New RAW Head is Panjab-Cadre Officer; Sikh Man Found Dead in Kashmir

On 28 Jun, the Indian government appointed Parag Jain, a 1989-batch Indian Police Service officer from the Panjab cadre as the next chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for two years. Jain is supposed to have played a key role in Operation Sindoor (vermilion mark) during recent India-Pakistan hostilities. Ensaaf—a human rights website which documents enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings in Panjab—lists Jain as Senior Superintendent Police, Patiala where Sukhdev Singh was killed in 1993. The World Sikh Organization has posted on X, 'Jain was posted to Canada from approximately 2016 to 2018 and was accused of activities targeting Sikhs in Canada.' Meanwhile, on 23 Jun evening, Surjeet Singh Shanty son of late Foja Singh was found hanging from a tree near Dharamgund village in South Kashmir’s Tral area. Dharamgund is one of the few villages in the region with a significant Sikh population. All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee Chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said that since the death of Surjeet Singh has taken place in mysterious circumstances it is imperative to hold a thorough investigation into the matter. Marking a first in Panjab, Harjit Kaur, mother of an alleged gangster Jagdeep Singh alias Jaggu Bhagwanpuria was shot dead in Batala, Gurdaspur on 26 Jun. Kaur’s relative and bodyguard Karanveer Singh was also killed when three men on a motorbike opened fire. The Davinder Bambiha gang has claimed the killing as revenge for Gore Briar’s earlier killing. In another murder, on 27 Jun, Kuldeep Singh, former personal assistant to former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Member of Parliament Jagdev Singh Talwandi was assaulted to death with swords on Dhandra Road in Ludhiana. Gangster culture in Panjab is so prevalent now that liquor contractors in neighboring state Haryana are holding themselves back from bidding for the allotment of unsold liquor vends under the 2025-27. After 2 of 7 rounds of bidding, only 41 retail liquor zones out of the 260 unsold zones across 20 districts could be sold despite the Excise and Taxation Department reducing the reserve price (earlier coverage).