of the operation were from Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Peel Regional Police, and the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The investigation, named Project Cheetah, began in May last year and penetrated “a robust network” involved in importing large quantities of banned drugs into Canada. “The drugs were then distributed across the country through a sophisticated system run by the traffickers,” YRP said.
On April 8, police in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and British Columbia as well as in California executed over 50 search warrants, resulting in 33 people being charged with over 130 offences.
Among them, 27 were arrested and charged in the Greater Toronto Area, with 19 of them hailing from the town of Brampton. Of these, 23 are of Punjabi origin. One suspect, Gurbinder Sooch, remains at large.
In a video statement, inspector Ryan Hogan of the Organised Crime Enforcement Bureau of YRP, said Project Cheetah was a “transnational investigation into the importation and distribution of cocaine, heroin, opium and ketamine into Canada both from India and from California”.
The charges include drug trafficking, conspiracy to traffic drugs and possession of proceeds from criminal activities.
During the course of the operation, officers seized about 2.3 million Canadian dollars (US$1.84 million) worth of drugs that included 10kg of cocaine, 8kg of ketamine, 3kg of heroin and 2.5kg of opium. Investigators also seized 48 firearms and 730,000 Canadian dollars (US$582,882) in cash.
“This drug trafficking network was active throughout the Greater Toronto Area and negatively impacted our communities,” said superintendent Dermot Coughlan of Peel Regional Police’s intelligence operations.
Inspector Marwan Zogheib, officer in charge of RCMP’s Toronto West Detachment, said, “RCMP’s resources across Canada and overseas and our partnership with YRP provide a multiplier effect to our collective efforts to dismantle such criminal networks.”
The Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario also supported this joint-forces investigation.
The recent chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency against 7 operatives of the Babbar Khalsa International in connection with a narco smuggling case clearly suggests that the ISI continues to be backed heavily by the ISI, which is aiming cause a huge unrest in the country.
When a clean up act was launched in Punjab against the Khalistan terrorists, several of the top brass fled to Pakistan and took shelter with the help of the ISI. In 2012, the Intelligence Bureau put up a report indicating that the Babbar Khalsa was attempting a comeback in India with the help of the ISI.
The report said that the BKI with the ISI was drumming up support abroad and in the bargain earned a lot of sympathisers. While Pakistan continued to provide shelter, the Khalistan outfits began drumming up support abroad, especially in Canada, UK and the US. During the farmer protests it was seen that several pro-Khalistan voices had offered support and were attempting to create unrest in several parts of the country in the name of the protests.
An IB officer tells OneIndia that in the case of the Babbar Khalsa, the main hubs apart from Pakistan were in Wolverhampton and Birmingham in the United Kingdom. A majority of the terror funds would land in these places and the same would be generated in Canada. A team of the ISI operates in Wolverhampton only to oversee the international operations of the BKI.
While on one hand the BKI collects funds from sympathisers, it is also actively into narco smuggling. The NIA said in its most recent chargesheet against the BKI that during a search on September 20 2020 at the International Border near RS Pura, Jammu heroin weighing 61 kilograms, opium of 1.2 kilograms along with 2 pistols, 3 magazines and 100 live rounds were recovered.
Investigation in the case has revealed that the seven chargesheeted accused in this case were part of a Narco-terrorism module of terror outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI).
The prime objective of this module was to raise funds for BKI through proceeds of narcotics. Each member of this module had unique role and responsibility in execution of this conspiracy.
The
modus operandi involved smuggling of narcotics and arms/ammunition across the
International Border in Jammu region and further supply and sale of the same in
the state of Punjab. The proceeds of narcotics so generated were to be used for
funding terrorist activities of BKI.
The arms so smuggled were to be used by members of BKI for violent terrorist acts. After the arrest of the above mentioned accused, further searches were conducted which had led to recovery of drug proceeds of Rs 9,06,300, more arms and ammunitions and other incriminating materials, the NIA also stated.
Two Punjab-based youths have been arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police allegedly for their association with a banned organisation.
An FIR has been registered against them in Karnal in which the police claimed to have seized two illegal weapons from them.
The accused have been identified as Tej Parkash alias Kaka and Akashdeep, residents of Draha village in Ludhiana. Both the accused are believed to be members of ‘Sikh for Justice’ organisation which is banned in India.
Confirming the arrest, Ganga Ram Punia, Superintendent of Police (SP), Karnal, said that a team of STF Hisar arrested two persons from Karnal on December 23 and these accused were associated with Gurmeet Singh of USA. They were taken on four-day police remand and now, they have been sent to jail. “An FIR under Section 10 and 13 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and 25 of the Arms Act has been registered against them in Karnal,” the SP added.
About the findings from these accused, the SP said they had got valuable information. As per sources, the accused had received money from the US to kill two renowned persons in Ludhiana and Amritsar. — TNS
Source: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/two-punjab-youths-held-for-links-with-banned-body-192072