In a bid to thwart the recruitment efforts orchestrated by incarcerated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and the Canada-based terrorist Arshdeep Dalla through various social media platforms, Punjab Police has reported the blocking of a staggering 6,000 social media accounts.
These actions were taken to prevent the radicalization of impressionable youths and curb these individuals’ nefarious activities on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and more.
During a recent two-day anti-terror conference held in Delhi by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Punjab Police’s Inspector General of Police (Internal Security), Nilabh Kishore, made a comprehensive presentation.
This presentation was delivered to key figures including Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, and heads of state police and anti-terror units.
In their detailed presentation, Punjab Police highlighted the existence of a dedicated social media monitoring unit. According to sources, they revealed that between 2020 and September 30 of the current year, a substantial number of accounts have been identified and reported to the respective social media platforms.
The figures included 4,185 Facebook accounts/links, 513 Twitter accounts, 417 YouTube accounts/links, 118 Instagram accounts, 214 websites, 14 Clubhouse profiles, nine on Telegram, and 30 others on platforms like Snapchat, Signal, and Wickr.
An NIA official also emphasized that among the gangsters actively using social media for their activities are Lawrence Bishnoi, Sampat Nehra, Bhupi Rana, and Lucky Patiyal.
He pointed out a recent incident where Sukhdool Singh Gill, known as Sukha Duneke and allegedly associated with the notorious Bambiha gang, was fatally shot in Winnipeg, Canada.
Shortly after the incident, rival gangsters Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria claimed responsibility through separate Facebook posts. The official revealed that most of these social media accounts were operated from abroad and hired individuals to maintain and update them periodically.
Upon identifying these accounts, Punjab Police promptly approached the Cyber Law Division under the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, seeking to suspend these accounts and links. As a result of their concerted efforts, approximately 6,000 accounts and links have been successfully blocked to date.
Sources suggest that during their presentation, Punjab Police also highlighted key factors contributing to radicalization, including the farmers’ agitation, figures like Amritpal Singh and the Khalsa Vaheer, the role of social media, Dera culture, and the foreign-based movement known as Referendum 2020, led by Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
Furthermore, Punjab Police identified 5,171 individuals allegedly connected with the terrorist gangster nexus. From this list, 1,083 individuals were shortlisted.
Notably, around 901 of them had attended deradicalization programs initiated by the Punjab Police. A Look-Out-Circular (LOC) was issued for 26 individuals, and preventive actions were taken against 13 individuals.
In addition to their anti-terror efforts, Punjab Police has expressed concerns about narco-smugglers assisting pro-Khalistan entities (PKES) in smuggling weapons and financing, along with evidence of cross-border links within these movements.
These ongoing efforts aim to maintain peace and security in the region and deter the influence of terror-related elements.
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